This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5600, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree.
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Optical Engineering SpecializationUniversity of Colorado BoulderAbout this Course
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Learner Career Outcomes
20%
started a new career after completing these courses
17%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 3 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Advanced Level
Approx. 21 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
What you will learn
be able to design, to first order, such optical systems with simple mathematical and graphical techniques
Learner Career Outcomes
20%
started a new career after completing these courses
17%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 3 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Advanced Level
Approx. 21 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Offered by
University of Colorado Boulder
CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
Start working towards your Master's degree
This course is part of the 100% online Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder.
If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
4 hours to complete
Introduction to Geometrical Optics
This module introduces rays, which we use to describe the motion of light through air and materials. The course overview describes the goals of this course and gives tips on how to make the best use of the course materials to be successful. The lectures introduce the material. The in-video questions, lab demonstrations, PhET interactive demonstration, practice problems, and homework assignment allow you to get actively involved in learning the material.
4 hours to complete
9 videos (Total 49 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
9 videos
Introduction to Geometrical Optics4m
What are rays?11m
Pinhole Camera5m
Rays in OpticStudio2m
Snells Laws6m
Fermat's Principle4m
Snell's Laws in the Laboratory5m
PhET Hands-On Practice5m
2 readings
Course Overview10m
Tools and Resources10m
3 practice exercises
Snell's Law Practice Problem20m
Practice problems20m
Rays and Snell's Laws2h
2 hours to complete
Optical System Design in OpticStudio
In this module, you will learn how to enter the description of an optical system into OpticStudio, analyze the performance of that system using various calculations and plots, and finally optimize that design by defining a merit function and search variables.
2 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 70 min), 6 readings
7 videos
System Explorer and the Lens Data Editor6m
Entering a Lens8m
Analyzing a Lens4m
The Lens Catalog18m
Configurations5m
Optimization20m
6 readings
Introduction5m
How to get started using OpticStudio10m
Getting started with designing a lens in OpticStudio10m
Setting up your lens in OpticStudio10m
Define multiple inputs to your lens using OpticStudio10m
Analyze the performance of your lens10m
5 hours to complete
First Order Ray Tracing
This module applies Snell's Laws to the curved interfaces of lenses and mirrors. You will learn the graphical and mathematical tools you need to calculate image size and location for thin lens and mirror systems. This foundation is essential to build more complex optical systems.
5 hours to complete
12 videos (Total 96 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
12 videos
Example of Sign Convention1m
Graphical Ray Tracing14m
Virtual Objects and Images8m
PhET Lens Practice9m
Positive and Negative Lens Laboratory Demonstration6m
Thin Lens Equations15m
Imaging with Mirrors9m
Single Lens Imaging Example8m
Mirror Laboratory Demonstration5m
Lenses vs. Mirrors2m
Paraxial Analysis in OpticStudio7m
1 reading
Practice ray tracing10m
3 practice exercises
Practice problem10m
Practice Questions20m
Ray Tracing and Lens Analysis2h
5 hours to complete
Thick Optics and Mirrors
This module extends the analysis of the previous module to include the effects of real, thick lenses. You will learn how to input this factor into your optical system analysis and design.
5 hours to complete
8 videos (Total 59 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
8 videos
Power of a Single Curved Surface5m
Lens Maker's Equation6m
Power of Curved Mirrors8m
Two Lens System3m
Design with Thick Optics6m
Applying Thick Optics Concepts11m
Thick Lens Application9m
2 readings
Extension of thick lenses10m
Practice10m
3 practice exercises
OpticStudio practice20m
Thick Optics Practice Problems30m
Thick Optics2h
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM FIRST ORDER OPTICAL SYSTEM DESIGN
by WLMay 17, 2019
Great course, but the tool (Demo version Zemax) is not very useful because of the removal of several important features (e.g. save, undo and limited precision).
by RGAug 25, 2019
Really nice course with very clear explanations of the principles of optical engineering and learn how to use ZEMAX Opticstudio to simulate your optical system
by ARApr 29, 2020
An excellent course that teaches you geometric optics and gets you started with ZEMAX. Some of the quizzes have typos/bugs in them, but this is a minor gripe.
by RRJul 29, 2020
Good course, explanations are clear and concise and I got a good learning. Tricky exercises! Perhaps more exercises with quantstudio would have been nice.
About the Optical Engineering Specialization
The courses in this specialization can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5600-5602, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. Enroll here.
Optical instruments are how we see the world, from corrective eyewear to medical endoscopes to cell phone cameras to orbiting telescopes. This course will teach you how to design such optical systems with simple graphical techniques, then transform those pencil and paper designs to include real optical components including lenses, diffraction gratings and prisms. You will learn how to enter these designs into an industry-standard design tool, OpticStudio by Zemax, to analyze and improve performance with powerful automatic optimization methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
- The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
- The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
