Optical Sciences
Master of Science
Quick Facts
Top 1%
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- Center for World University Rankings, 2024
#1
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Arizona's Public Universities
- Payscale, 2024
The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences is an internationally pre-eminent program in education, research and outreach in all aspects of the science and application of light.
Graduates of the Master of Science in Optical Sciences work in hardware design, medical and biomedical technology, lasers and electro-optical systems, fiber optics and communications, measurements, manufacturing and consumer technology. They work for large corporations, small businesses, government agencies, universities, hospitals and research centers. Many even work for themselves, having started successful companies or gone into consulting. There is no core curriculum for the master's in Optical Sciences degree, and students are allowed considerable freedom in planning their study programs. The student may limit coursework to a single area if desired; the core courses for the Ph.D. in Optical Sciences may also form the nucleus of a master's program, but there is no requirement to take any of them. Students may choose between a thesis option and a non-thesis option for the M.S. in Optical Sciences.
*Residents of some U.S. Territories may not be eligible. Please see our Eligibility & State Authorization page for more information.
The curriculum for this degree program includes:
Topics covered in this course include: Vector fields, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic field energy, wave equation, polarized light, time average measurement, Fresnel equations, scalar and vector potentials, gauge transformations, dispersion, metal optics, crystal optics, dipole radiation, mathematical formalism of polarized light, and guided waves.
Topics covered in this course include: rays and wavefronts, Snell's Law, mirror and prism systems, Gaussian imagery and cardinal points, paraxial ray tracing, stops and pupils, illumination systems, elementary optical systems, optical materials, dispersion, systems of thin prisms, system analysis using ray trace code, chromatic aberrations and achromatization, monochromatic aberrations, ray fans, spot diagrams, balancing of aberrations, and aspheric systems.
Fundamentals of optical system layout and design; exact and paraxial ray tracing; aberration theory; chromatic and monochromatic aberrations; use of computer programs in lens design.
Physics of optical communication components and applications to communication systems. Topics include fiber attenuation and dispersion, laser modulation, photo detection and noise, receiver design, bit error rate calculations, and coherent communications.
Outcomes
Skills
Earning your Master of Science in Optical Sciences will build core skills, including:
- Astronomical instrumentation
- Engineering research
- Fundamental research
- Image analysis
- Optical engineering
- Product development
- Quantum information
- Quantum science
- Remote sensing
- Virtual reality
Potential Career Paths
Graduates of the Optical Sciences program will be prepared to pursue the following careers:
