At a Glance

The Abbe School of Photonics (ASP) offers a full-scale academic education in optics and photonics at one of the oldest and most reputable universities in Germany.

Photonics Laboratory

Image: MPSP/FSU Jena

Fiber laser labs of Jens Limpert and Andreas Tünnermann.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)

Here in Jena, the cradle of optics, we benefit from a unique ecosystem of photonics that offers a wide range of opportunities through close cooperation between the University and various local institutes and companies. It is our School’s privilege to be able to offer this exceptional research environment and to provide multifaceted learning opportunities to our students. Our School's interdisciplinary education programs are embedded within the extensive academic framework of the Abbe Center of Photonics. We offer both master's degree programs (M.Sc. Photonics and M.Sc. Physics with a focus on photonics) as well as a broad doctoral program in optics and photonics. All available ASP modules in optics and photonics are open to all M.Sc. students enrolled in the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy de.

Outdoor blackboard for students at the ACP plaza, 2021.
Image: Mats Segbers

The main goal of our concept and philosophy is the establishment of one of the world's leading educational centers in optics and photonics in Jena, Germany. The ASP was shaped by our university’s long-standing teaching tradition and is supported by its uniquely vast spectrum of research activities in the field of light sciences. Our qualification strategy is completely research-oriented and based on the principles of academic freedom, competitive research conditions and internationalization at all levels of education and research.

Doctoral students relaxing outdoors in Jena.
Image: Anna Schroll

The School offers outstanding qualification opportunities in the areas of optics and photonics at undergraduate and graduate levels. We recognize that many of our graduates will continue a research-focused career. Therefore, the training programs of the ASP aim to promote and optimally link both academic and practical learning by providing additional career opportunities in research-centered companies. Thus, all our competitive career development measures are designed to lay the foundation for successful careers both in academia and industry.

Students of the M.Sc. Photonics program in 2013.
Image: Ricarda Knetsch

ASP was founded in 2008 by a public-private partnership between the German federal and Thuringian state governments, the University of Jena and the German photonics industry. Our School also has a strong background in providing Joint Master's Degree programs. Close collaboration with its industrial partners distinguishes the ASP. To sustain our partners' exceptional economic development long into the future, we have made it our mission to educate highly qualified candidates for exceptional professional career paths in the German photonics industry.