Quantum mechanics curriculum in the US: Quantifying the instructional time, content taught, and paradigms used

Abstract

Quantum mechanics is an integral course for physics students. An understanding of quantum concepts is imperative for enrollment in physics graduate programs, participating in research within physics-fields, and employment at companies developing quantum technologies. This study analyzes 188 US research intensive institutions' course catalogs to determine the role and volume of quantum mechanics in their undergraduate physics programs. All of the institutions required one course on quantum concepts, 92% required two courses, and half required three. For institutions with complete class data (n=56), the quantum curriculum was analyzed using course syllabi. The mean number of classroom hours spent on quantum concepts was found to be 63.5 hours with a standard deviation of 28.1 hours. The most commonly taught themes in the quantum curriculum were the Schr{\"o}dinger equation and three-dimensional quantum mechanics. However, the Stern-Gerlach Experiment was only included in 28% of the course outlines. Despite current efforts to promote a spin-first approach, this study found the traditional position-first approaches were still more common as they were used by 73.7% of instructors.