University of California, Irvine - Division of Continuing Education
Online Certificate in Optical Instrument Design
Online, USA
Certificate
DURATION
18 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 4,650
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
Key Summary
About: UC Irvine’s Online Certificate in Optical Instrument Design emphasizes optomechanical design and manufacturing of optical components and instruments, covering optics, photonics, CAD, prototyping, tolerancing, and systems integration. The certificate requires 5 total courses with grade C or better. To declare candidacy submit a Declaration of Candidacy and a non‑refundable $125 application fee and submit a Request for Certificate after completion.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue industry R&D roles as optical engineers, optomechanical engineers, instrumentation designers, or photonics specialists. Employers include defense, medical device, clean energy, automotive, electronics, communications, nanotechnology, and consumer‑products firms; skills suit prototyping, CAD, and systems integration.
An increasing amount of today’s consumer, industrial, and business products incorporate optomechanical systems. These are essential to virtually every industry, including defence, medical, clean energy, nanotechnology, automotive, electronics, communications, entertainment, computers, and consumer products.
The Optical Instrument Design track places an emphasis on the optomechanical design and manufacturing of components and instruments.
A certificate is awarded upon the completion of 5 total courses with a grade of “C” or better in each course (2 required and 3 elective courses). To become an official candidate in the program, students pursuing the certificate must submit a Declaration of Candidacy for Optical Instrument Design with a non-refundable $125 application fee. Students are encouraged to declare candidacy as soon as possible, but no later than after the third course in the program. After completing all program requirements, students must submit a Request for Certificate to receive the digital certificate.
Prerequisite Courses
- Geometrical and Physical Optics
Required Courses
- Optical Instrument Design
- Optomechanical Systems Engineering
Elective Courses
- Introduction to Fiber Optics
- Vibration Control for Optomechanical Systems
- Introduction to Radiometry: The Propagation and Measurement of Optical Radiant Energy
- Optical Systems Engineering
- Discover innovative approaches for optical engineering and analysis
- Learn through hands-on design courses which provide skills in manual design, computer simulation, and the art of creating optical components and systems
- Understand and effectively communicate details of optical technical specifications to manufacturers and quality control personnel
- Develop skills with industry-standard optical software tools, such as Zemax (OpticStudio) Software
Who Should Enroll
The Optical Instrument Design track benefits entry and mid-level professionals, with an emphasis on a wider range of optomechanical and instrument design skills.
In addition, UCI also offers elective courses to provide an opportunity to develop specialized skills related to professional needs or personal interests.