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Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Optics

Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences

Director of the Minor: Harold J. Metcalf, Harold.Metcalf@stonybrook.edu
Assistant to the Director: Diane Diaferia
 
Office: Room P-110 Physics
Phone: (631) 632-8100

The minor in Optics, which is housed in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is intended for students outside the physics major who wish to obtain a thorough understanding of the nature of light and its interactions with matter. After learning the basic principles of optics in PHY 300 , students may pursue their scientific or professional interests by taking further courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy or the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Minor Requirements

All courses offered for the minor must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

Completion of the minor requires 21 credits.

Basic courses:

At least two of the following:

Notes:

*These courses may be used if the research project is in optics. Each such course must be taken for three credits and the student must obtain written approval of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for his or her research proposal before starting research.