Quantum Engineering, M.Sc.
Master's in Quantum Engineering (M.Sc.) at Universität des Saarlandes, Germany — an English-taught research-oriented program bridging quantum physics and systems engineering, with students building expertise across both domains simultaneously. The curriculum spans solid-state and atomic physics, quantum optics, and nanostructure physics alongside microelectronics, high-frequency engineering, and signal processing. Students can orient toward a theoretical profile (quantum field theory, quantum information) or an experimental one, with access to active research groups in trapped-ion quantum computing and quantum optics.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | B2 |
| Study mode | Full-Time, Part-Time |
| Start | Winter semester, summer semester |
| Application | After recognition of the certificate, winter semester until 01.09, summer semester until 01.03 |
| Admission | Aptitude assessment: the university evaluates how well your previous education fits the programme |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €412.30 per semester |
| Campus | Campus Saarbrücken |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Admission goes through an aptitude assessment: the university checks how well the subjects, credits and grades of your previous education fit the programme. There is no fixed cut-off — the assessment is comparative.
- ✓Those with a background in physics, electrical engineering, or a closely related field who find the boundary between the two disciplines more interesting than either alone.
- ✓Students who are drawn to quantum technologies as an emerging field — not just the theory, but the engineering challenges of actually building quantum systems.
- ✓Those who enjoy switching registers: one week working through quantum field theory, the next troubleshooting an FPGA or antenna design.
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- ✓Applicants who want to shape their own academic profile — choosing a path that is more theoretical, more experimental, or more applied — rather than following a rigidly fixed curriculum.
- ✓Those comfortable with mathematically demanding coursework and extended lab sessions as a normal part of their week.
- ✓Students who see themselves heading toward either a PhD in quantum science/engineering or a role in quantum hardware development, sensing, or advanced electronics.
- ✓Those who value working within active research groups for their thesis, rather than purely coursework-based programs.
- —The program spans two technically demanding domains simultaneously — quantum physics and systems engineering. Applicants from a pure physics background will need to engage seriously with engineering modules, and vice versa. Neither side of the curriculum is treated as secondary.
- —The admission process includes a formal aptitude assessment that evaluates both the overall grade and the subject-area composition of your bachelor's transcript. A strong GPA alone does not guarantee admission if the required credit distribution in physics, engineering, and mathematics is not met.
- —Saarbrücken is a mid-sized city in southwestern Germany with a relatively modest cost of living compared to major German university cities — this is generally an advantage for self-funded students, though the city offers a quieter lifestyle than metropolitan centres.
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- —The thesis semester requires integration into an active research group. The quality and direction of your thesis will depend significantly on which group you work with — it is worth researching the research areas early and considering where your interests align.
- —The program is available for both full-time and part-time study, and admits in both winter and summer semesters — this is unusual flexibility for a master's in engineering in Germany and may be relevant for applicants with timing constraints.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
Quantum Engineering at Universität des Saarlandes is a research-oriented master's program that sits at the intersection of quantum physics and modern engineering systems. Rather than staying within a single discipline, the curriculum deliberately spans two domains: the Quantum Physics core and the Systems Engineering core — and students navigate both throughout their studies.
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The quantum physics side covers theoretical and experimental foundations including solid-state physics, atomic and molecular physics, quantum and modern optics, and nanostructure physics. The systems engineering side is equally substantive, with modules in advanced electronic packaging, microelectronics, digital transmission and signal processing, high-frequency engineering, and antenna theory. Together, these tracks reflect the real-world interdisciplinary nature of quantum technology development — where building a quantum device requires both understanding the underlying physics and engineering the hardware around it.
A defining feature of the program is flexibility in emphasis. Students can orient themselves toward a theoretical profile (heavy on quantum theory, computational physics, quantum field theory of light), an experimental profile (lab-intensive, including advanced physics practicals, particle trapping, and laser cooling), or an applied/engineering profile (focused on microelectronics, FPGA-based systems, high-speed electronics, and reliability engineering). This is not a binary choice — students can also build hybrid profiles through the elective structure.
Practical and project-based work is woven throughout. Team projects (both small and large-scale), a 15-credit laboratory project in the third semester, seminars in both physics and systems engineering, and hands-on practicals including an FPGA microelectronics lab and advanced physics practicals ensure that abstract concepts are regularly applied in working environments.
The program culminates in a 30-credit master's thesis in the fourth semester, carried out within one of the active research groups at the university. These groups work on topics including trapped-ion quantum computing, laser cooling, quantum optics, nanostructure physics, solid-state physics, microelectronics fabrication, antenna systems, and quantum theory for technologies — giving students access to genuinely active research environments for their thesis work.
Instruction is fully in English, making the program accessible to international applicants without German language preparation.
What you study
Semester 1 — Core Foundations
Both major cores begin in parallel from the first semester.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
Graduates are prepared for careers in the emerging quantum technology sector, including roles in quantum hardware development, quantum sensing, and photonic or microelectronic systems. The engineering component of the degree also opens paths into high-tech manufacturing, product development, reliability engineering, and technical sales in advanced electronics and semiconductor industries. The combination of physics depth and engineering breadth positions graduates for roles that pure physicists or pure engineers would typically not qualify for. Continuing to a PhD is a natural next step for graduates who complete a strong thesis within one of the university's research groups.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Saarland), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €412.30 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, with a major focus in Quantum Engineering or a closely related discipline (such as physics or electrical/systems engineering). |
|---|---|
| Language | English B2 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | After recognition of the certificate, winter semester until 01.09, summer semester until 01.03 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 3Application after recognition of the certificate until 01.03Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 4Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 01.03.2027 (138 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.