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Light—seemingly one of the simplest and most ubiquitous entities in nature—is the operating force of some of modern technology's most advanced and delicate offerings. Lasers that can perform precise surgery or slice through sheet metal, fiber-optic cables that carry vast loads of data around the world in the blink of an eye and missile guidance systems that can track a target from thousands of miles away all rely on optical science and engineering for their design and function. Our optical science and engineering program, one of the few of its kind in the nation, will prepare you for a rewarding career or graduate study in this fast-moving and exciting field.
Real World
Optical science and engineering majors benefit from their extensive laboratory experience and their access to high-caliber research facilities. Many go directly into careers related to their major in areas such as health care technology, remote optical sensing, imaging technology, aerospace and defense. Others pursue advanced degrees in engineering or allied technical fields.
Major Requirements
You will begin with a rigorous series of courses in mathematics, natural sciences and basic engineering to prepare yourself for more advanced study. At the upper-division level, you will study more advanced essential engineering topics and enroll in increasingly optical science-focused courses, such as optical design, scanning probe microscopy and lasers and nonlinear optics. You may choose to specialize in one of four areas of concentration:
biophotonics, imaging, lasers and spectroscopy or opto-electronics and opto-communications.
Major Adviser
Name: Tiffany Macias
Contact: eadadvising@ucdavis.edu, (530) 754-8858
Photo courtesy Marco Molinaro and The Center for Biophotonics, Science and Technology
A Student Perspective
One of the most valuable aspects of the program is its close relationship with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, where I've had the opportunity to tour the National Ignition Facility—the largest of its kind in the world—and to attend lectures by leading scientists in the field. With the opening of the campus' new Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology, undergraduate students will have a huge range of opportunities to assist with research into the use of light and radiant energy in biology and medicine. As one of the program's first graduates, I'll be prepared for a career in fields such as imaging, telecommunications, defense or space science; and I'm ready as can be to apply to graduate school for further study in this fascinating area!
~ Maria Mavros, senior
A Faculty Perspective
The need for highly trained individuals in the fields of optical science and optical engineering is very great. Our program offers the teaching expertise of a group of highly active researchers who are at the frontiers of research in optical communication, imaging science, lasers and electro-optics, and biophotonics. Our goals are two-fold: To fill a void in the industrial sector in optical science and engineering, and to provide the background for nurturing the next generation of front-line research in the field of optical science and engineering.
~ Dr. Yin Yeh, professor
College of Engineering
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