Why Study Lasers and Fiber Optics?
Lasers and fiber optics (LFO) are advanced technologies enabling complex, sophisticated, and very expensive instrumentation used in the biomedical field, life sciences, remote sensing, and information technology.

The United States commands global leadership in these technologies, producing high-wage jobs in the U.S. An August 2012 report published by the National Academy of Sciences, “Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nation”, states that $4.9 billion worth of laser sales enabled $7.5 trillion of the U.S. gross domestic product in 2009 and 2010.6 These are the technologies the U.S. should pursue in order to remain the world leader in the design, manufacture and export of technologically superior systems.
A study conducted by the University of North Texas in June 2012, identified an annual national need of 1,592 technicians in the LFO field while the present output of U.S. colleges is only 350. The same study indicates that in the southeast region we must increase the present output of LFO technicians by 300% to meet industry demands.

There is obviously an urgent need to ramp up the production of LFO technicians to satisfy the high demand, maintain our world leadership, and create more high-paying jobs here at home.

Read more on the current state of optics and photonics from the National Academy of Science report. 

Industry Trends

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The value of the global laser industrial systems market in 2013, up 5% from 2012.
The earned revenue of the global fiber optic test equipment market in 2020 (up from 603.8M in 2013).
The worth of the global market for optical coatings in 2018, registering a five-year compound annual growth rate of 8.8%.
The value of the global photonic integrated circuit technology market in 2018, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 33.2%.
Source: Photonics Spectra, Laurin Publishing - www.photonics.com