Optics/Optical Sciences

Types of Degrees Optics/Optical Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many optics/optical sciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	132
Doctor’s Degree	76
Bachelor’s Degree	54
Graduate Certificate	12
Basic Certificate	1

What Optics/Optical Sciences Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to optics/optical sciences were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Optics/Optical Sciences Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in optics/optical sciences should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Optics/Optical Sciences Majors

optics/optical sciences majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Optics/Optical Sciences Majors

A major in optics/optical sciences will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Optics/Optical Sciences Major?

People with a optics/optical sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Physicists	14.5%	$120,950
Physics Postsecondary Professors	10.2%	$90,800

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Optics/Optical Sciences?

This major attracts more men than women. About 59% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of optics/optical sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	4
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	10
White	32
International Students	5
Other Races/Ethnicities	3

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Optics/Optical Sciences, too. About 9.3% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Optics/Optical Sciences

Some careers associated with optics/optical sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to optics/optical sciences have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.4%
Some College Courses	0.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	16.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.5%
Master’s Degree	22.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.2%
Doctoral Degree	39.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	18.4%

Online Optics/Optical Sciences Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	12	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	9	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Optics/Optical Sciences

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to optics/optical sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
General Physics	12,337
Other Physics	489
Acoustics	168
Theoretical & Mathematical Physics	16
Condensed Matter & Materials Physics	10
Atomic/Molecular Physics	8
Elementary Particle Physics	3
Nuclear Physics	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By A. T. Service under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.