| Date | Class material | Reading, homework | Lab |
| Wed. 01/17 | Introduction & overview, review of basic EM theory | ||
| Fri. 01/19 | Maxwell’s equations, EM waves, energy, irradiance | Lab 0: Basic optics, instrumentation | |
| Mon. 01/22 | Radiation | Quiz 1: Sections 3.2, 3.3.1, 3.3.2 | |
| Wed. 01/24 | Material properties/propagation in matter, absorption, dispersion | ||
| Fri. 01/26 | Material properties continued, scattering, Group & phase velocity | Quiz 2: 3.5 | |
| Mon. 01/29 | More materials properties | ||
| Wed. 01/31 | Scattering | ||
| Fri. 02/02 | Reflection, refraction continued, color | Quiz 3: 4.2 | Lab 1: Radiation |
| Mon. 02/05 | Reflection, refraction, Fermat’s principle | ||
| Wed. 02/07 | Refraction, Fermat’s principle | Quiz 4: 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.5 | |
| Fri. 02/09 | Geometrical optics – lenses | First homework due | Lab 2: Absorption and refraction |
| Mon. 02/12 | Lens combinations, stops | Quiz 5: 5.3 | |
| Wed. 02/14 | Lens combinations, cont. | ||
| Fri. 02/16 | Mirrors. | Quiz 6: 5.4 | Lab 3: Lenses - laser beam expander |
| Mon. 02/19 | Holiday: Presidents Day | ||
| Wed. 02/21 | Prisms | Second homework due | |
| Fri. 02/23 | First exam | ||
| Mon. 02/26 | Optical fibers, waveguides | ||
| Wed. 02/28 | Waveguides - modes, telecom | ||
| Fri. 03/02 | Optical Systems | Quiz 7: 5.7.1, 5.7.2, third homework due | Lab 4: Optical systems - Compound microscope |
| Mon. 03/05 - Fri. 03/09 | Spring break | ||
| Mon. 03/12 | Optical Systems, cont. | ||
| Wed.. 03/14 | Thick lenses, optical engineering | ||
| Fri. 03/16 | Aberrations | Lab 5: Polarization | |
| Mon. 03/19 | Aberrations, cont. | ||
| Wed. 03/21 | Polarization | Quiz 8, 8.1; third homework due | |
| Fri. 03/23 | Polarization | Lab 6: Introduction to fiber optic components | |
| Mon. 03/26 | Second exam (Chap 5 & 6) | ||
| Wed. 03/28 | Polarization | ||
| Fri. 03/30 | Interference | Quiz 9 | Lab 7: Interference |
| Mon. 04/02 | Interference | ||
| Wed. 04/04 | Diffraction | Quiz 10 | |
| Fri. 04/06 | Diffraction | fourth homework due | Lab 8: Diffraction |
| Mon. 04/09 | Fresnel diffraction | ||
| Wed. 04/11 | Fourier optics | Quiz 11 | |
| Fri. 04/13 - Mon 04/16 | Easter holiday | ||
| Wed. 04/18 | Fourier optics, spatial filtering | ||
| Fri. 04/20 | Lasers | Quiz 12, fifth homework due | Lab 9: Fiber optic telecom |
| Mon. 04/23 | Third exam | ||
| Wed. 04/25 | Lasers | ||
| Fri. 04/27 | Holography | Quiz 13 | Lab 9: Fiber optic telecom, continued |
| Mon. 04/30 | Holography | ||
| Wed. 05/02 | Holography | sixth homework due | |