École Supérieure d'Optique

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The École Supérieure d'Optique (Higher School of Optics informally SupOptique) also known as Institut d'optique, is the leading French institution of higher education and research in fundamental and applied sciences in optics. It was created in 1917 and opened in 1920, being consequently the oldest advanced programme of higher education in optical sciences in the world, with the MSc in optics of the Department of physics of the Imperial College. It is one of the French grandes écoles. It is located in Palaiseau, near Paris, in the same campus than the École polytechnique and near the campus of the Université Paris-Sud.

Since 1922, SupOptique has awarded the "diplôme d'ingénieur de l'Ecole supérieure d'optique" which is an integrated master's degree. It lasts for five or six years after the baccalauréat (end of secondary studies). Since SupOptique is a "grande école", the first two or three years are taught in a "classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles" (CPGE) and the three following years in SupOptique.

[edit] Syllabus for the "diplôme d'ingénieur de l'École supérieure d'optique"

1st year: (CPGE)

Mathematics (Analyse, Algebra, Geometry)
Physics (Geometric optics, electro- and magneto-statics, electro-kinetik, mecanics of the point, thermodynamics)
Chemistry
Engineering science or computer science
French and philosophy
Foreign language

2nd year: (CPGE) (sometimes 2 years)

Mathematics (Analyse, Algebra, Geometry)
Physics (Wave optics, electromagnetic waves, electronics, mecanics of the solid, thermodynamics)
Chemistry
Engineering science or computer science
French and philosophy
Foreign language

National competitive exam

3rd year:

Mathematics (Fourier analysis, Probability and noise, signal theory)
Physics (quantum mechanics, atomic physics, semiconductor, electromagnetism)
Optics (geometrical optics, interferences, diffraction, labworks)
Electronics (analogical and logical electronics, microprocessors, labworks)
Computer science
English and an other foreign language (German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese)
General training in engineering
Internship

4th year:

Photonics (Lasers, diode lasers, non-linear optics, guided optics, electro- & acousto-optics )
Physical optics (Fourier optics, coherent optics, speckle, holography, aberration and diffraction)
Instrumental optics (Aberrations, radiometry photometry and detectors, optical design, optronic system)
Electronics (digital electronics, microwaves, labworks)
Computer science
English and an other foreign language (German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese)
Management
Entrepreneurship and innovation
Internship

5th year in Palaiseau:

Choices among multiple courses concerning:
- laser science and quantum optics
- opto-electronics and optical telecommunications
- image processing
- optronics
- bio-photonics
- nano-optics
- management
Computer science
Entrepreneurship and innovation
English and an other foreign language (German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese)
Internship

5th year in Saint-Etienne:

photonics
medical optics
optical design
image processing
systems and captors
computer science
entrepreneurship
management
English
Internship

5th year in a foreign institution of higher education:

Imperial College, London, UK
University of Arizona, Tuscon, USA
University of central Florida, Orlando, USA
Université Laval, Laval, Canada

Title of "ingénieur diplômé de l'École supérieure d'optique" and master's degree (possibility to obtain also the "diplôme national de master en sciences et technologies à finalité recherche mention physique et applications spécialité optique, matière et plasma")

[edit] Post-graduate studies

Graduates from a university (with a French diploma or degree "DUT", "BTS", "DEUG", "licence", "maîtrise" or a foreign degree) can be admitted in the third or fourth years of the "diplôme d'ingénieur de l'ESO" programme. Graduates from the École polytechnique and from the École normale supérieure de Cachan can be admitted in the fifth years of this programme.

SupOptique organizes also a national research master programme in two years ("diplôme national de master en sciences et technologie à finalité recherche mention physique et applications spécialité optique, matière et plasma") for graduate students with a "licence" or an equivalent foreign degree. Students in the "diplôme d'ingénieur de l'ESO" programme have also access to this programme. PhD students can join the internationally recognized research laboratory of SupOptique, the "Laboratoire Charles Fabry", to obtain a doctorate from the Université Paris-XI.

A number of noted French optical scientists have been associated with SupOptique, including Henri Chrétien, Charles Fabry, André Maréchal, and Alain Aspect.

As of 2006 the school had 50 permanent faculty members (teachers, teacher-researchers and researchers), 245 students in the "diplôme d'ingénieur de l'ESO" programme, 15 students in the national research master programme (some of them matriculated in the université Paris-XI or an other institution) and 40 PhD students (matriculated in the université Paris-XI).