Short Courses on Fiber Optical Communications

The fiber optical communications industry has grown quickly in the past few years. This growth, which will continue for some time, makes it necessary that many presently employed engineers receive training in the fundamentals of fiber optic devices and systems. This training is presently available through a number of short courses offered by university extension divisions, technical societies, and commercial firms. In this paper, I discuss the nature and present state of this type of optics education, examine its effectiveness, and describe a typical short course.