Photonics Concentration

Find Your Niche with Photonics

A photonics concentration applied to your electrical engineering bachelor's degree from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech allows undergraduate students majoring in electrical engineering to diversify their studies. Careers may be sought in optics and photonics, as well as electrical engineering.

What is Photonics Engineering?

Photonics engineering is an engineering branch that works with light energy and light information. Similar to electronics, which involves the control of electrons, photonics deals with the control of photons in terms of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy. Photonics is applied in the areas of energy generation and detection, communications, and information processing.

Lighting the Way to a Better Future

The need for individuals who are qualified to work in optics engineering is at an all-time high, and that demand will increase with technological advancement. Prepare yourself for a field that continues to revolutionize our lives—the reach of photonics applications extends from the Internet to medical imaging to solar energy to display and security technologies. Picture yourself at the forefront of the "information revolution," improving the way we communicate, the way healthcare providers diagnose and treat disease, the way we green the world, or the way we read and interpret data and keep it secure.

Be Career-Ready

Graduates in photonics and related technology are in high demand globally. This leads to exiting, rewarding and highly paid careers.

Career Opportunities for Photon Controllers

Photonics engineers are at the forefront of the technological revolution, working in cutting-edge industries including:

Telecommunications
Nanotechnology
Laser engineering
Optical material engineering
Digital image processing
Medical imaging/biophotonics
Optical sensing
Satellite design

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying photonics at Michigan's flagship technological university.

Earn an ABET Accredited Engineering Degree

With ABET accreditation, you can be sure that your Michigan Tech degree meets the quality standards that prepares you to enter a global workforce.

And, because it requires comprehensive, periodic evaluations, ABET accreditation demonstrates our continuing commitment to the quality of your program—both now and in the future.

Sought Worldwide

ABET's voluntary peer-review process is highly respected. Its criteria are developed by technical professionals and focuses on what you, as a student, experience and learn. It adds critical value to academic programs in technical disciplines—where quality, precision, and safety are of the utmost importance.

Electrical Engineering Educational Objectives

Electrical Engineering is a broad field, containing many areas of specialization. A graduate of the Michigan Tech Electrical Engineering program is qualified to apply a broad base of engineering and science skills to create a variety of device and system solutions and solve an array of technical issues with an emphasis in areas of electromagnetic phenomena and/or information processing.

Graduates will have also developed a specialized emphasis in a particular area with specific knowledge, technical skills, and a capstone design experience that will allow them to provide support to focused areas of larger solutions.

ABET logo

Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

We expect that during the first three to five years following graduation, our graduates will:

Successfully apply their knowledge and skills in electrical engineering in finding creative solutions to engineering problems involving electromagnetic phenomena, devices, or systems.
Function as responsible and ethical members of the profession and society with an understanding of the social and economic ramifications of their work.

Graduates opting for an industrial career path will:

Succeed in entering commercial electrical engineering practice as demonstrated by such indicators as:
1. obtaining their first promotion,
2. contributing to the competitive edge of their employer,
3. being a productive member of an engineering team,
4. demonstrating individual technical capability,
5. generating high quality technical documentation,
6. pursuing continuing education.

Alternatively, within three to five years following the completion of their degree, graduates pursuing an academic career path will:

Succeed in full time graduate studies at highly respected graduate schools as demonstrated by either:
1. earning a master's degree, or
2. having made satisfactory progress toward a doctoral degree.

The ECE Department

Innovation is key in the growing fields of electrical, computer, and robotics engineering.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech is a world leader in providing high quality education, something we’ve done for nearly 100 years.

During your time at Michigan Tech, you’ll experience the difference faculty mentoring has on the quality of your education. You’ll take the skills you learn in the classroom to the lab, shop, makerspace or out in the world— to create, innovate, and design.

Integrated with key courses, access to our multimillion-dollar labs will allow you to learn with cutting-edge equipment—from lasers and microcontrollers to robots, power stations, and more—along with industry standard software and current generation computer systems.

You’ll benefit from many additional opportunities for hands-on experience, ranging from Enterprise and Senior Design, to internships and co-ops. Our excellent programs give you the chance to work directly with industry well before graduation.

And you’ll gain the personal attention and support you need—not only for your academic success, but for a positive overall experience at Michigan Tech.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Programs

Or, start with our General Engineering option and give yourself time to decide.

MTU engineering

Real Engineering. Meaningful Work.

We are committed to inspiring students, advancing knowledge, and innovating technological solutions to create a sustainable, just, and prosperous world. With an entering engineering class of about 1,000 students, 17 degrees to choose from, and 160 faculty in the College of Engineering alone, we provide a world-class education with the trusted reputation of Michigan Tech.

As a student at Michigan Tech you’ll work closely with faculty mentors, immerse yourself in experience-powered learning, and gain a thorough understanding of engineering practice. Collaborate and innovate in laboratories, coursework, Enterprise, and Senior Design—you'll work with industry partners on real engineering projects and develop strong skill sets for your future.

You could study abroad, with engineering opportunities ranging from a few weeks to one full year. Or focus on problems facing disadvantaged communities in countries around the world. Michigan Tech’s Global and Community Engagement program offers you a range of options.

More than 400 employers regularly recruit our students for internships, co-ops, and full-time employment. Engineering students average seven interviews, and 98 percent are employed within their field of study, enlist in the military, or enroll in a graduate school within six months of graduation. A degree in engineering from Michigan Tech can take you anywhere.

Tomorrow Needs You

Engineers do a lot of things, but there's one thing we do first and foremost: we help people. We use creative ideas and technologies to solve problems in health care, energy, transportation, hunger, space exploration, climate change, and more—much more. Become an engineer who is ready for what tomorrow needs.

Student Stories