The BS in Physics with a concentration in Optics requires students to take advanced third- and fourth-year courses in optics and nanophotonics, which is the study of light and electromagnetic radiation in materials at the quantum mechanics level. Applications of this material are legion, including solar cells, optical communication, biophysics and medicine.Optics is a multidisciplinary field with strong exposure to geometrical optics, physical optics, optical instruments, and interference and diffraction, as well as more contemporary topics such as polarimetry, optoelectronics, lasers, optical sources and detectors, and radiometry.The BS in Physics teaches students the basic laws of nature and the universe and imparts critical thinking skills. Graduates find ready employment in physics, astronomy, engineering, physics-based computer modeling, medicine, intellectual property law, and mathematics or continue on to graduate study. Students may choose a concentration, a minor in another college subject, or a mixture of the two.