Optics

The St Andrews Optics Society (SOS) is the official dual Student Chapter of SPIE and Optica at the University of St Andrews. Our core mission is to build and support a vibrant photonics student community, providing members with professional development and networking opportunities, all while promoting the knowledge and applications of optics and photonics.

Primarily based in the School of Physics and Astronomy, we organise a diverse calendar of academic, outreach, and social events. Highlights include our popular science shorts series featuring free pizza, career talks from external speakers, science outreach, and social gatherings like our annual sports day and pub quiz.

Instead of charging local membership fees, we ask that students sign up to become student members of SPIE and/or Optica and affiliate their memberships with the St Andrews Optics Chapter. By joining SPIE and/or Optica, you gain direct access to a wealth of international professional benefits, including exclusive webinars, mentorship programs, travel grants, journals, and global networking directories. Simultaneously, your affiliation helps our St Andrews chapter thrive, securing funding and resources that directly power our local pizza socials, career talks, and outreach events, allowing you to enjoy the prestigious perks of global membership while keeping your local student chapter completely free to join.

To hear more about our events, please sign up through our permanent Google Forms link (https://forms.gle/QBHyx8EphtKX7kQQ8) to join our mailing list. All interested in optics and photonics are welcome!

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