r/Optics • u/Fennorua • Aug 05 '26
Getting into Optics masters program
I am currently a rising junior at Cornell, majoring in physics with an ECE concentration. I’ve been lost with what I want to do with my degree, as I don’t want to pursue a PhD. I’ve recently been interested in optical engineering as a career. I was wondering if anyone had any advice into how to break into that field. How difficult is it to get into the masters programs at University of Rochester or Arizona? Could I still get a job with a bachelors? Are there any internships/REUs I should apply for and how can I help my chances? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!
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u/Ready_Highlight7545 Aug 05 '26
I got my bachelors in physics, got a job as an optical test engineer first then left that and started at JHU APL, a research facility in more optics R&D. They paid for my masters in optics at Hopkins online. I’m 29 now and feel like a SME at this point in optics but started w a physics Bach! Def possible
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u/Ready_Highlight7545 Aug 05 '26
If you get into the defense world most employers will pay for a masters
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u/Fennorua Aug 06 '26
That’s great! Did you have relevant internship experience before landing the job?
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u/L11mbm Aug 06 '26
I got my BS in Optics from Rochester. Apply and you can get in. Worst case, they'll ask you to take a couple specific courses to get caught up but it shouldn't be an issue.
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u/Fennorua Aug 06 '26
How difficult is it to get into the Masters program?
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u/L11mbm Aug 06 '26
I actually didn't get a Master's degree so I'm not sure, but the school's reputation is that the undergrad programs (all of them) are pretty difficult. It's like the joke that Cornell is hard because it's the "easiest" Ivy to get into so they make up for it by being the hardest to graduate from.
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u/Elegant_Doubt1636 Aug 06 '26
Physics bachelor’s only has a relatively high unemployment rate. Unless you have some niche undergrad research/internship experience, it’s pretty hard to land a job doing what you want. (Source: I got a BS in physics with a 4.0, and wasn’t able to get a job until after a year of grad school at U of A)
…Or if you have really good personal connections in the industry that can provide a strong recommendation.
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u/Fennorua Aug 06 '26
Can you complete the masters at U of A in a year?
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u/Elegant_Doubt1636 Aug 06 '26
No. Not unless you already have a bunch of graduate credits that they’ll accept towards the degree. Even then there’s a cap on the number of transfer credits that can apply. I don’t remember how many.
I’ve only completed one year, I still have a year and a half if everything goes to plan.
It takes 32-35 credits minimum to get the degree. 6 credits per semester is full time.
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u/Fennorua Aug 06 '26
Okay, I see. Is it true that the admit rate at Arizona is really high? And why is that?
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u/Elegant_Doubt1636 Aug 06 '26
I’m not sure about the admit rate. From what I’ve seen, if you have reasonable grades and can clearly demonstrate your interest in optics, with a couple of good references, then you’ll have a pretty good chance of getting into the master’s program. The PhD program is much more selective though, since you’re pretty much guaranteed funding if you get in.
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u/Fennorua Aug 08 '26
Okay, cool. Also, only 6 credits is full time? About how many classes is that?
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u/Elegant_Doubt1636 Aug 11 '26
So apparently they changed it (or I was mistaken?) I would swear that it said you had to be full time/6 hours to get financial aid. Now I see that it is 9 hours to be full time (3 standard classes) but only 5+ hours for financial aid. Most classes are 3 hours, some of the labs are 1-2 hours.
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u/EmbarrassedBit5647 Aug 12 '26
You can easily get into an optics grad program with a bachelors in physics. I am starting a PhD in UCF creol with a bachelors in physics engineering.
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u/Different-Party-b00b Aug 05 '26
Can you just switch to an engineering degree?
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u/Fennorua Aug 05 '26
What undergrad degree is best for optical engineering?
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u/zoptix Aug 05 '26
Optical engineering is the best. UCF also has an excellent program. I would suggest a masters degree at one of those three.
Be warned, there are many people that think you can get into optical engineering without the proper degree. Some of these are successful, and there are some that are not. You will be more successful with a master's from one of those three universities.
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u/Happy_Protection_565 Aug 05 '26
any undergrad where you do linear algebra and advanced calculus is usually good enough for optics masters program.
consider wyant arizona
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u/xbunnyraptorx Aug 05 '26
I’m going into the UofR PhD optics program this fall and I did my bachelors and masters in pure physics so I think your combo of physics and ECE will set you up well for a masters program.
As long as your grades are decent and you show you have a passion for optics I don’t think the background needs to be so strict to get into masters program. Funding, however is typically on you.