The Doctor of Philosophy in Optical Sciences program prepares students for extraordinary careers and unlimited opportunities in a fast-changing, high-tech world. The program prepares graduates to serve as scientists or engineers in leadership positions in academia, research and industry. Graduates may work with other OSC Ph.D. alumni who have published scholarly books, headed scientific organizations, advised United States presidents and government agencies, contributed to NASA’s space program, devised lifesaving medical technology, directed national and international corporations, and founded successful companies.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is offered only in Fall semesters. Optical Sciences PhD students must complete at least 18 credit hours of PhD thesis research, and 45 to 54 credit hours of coursework. However, the number of units of required coursework may be reduced to as few as 45 units of coursework with the submission and approval of a 54-Unit and C-Grade Waiver Request. Our students typically complete their PhD within 5-6 years. Ph.D. students begin by taking a series of core courses designed to provide them with a solid background in optics. As they progress, they gain firm foundations in math and physics, statistics, electromagnetic waves, geometrical optics, quantum optics, and solid-state optics. The balance of coursework is flexible, and students will have the opportunity to explore all of the possibilities that interest them. The centerpiece of a Ph.D. program is research leading to a dissertation, where students demonstrate a capacity for research resulting in an original contribution to scientific knowledge or engineering in Optical Sciences.