Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

The course will give insight into the physics of light, as well as manipulation of light with lenses and other optical components. The course covers essential physical phenomena related to light: photons, waves, rays, refraction, diffraction, interference, and polarization. The course also covers optics for imaging and for illumination. It introduces characterization and design of composite lens systems, as well as characterization and correction of optical aberrations. Other optical technologies are also introduced: light detectors, image sensors, optical fibers, interferometry, and spectroscopy. The course gives a good basis for understanding optical instruments such as telescope, microscope, camera, and eye. Practical demonstrations and experiments will be a part of the lectures.

Learning outcome

After taking the course, you

  • have a good understanding of the basic physics of light
  • understand the working principles of optical components and systems: lenses, mirrors, prisms and composite lens systems
  • can calculate light throughput and ray propagation in optical systems
  • can design basic lens systems for imaging
  • know the principles of operation of important optical instruments including eye, camera, microscope, and telescope

As a master's student, you will write an in-depth essay on a topic from the course, which can be chosen to be relevant for your master's thesis work.

Admission to the course

Students admitted at UiO must apply for courses in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may apply to take this course as a single course student.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

The course builds on knowledge as provided by FYS1120 – Electromagnetism and FYS2130 – Oscillations and Waves or similar.

Overlapping courses

Teaching

The course includes 3 hours of lectures and 2 hours of group/lab exercises each week throughout the semester.

You must submit a mandatory assignment on a chosen topic, which must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

Examination

  • A final oral exam counts 100% towards the final grade.

In case of many students, the final exam may be written.

You must submit a mandatory assignment on a chosen topic, which must be approved before you can sit the final exam. The mandatory assignment does not count towards the final grade but will be part of the curriculum for the final oral examination.

It will also be counted as 1 of the 3 attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for the following course:

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Language of examination

Courses taught in English will only offer the exam paper in English. You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Oct. 15, 2026 2:00:10 PM

Facts about this course

Level
Master
Credits
10
Teaching
Autumn
Examination
Autumn

Contact

Department of Technology Systems