Masters in Optical Science and Engineering
Master of Science Program
The Master of Science (MS) degree program is designed with two distinct objectives:
- To prepare a student for the industrial workforce engaged in any area of optics and photonics and
- To prepare a student to meet the challenges of a more advanced research career in these areasThe OSE program has three concentrations
- Optical Science
- Photonics
- Imaging Science
A. Common Core Courses to all Concentrations:
- Advanced Optics I (PHYC 463 or ECE 463)
- Experimental Techniques of Optics (PHYC 476L OR 477L)
- Electrodynamics (PHYC 511 or the ECE 555/ECE 561 sequence)
Plus the following core courses depending on the concentration:
A. Optical Science Concentration
- Advanced Optics II (PHYC 554 or ECE 554)
- Laser Physics I (PHYC 464 or ECE 464)
OR
A. Photonics Concentration
- Introduction to Electro-Optics and Opto-Electronics (ECE 575) Proposed substitution for ECE 570.
- Materials and Devices II (ECE 571) Proposed substituion for ECE 572.
OR
A. Imaging Science Concentration
- Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes (ECE 541)
- Digital Image Processing (ECE 533)
B. Optional Courses
Advanced Image Synthesis (ECE 512)
Advanced Optics I (PHYS 463)
Advanced Optics II (PHYS 554 or ECE 554)
Advanced Techniques in Optical Imaging (BIO 547)
Atomic and Molecular Structure (PHYS 531)
Colloidal Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications (ECE 581)
Computational Methods for Electromagnetics (ECE 563)
Computer Vision (ECE 516)
Condensed Matter I (PHYS 529)
Digital Image Processing (ECE 533)
Digital Signal Processing (ECE 539)
Electrodynamics (PHYS 511)
Experimental Optics (PHYS 466L/467L)
Experimental Techniques of Optics (PHYS 476L or 477L)
fMRI Methods (ECE 511)
Foundations of Engineering Electromagnetics (ECE 555)
Future Course on Detectors and Hardware (ECE 595)
Guided Wave Optics (ECE 564)
Information Theory and Coding (ECE 549)
Introduction to Electro-Optics and Opto-Electronics (ECE 475)
Laser Physics I (PHYS 464 or PHYS 564)
Laser Physics II (PHYS 564)
Machine Learning (ECE 517)
Materials and Devices I (ECE 371)
Materials and Devices II (ECE 571)
Medical Imaging (ECE 510)
Methods in Theoretical Physics I (PHYS 466 or MATH 466)
Microelectronics Processing Lab (ECE 574L)
Microwave Photonics (ECE 595)
Neural Networks (ECE 547)
Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos (MATH 412)
Nonlinear Optics (PHYS 568 or ECE 568)
Optical Communication Components (ECE 565)
Optimization Theory (ECE 506)
Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes (ECE 541)
Quantum Computation (PHYS 571)
Quantum Field Theory I (PHYS 523)
Quantum Field Theory II (PHYS 524)
Quantum Information Theory (PHYS 572)
Quantum Mechanics I (PHYS 521)
Quantum Mechanics II (PHYS 522)
Quantum Optics (PHYS 566)
Semiconductor Lasers and LEDs (ECE 577)
Semiconductor Materials and Optical Devices (ECE 570) Replacement with (ECE 575)
Signal Detection and Estimation (ECE 642)
Synthesis of Nanostructures (ECE 518 or NSMS 518)
Theory of Linear Systems (ECE 500)
Topics in Modern Optics (PHYS 569) or Special Topics (ECE 595)
Requirements (Credit Hours)
| PLAN | Course (total) | A | B | Free Electives | Thesis (599) | Res. Seminar/ Problems | Internship | |
| 1 | Thesis | 30 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | - | - |
| 2A | Coursework en route | 33 | 15 | 9 | 6 | - | 3 (2 in optics) | - |
| 2B | Internship | 33 | 15 | 9 | 6 | - | - | 3 |
| 3 | Coursework | 36 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 3 (2 in optics) | ||
- 12 hours of coursework must be taken at 500 level or higher
- Students in Plan 1 must submit and defend a thesis
- Students in Plan 2a must pass an oral exam or pass, if PHD student, the core academic performance and presentation requirements before receiving the MS degree.
- Students in Plan 2a or 2b can take at most 6 hrs of 400 level courses excl.those that are cross-listed (ECE and Physics)
- Students in Plan 2b should take an internship course (PHYC 559 or ECE 559) during their internship (industry or national labs). They are expected to describe their internship work by submitting a term paper. The requirements of the term paper will be determine by the instructor of record. Also, the student will do a presentation in front of a MS committee of at least three faculty members (Graduate Studies committee composition apply) at the end of this course. An evaluation form (Form 2) should be submitted by the instructor and the MS Commitee.
- Students in Plan 3 are not required to take an exit exam. They must successfully pass their courses with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
Timeline
- Each incoming student is advised in his/her home department upon arrival.
- After the first semester the student files for candidacy and sets up a committee on studies. This committee either administers the oral exam (for plans 2) or serves as thesis committee (for plan 1). The student is allowed to change one member of the committee later.
