[Quantum-ms-incoming] 2025 Fall - Early course registration for incoming Quantum MS students
Elsa Ivelisse Sanchez
es240 at columbia.edu
Fri Jul 18 14:21:47 EDT 2025
Please do not reply to this email as messages will not be received. For
general inquiries, please reach out to ee-studentaffairs at ee.columbia.edu
July 18, 2025
Dear Incoming Master’s Student,
Welcome to the Master in Quantum Science and Technology (QST) Program at
Columbia University! We are looking forward to meeting you on campus soon
at the start of the next journey in your education as graduate students.
Prior to your arrival on campus at the end of August, it is important you
start thinking about the courses that you wish to take, pre-register for
them, and learn about the events before the start of the semester.
The mandatory orientation for Fall 2025 graduate students in the Quantum
Science and Technology (QST) Program will be held on Thursday, August 28th,
2025. Please carefully read the agenda
https://ee.columbia.edu/ee-and-ce-graduate-student-orientation .
(1) Planning Your Program of Study
To plan your program and courses, please consult the following:
-
QST MS program information and Track Electives:
https://quantum.engineering.columbia.edu/content/curriculum
-
Quantum course lists by topic:
https://quantum.columbia.edu/quantum-courses
-
Videos presenting classes offered in Fall 2025, on the page for the 2025
incoming graduate student orientation -
https://www.ee.columbia.edu/ee-and-ce-graduate-student-orientation Please
watch these videos before registering to classes.
-
QST MS program requirement checklist:
https://quantum.engineering.columbia.edu/content/curriculum
-
Columbia-wide course bulletin (directory of classes):
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/
-
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences bulletin:
http://bulletin.engineering.columbia.edu/
(2) Advising
You will be assigned a SEAS or Physics faculty member for an advising
session as part of the graduate student orientation to discuss your
academic plans and questions about modifying your initial course
selections. Note that students do not need to obtain a faculty advisor’s
approval for registration, but we highly recommend using this opportunity
to talk to a professor. We will contact you about your advising appointment
closer to the orientation.
(3) Course Registration
Registration is done in several cycles. There are opportunities for early
registration in August and at the end of August. The final registration can
be done/modified as far as mid-September (during the Change of Program
Period). To maximize your chances to get into high demand courses, you
should attempt doing early registration in August for courses that allow
it. General information about registration is provided at this site:
https://www.registrar.columbia.edu/content/registration-and-enrollment .
Special rules may apply for SEAS students.
(3.1) Registration times and semester start
The Columbia university academic calendar is published at:
http://registrar.columbia.edu/event/academic-calendar . (to see applicable
dates, select 2025/2026 Fall).
Early registration for incoming Quantum MS students starts with July 21 -
July 25th 2025 period, and continues during August 4th - August 8th, August
11th - August 15th, and August 26th - August 28th.
The final registration, also called Change of Program Period, is from
September 2nd until September 12th.
The First Day of Classes is Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025.
Friday, September 12, 2025 is the end of the change of program period. This
is the last day to add a class, and the last day to receive tuition refund
for classes dropped.
Registration is done through the Vergil <https://vergil.columbia.edu/ >
(student services online) registration site (https://vergil.columbia.edu
)
(3.2) Registration into classes for QST graduate students
QST students can register for any SEAS Department and PHYS courses and
cross-listed courses through the Vergil <https://vergil.columbia.edu/ >
(student services online) registration site – https://vergil.columbia.edu/
. For 2025 fall registration, many class registrations will be managed via
waitlists, where students will get onto the Vergil waitlist, and
subsequently be moved into full registration by faculty members and EE
administrators. QST students have priority for EE cross-listed courses,
over other SEAS or Columbia students. Cross-listed EE courses have course
codes starting with EECS, CSEE, EEOR, BMEB, BMEE, ECBM, EEME, etc. The
process of moving students from the waitlists to the full registration will
take several weeks, so students need to be patient.
(3.3) Registration into COMS classes for Quantum graduate students
(i) The Computer Science Department manages registration for QST students
for CS classes (course codes COMS, CSOR,...) through direct Vergil
<https://vergil.columbia.edu/ >registration or through Vergil waitlists.
Vergil waitlists allow students to put their name into the course, where CS
administrators and instructors select which students will be moved to full
registration. Entry into these courses cannot be guaranteed and typically
second-year students get higher priority when seats become available.
(ii) QST students will have access to the waitlists for the majority of
COMS 4000 and 6000-level COMS courses starting in late August or September.
(3.4) Registration into courses in other SEAS departments for QST graduate
students
Some departments may block course registration to students outside their
department during the early registration periods in July/August. This
changes later in the registration process in September. If a course is full
in Vergil, you can sometimes join the Vergil waitlist. If you have
questions, consider contacting that class’ department.
Quantum students have an early waitlist entry date for Course CSOR/W4246
Algorithms for Data Science (earlier than September).
(3.5) Registration requirements and important rules
-
When registering, make sure to follow the rules/requirements which are
summarized in the Program Checklist
https://quantum.engineering.columbia.edu/content/curriculum
-
Any questions can be addressed at the orientation or in the meeting with
QST faculty.
-
You can register for up to 15 credits per semester. Note that a normal
load for full-time students is 12 credits. Students on a student visa must
carry the full load in every semester (full load is 12 credits except in
the last semester when it can be less).
(3.6) Pre-Registration limits for all master’s students in SEAS
For students in 30-credit MS programs including QST
-
During pre-registration, master’s students are only able to register for
a maximum of 15 credits, including courses for which the student is
registering on the waitlist. As has been past policy and practice, graduate
students may not take more than 15 credits per semester, and students are
reminded that they are billed per credit. In addition, graduate students
are reminded that if they drop classes after the last day of the Change of
Program (add/drop) period, they will be charged tuition for the dropped
classes.
-
SEAS master’s students in their first or second semester will only be
able to be simultaneously registered and waitlisted for up to 15 credits.
-
SEAS master’s students in their third or fourth semester will only be
able to be simultaneously registered and waitlisted for up to 9 credits.
-
Example: if you are a third semester student and you are registered for
7 credits and want to waitlist a class for 3 credits, you will not be able
to. Your total waitlisted/registered credits would be 10 which is above the
9-credit max. You will either need to register or waitlist a class that is
2 credits or drop a class you are registered for to waitlist the 3-credit
class.
-
Example: If you are a first or second semester student, currently
registered for 9 credits and waitlisted for 3 credits and want to register
for an open 4 credit course, you will not be able to. Your total
waitlisted/registered credits would be 16 which is above the 15 max. You
will need to either drop a class or remove yourself from a waitlist.
(4) Summary and Advice
Please carefully review this email. We realize that there is a lot of
information in this email and it might be overwhelming at first. However,
there is time to finalize your course selections until the end of the
“Change of Program Period” in September. Note also that at this point
several of the classes might have long waitlists, but in most cases, these
waitlists clear up and students typically get into the majority of the
classes they want in September.
We wish you an enjoyable summer and look forward to meeting you on campus
for the start of the Professional Development and Leadership program (PDL)
and for the graduate student orientation.
For academic issues, please contact the EE Director of Student Affairs,
Elsa Sanchez (ee-ms-advising at ee.columbia.edu).
For career related questions, please contact the Director of EE Career
Placement, Jennifer Lee (ee-career at ee.columbia.edu)
Best Regards,
Elsa Sanchez, EE Director of Student Affairs
*Elsa Sanchez*
*(pronouns:she/her/hers)*
*Director of Student Affairs*
Columbia University
Department of Electrical Engineering
500 W. 120th Street, Rm. 1300, New York, NY 10027
*212-854-3104* (T), 212-932-9421 (F)
*es240 at columbia.edu <es240 at columbia.edu>*
*OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Friday from*
*10:30am - 12:00pm and 2:30pm - 4:00pm*
Schedule an appointment!
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