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Description
The College of Optics and Photonics offers interdisciplinary graduate programs in optical science and engineering leading to a master’s (M.S.) or doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in optics. The College of Optics and Photonics is the first program to be offered the distinction of College and to be headed by a Dean. The College of Optics and Photonics (COP) has grown rapidly and now has 42 faculty members and faculty with joint appointments, 54 research scientists and 145 graduate students with research activities covering all aspects of optics, photonics, and lasers. Research expenditures are over $23 million annually, with over 20 percent of the funding coming from industrial partners, illustrating the effectiveness of the commitment to partnerships that is a foundational value of the COP.
Research activities cover all aspects of optics, photonics, and lasers, and the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE) are integral parts of the College. Current research areas include: linear and nonlinear guided-wave optics and devices, high speed photonic telecommunications, solid state laser development, nonlinear optics, laser-induced damage, quantum-well optoelectronics, photonic information processing, infrared systems, optical diagnostics, optical system design, image analysis, virtual reality, medical imaging, diffractive optics, optical crystal growth and characterization, high intensity lasers, x-ray optics, EUV sources, optical glasses, laser materials processing, free-electron lasers, and light matter interaction.
The M.S. program is intended for students with a bachelor’s degree in optics, electrical engineering, physics, or closely related fields. The Ph.D. program is intended for students with a bachelor's or master's degree in optics, electrical engineering, physics, or closely related fields who wish to pursue a career in research or academia.
The program’s mission is to:
- Provide the highest-quality education in optical science and engineering
- Conduct scholarly, fundamental, and applied research
- Aid in the development of Florida's and the nation's technology-based industries
Degrees Offered
- Master of Science in Optics
- Doctor of Philosophy in Optics
Admission
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).
The College strongly encourages applications from minority and diverse populations. Race, national origin, and gender are not used in the evaluation of students for admission into graduate and professional programs.
All applicants for programs in the College of Optics and Photonics are recommended to complete the pre-application process. The pre-application is located at www.creol.ucf.edu/academics/prospective/PreApplication/
Master of Science in Optics
The M.S. program is intended for students with a bachelor’s degree in optics, electrical engineering, physics, or closely related fields. In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants to the M.S. program must provide:
- Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which must have been taken within the last five years. A competitive GRE score on the verbal and quantitative portions is required.
- A GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 attempted semester hours of undergraduate study.
- For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
- Three letters of recommendation
- Students with degrees in related fields may be required to take undergraduate articulation courses determined by the program director on a case-by-case basis.
Doctor of Philosophy in Optics
The Ph.D. program is intended for students with a bachelor's or master’s degree in optics, electrical engineering, physics, or closely related fields who wish to pursue a career in research or academia. In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants to the Ph.D. program must provide:
- Three letters of recommendation
- Goals statement
- Resume
- Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which must have been taken within the last five years. A competitive GRE score on the verbal and quantitative portions is required.
- A GPA of 3.0 in the M.S. program.
- For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
- Students with degrees in related fields may be required to take undergraduate articulation courses determined by the program director on a case-by-case basis.
Application Due Dates
All application materials must be submitted by the appropriate deadline listed below.
All students applying for fellowships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.
U.S. Applicants
| Program(s) | Fall Priority | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| Doctor of Philosophy in Optics | Jan 15 | Jul 15 | Dec 1 | Apr 15 |
| Master of Science in Optics | Jan 15 | Jul 15 | Dec 1 | Apr 15 |
International Applicants
| Program(s) | Fall Priority | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| Doctor of Philosophy in Optics | Jan 15 | Jan 15 | Jul 1 | Nov 1 |
| Master of Science in Optics | Jan 15 | Jan 15 | Jul 1 | Nov 1 |
International Transfer Applicants
| Program(s) | Fall Priority | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| Doctor of Philosophy in Optics | Jan 15 | Mar 1 | Sep 1 | Dec 15 |
| Master of Science in Optics | Jan 15 | Mar 1 | Sep 1 | Dec 15 |
Master of Science in Optics
Minimum Hours Required for M.S.—30 Credit Hours
The M.S. program is intended for students with a bachelor’s degree in optics, electrical engineering, physics, or closely related fields. Students with degrees in related fields may be required to take undergraduate articulation courses determined by the program director on a case-by-case basis.
There are no specifically required courses for the M.S. degree, and students are allowed considerable freedom in planning their study programs. However, it is strongly recommended that students include at least five courses from the Ph.D. core courses (designated below) in their program of study. The M.S. program offers both a thesis and a nonthesis option.
Additional notes on the curriculum:
- A minimum of two graduate laboratory courses, either in optics or closely related to optics must be part of the program. One required laboratory may be waived if the student can demonstrate an equivalent hands-on laboratory experience.
- Up to nine credit hours of appropriate graduate courses from accredited universities may be transferred with approval from the College. Only courses with grades of “B” or better can be transferred.
Thesis Option
The thesis option requires at least six credit hours of thesis, a minimum of twelve credit hours in approved optics courses, and a minimum of six credit hours of approved optics or optics-related graduate laboratory courses. The remaining credit hours consist of appropriately selected optics, engineering, and science courses. Independent study and directed research credit hours are not allowed toward the degree requirements. The student must prepare an approved program of study and form a thesis committee upon completion of nine credit hours. The M.S. thesis committee consists of three members, with at least two regular graduate faculty members from the College of Optics and Photonics. Students are required to write a thesis and pass an oral exam based primarily on the topics of the thesis and course work.
Nonthesis Option
The nonthesis option requires a minimum of 18 course credit hours in approved optics courses and a minimum of six credit hours of approved optics or optics-related graduate laboratory courses. The remaining credit hours consist of appropriately selected optics, engineering, and science courses. Up to three credit hours of directed research or research report may be included with prior approval of the school. Students must prepare an approved program of study upon completion of nine credit hours. Students are required to pass a final oral comprehensive examination based primarily on the subject matter of the courses taken. The purpose of the exam is for the student to demonstrate his or her basic knowledge of the fundamentals of optics and photonics.
The nonthesis master’s requires a minimum of two laboratory courses in the degree. These laboratory courses involve a substantial amount of independent learning on the part of the student. For example, laboratory reports must include sections on the theoretical and historical background behind the phenomena explored in laboratory experiments, and students are expected to obtain this background information on their own by researching the scientific literature. One required optics laboratory may be waived if the student can demonstrate an equivalent hands-on laboratory experience.
| Program | Thesis | Nonthesis |
|---|---|---|
| Optics courses (minimum) | 12 | 18 |
| Optics laboratory (minimum) | 6 | 6 |
| Engineering/Sciences electives (maximum) | 6 | 6 |
| Research/Research Report(maximum) | 0 | 3 |
| Comprehensive exam | No | Yes |
| Thesis (minimum) | 6 | 0 |
| Total hours required (minimum) | 30 | 30 |
The following optics courses are approved to meet the optics course requirements of the program.
Recommended Courses
- OSE 5111 Optical Wave Propagation (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5115 Interference and Diffraction (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5203 Fundamentals of Applied Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5312 Fundamentals of Optical Science (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6432 Fundamentals of Photonics (3 credit hours)
Approved Laboratory Courses
- OSE 5234L Applied Optics Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6455L Photonics Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6526L Laser Engineering Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6615L Optoelectronic Device Fabrication Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- EEL 5355C Fabrication of Solid-State Devices (3 credit hours)
Electives
- OSE 5041 Introduction to Wave Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5143 Fiber Optics Communication (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5414 Fundamentals of Optoelectronic Devices (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5421 Integrated Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5511 Laser Principles (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5630C Thin Film Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6118 Optical Propagation in Inhomogeneous Media (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6211 Fourier Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6225 Radiation and Detection (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6265 Optical Systems Design (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6334 Nonlinear Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6335 Nonlinear Guided Wave Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6347 Quantum Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6445 High Speed Photonics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6473 Optical Networks (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6528 Specific Laser Systems (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6457 Photonic Signal Processing (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6525 Laser Engineering (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6817 Advanced Topics in Electro-Optics (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6564 Statistical Optics with Applications (3 credit hours)
- EMA 5610 Laser Materials Processing (3 credit hours)
- PHY 5455 Modern X-Ray Science (3 credit hours)
- PHZ 5505 Plasma Physics (3 credit hours)
Doctor of Philosophy in Optics
Total Hours Required for Ph.D.—Minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree; minimum of 42 credit hours beyond the master’s degree
The Ph.D. program is intended for students with a bachelors or master’s degree in optics, electrical engineering, physics, or closely related fields who wish to pursue a career in research or academia. Students with degrees in related fields may be required to take undergraduate articulation courses determined by the program director on a case-by-case basis.
The program of study must include at least thirty credit hours in approved optics courses and six credit hours in approved optics laboratory courses. The remaining 21 credit hours may consist of appropriately selected optics, engineering, and science electives, independent study, seminars, research, and dissertation.
Students are required to pass a qualifying examination, a candidacy examination, form a dissertation committee, and submit an approved program of study typically by the end of the second academic year in the program before being admitted to full doctoral status. The Ph.D. core courses are not required, but they have been designed to include a significant portion of the material upon which the qualifying examination is based. Consequently, students are strongly encouraged to include most of these courses in their programs of study.
Additional notes on the curriculum:
- At least six credit hours must be outside the major.
- One required optics laboratory may be waived if the student can demonstrate an equivalent hands-on laboratory experience.
- A maximum of 12 credit hours of combined independent study and directed research credit hours are allowed in the program of study, but they may not be applied toward the optics course requirements.
- Up to 36 credit hours of appropriate graduate courses in an M.S. program from accredited universities may be transferred with approval from the college. Only courses with grades of “B” or better can be transferred.
| Program | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics courses (minimum) | 30 | |
| Optics laboratory (minimum) | 6 | |
| Engineering/Science electives (maximum) | 21 (maximum) | 9 (minimum) |
| Research/Independent Study (maximum) | 12 | |
| Dissertation (minimum) | 15 | |
| Total hours required (minimum) | 72 |
Optics Courses
The following optics courses are approved to meet the optics course requirements of the program.
Recommended Core Courses
- OSE 5111 Optical Wave Propagation (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5115 Interference and Diffraction (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5203 Fundamentals of Applied Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5312 Fundamentals of Optical Science (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6432 Fundamentals of Photonics (3 credit hours)
Approved Laboratory Courses
- OSE 5234L Applied Optics Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6455L Photonics Laboratory (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6526L Laser Engineering Laboratory (3 credit hours)
Electives
- OSE 5041 Introduction to Wave Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5143 Fiber Optics Communication (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5414 Fundamentals of Optoelectronic Devices (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5421 Integrated Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5511 Laser Principles (3 credit hours)
- OSE 5630C Thin Film Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6118 Optical Propagation in Inhomogeneous Media (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6211 Fourier Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6225 Radiation and Detection (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6265 Optical Systems Design (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6334 Nonlinear Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6335 Nonlinear Guided Wave Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6347 Quantum Optics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6445 High Speed Photonics (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6457 Photonic Signal Processing (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6473 Optical Networks (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6528 Specific Laser Systems (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6560 Laser Engineering (3 credit hours)
- OSE 6817 Advanced Topics in Electro-Optics (3 credit hours)
- EEL 6564 Statistical Optics with Applications (3 credit hours)
- EMA 5610 Laser Materials Processing (3 credit hours)
- PHY 5455 Modern X-Ray Science (3 credit hours)
- PHZ 5505 Plasma Physics (3 credit hours)
Qualifying Examination
Before students are eligible to take the candidacy examination, they must first pass a written qualifying examination, which for full-time students is normally taken at the end of the first year of graduate study. The purpose of the qualifying exam is for the student to demonstrate mastery of the fundamentals of optics, photonics, and lasers. The exam is administered by the doctoral qualifying examination committee, which consists of several faculty members representing the appropriate disciplines, appointed by the director or designee. The committee’s duties include the preparation and grading of the examination material, and it may solicit input from other interested faculty. The exam is a closed book written exam in the general area of electromagnetic foundations of optics, interference, diffraction, coherence, fundamentals of applied optics, optical science, and photonics. Students who do not pass the qualifying examination in two attempts will not continue in the program.
Candidacy Examination
Students are required to successfully complete the candidacy examination before admission to full doctoral status. The purpose of the candidacy exam is for the student to demonstrate his or her readiness for the Ph.D. program through preliminary research work in the chosen field of study. The candidacy exam is administered by the student’s dissertation advisory committee and is comprised of written and oral portions. The candidacy exam is normally taken near the completion of required course work. Students must pass the candidacy exam before registering for doctoral dissertation hours (OSE 7980).
Dissertation
Within one year after passing the general candidacy examination, and after the student has begun research, the student will write a dissertation proposal and present it to the dissertation advisory committee for its approval. The proposal must include the research performed to date and the research planned to complete the dissertation. The committee, which consists of three faculty members from the College of Optics and Photonics and one faculty member from outside the College, must be approved by the director or designee and will meet annually to review the student’s progress. The student’s advisory committee also administers the dissertation oral defense examination.
Financial Support
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Key points about financial support:
- If you are interested in financial assistance, you are strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for your program under "Admissions."
- You must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance to you.
- If you want to be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
- UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. University graduate fellowships are awarded based on academic merit and therefore are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
- Please note that select fellowships do require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application). For university fellowship applications, see Financing Grad School.
- For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.
Contact Info
Doctor of Philosophy in Optics
David Hagan, Ph.D., Associate Dean
Phone Number: 407-823-6986
gradprog@creol.ucf.edu
Master of Science in Optics
David Hagan, Ph.D., Associate Dean
Phone Number: 407-823-6986
gradprog@creol.ucf.edu