A rigorous course in applied optics has been developed at NDSU through the cooperation of three departments at the University: Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Chemistry. This course was modeled after a course that originated at New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Optical Science and Engineering Program. The new course, Physics/ECE 411/611, Optics for Scientists and Engineers, was introduced in Fall Semester, 2001 and is being offered again in Fall Semester, 2002. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with the fundamentals necessary to enable them to successfully apply optics in their respective majors. It is a course in which students learn applied optics through a sequence of multidisciplinary laboratory experiences. This is accomplished through hands-on use of state-of-the-art equipment to experience and understand the most important concepts and phenomena of optics (including fiber optics). The course is open to students in engineering and science who have appropriate backgrounds. The abstract above is based on material included in a recent paper presented at the 2002 IEEE/ASEE Frontiers in Education Conference: http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie2002/papers/1318.pdf.

Partial support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation's Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Program under grant DUE - 0088516. _____________________________________________ (1) Electrical and Computer Engineering, Presenter
(2) Physics
(3) Electrical and Computer Engineering
(4) Chemistry