Master of Science in Optics and Photonics

at Montana State University - Bozeman USA

Students within the Photography option at Montana State focus on fine art and commercial approaches to the medium. As students master both analog and digital photography techniques in the studio, they also explore photography as a medium of expression under the close guidance of award-winning faculty mentors with a breadth of experience in the gallery and publication worlds. Coursework ranges from traditional silver-based darkroom techniques to alternative analog processes, as well as an emphasis on digital photographic processes.

The Technology Education program in the Department of Education at Montana State is a multi-disciplinary program of study designed to develop technological literacy through the study of past, present and future technological systems and their impacts on society. The Industry Option provides students the opportunity to develop skills in a variety of areas plus the flexibility to choose courses that allow them to further develop in-depth skills for their chosen career path. Students in the industrial technology option typically intern in business and industry areas related to their career interests.

Students in the Political Science department at Montana State develop knowledge of American political institutions, world politics, political theory, public administration and policy through the lens of a political scientist. In addition to the courses available, Political Science students are also able to learn more about the discipline through a variety of hands-on opportunities such as the department’s internship program, as well as study abroad opportunities.

In the Environmental Biology program at Montana State, students learn more about the diversity of organisms – from microorganisms to large mammals – and their interconnected relationships in various complex environments. Environmental Biology students engage in cross-training on various subjects in biology and microbiology in order to gain a better understanding of those interrelated relationships on both a physical and chemical level in the environment.

Sociology is concerned with the study of human social behavior and the influence of society upon this behavior. In the General Sociology program at Montana State, students gain a broad and general foundation in Sociology, which allows them to fully customize their program focus based off of personal interest. Some of those specific areas of interest include social inequality, family and child relations, business and management, marketing and public relations, social services, health and medicine or pre-law.

Housed within MSU’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry as an option within the Chemistry major, the teaching option provides a thorough background in the basic fields of chemistry and an acquaintance with the more relevant aspects of chemistry in society, which are essential to any practicing chemistry teacher.

The Latin American and Latino Studies program at Montana State provides students interested in Latin American and Latino history, culture, and language with valuable interdisciplinary skills. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, Latin American and Latino Studies students are given the option to not only study courses focusing on Latin American and Latino socio-cultural subjects but other relevant content from other departments such as sociology, political science or gender studies, as well. Although the equivalent of four semesters of Spanish language is required, students with prior experience in Spanish language or heritage students may have some of those language requirements waived.

In the Organismal Biology program at Montana State, students enter a rigorous program of study will the goal of understanding plant or animal biology from the inner-most workings of internal biological systems to those organisms’ interaction with their immediate ecosystem on a communal level. With the option to tailor their plan of study to their personal interests, Organismal Biology students are able to specialize their degrees based on career interests in either the job market or advanced education.

The Human Development & Family Science option at Montana State is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for careers working with individuals and families, spanning from counseling to social services. Human Development & Family Science students who have completed the degree are able to apply for provisional certification as a Certified Family Life Educator, or can go onto graduate study in counseling or social work.

Candidates in the Microbiology and Immunology program at Montana State engage in state-of-the-art research within one of the premier infectious disease research programs in the Northwest. Studying alongside leaders in the field, candidates are able to explore research within the environmental sciences or biomedical sciences and are encouraged to develop interdisciplinary ties in their research with additional departments and programs.