OpTeC conference 2025

 

 

 

 

The 32nd Annual OpTeC Conference

Time: October 8th, 2026

Celebrate the research being done by faculty and growing student talent at MSU, or meet the industries making strides in optics and photonics research. Registration opens in the summer of 2026.

Click here to learn more about the OpTeC conference.

 

 

 


Degree Routes for Students

Associate of
Applied Science (AAS)

Three red lasers crossing over each other

Train to become an optics/photonics technician. Learn concepts around optics, electronics, lasers, and components to support optical system manufacturing, test, and quality assurance.

Master of Science

Montana Micro-fabrication Facility

Learn to harness the power of light to prepare for high-demand jobs in laser engineering, remote sensing, and more. Students can take the traditional or accelerated route.

Bachelor of Science

Precision agriculture drone used in collaboration with optics and photonics and College of Agriculture

Students who want to develop a strong foundation in optics and photonics will find that the Optics and Photonics Minor pairs especially well with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics.

Doctoral Program

A person with long dark hair touching a piece of equipment that's shining a light at a surface. There are two people at a laptop in the background

Pair optics and photonics with electrical engineering, physics, chemistry and biochemistry, or materials science. Create new technology and scientific results in a highly collaborative environment.

All Courses

Three people watching a fourth person fly a four-rotor drone. They are in a grassy field with blue sky behind them.

There are many opportunities for students to interact with the optics and photonics industry for a variety of careers such as microfabrication, laser engineering, quantum mechanics, and more.

 

Unique to OpTeC

Montana Micro-fabrication Facility in Cobleigh Hall hosts a senior-level class taught by Anja Kunze. The facility makes small biosensors at Montana State University.

Local Collaboration

With over 40 photonics and optics related businesses in Bozeman and throughout Montana, there's, there's a close by demand for workers. MSU focuses on training the workforce to meet that demand.

 

Montana State University senior Katerina Shabalin examines an optical fiber with a 3D printed lens using a microscope at Spectrum Lab

Widely Recognized

Montana is recognized by the EDA as a regional tech hub for optics and photonics one out of six in the country. Its research alongside nearby industries has gained international interest as well.
Two people looking at a complex piece of technology. One has their hands on the piece of equipment.

Incubating Innovation

Over 20 faculty members and their research groups collaborate to solve industry and community problems.

 

 

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