Spring 2027

Optics

Physics 325 covers classical and modern optics topics like imaging, lasers, and interferometry, reinforced by weekly laboratory experiments.

offering recorded4 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Deniz Yavuz4.0/5

Summary

1 / 3

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.71 GPA, 92.3% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.56 GPA, 74.1% A/AB (n=27 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.34 GPA, 64.3% A/AB (n=28 letter grades).

What you’ll be able to do

  • Be able design and analyze an imaging instrument involving two or more optical elements including mirrors and lenses.

  • Be able to quantitatively analyze images obtained from an optical microscope using physics calculation software.

  • Be able to design, construct, and evaluate an optical telescope.

  • Be able to use the principles of Fourier optics and interference to design and analyze interferometric instruments, including a Michelson interferometer and a grating spectrometer, and use these instruments to characterize light sources

  • Be able to apply the fundamental properties of electromagnetic waves to determine the behavior of fiber optic combinations

  • Be able to calculate parameters of a functioning laser, and design, align, and operate a diode pumped solid-state laser.

  • Be able to apply the principles of refraction modulation to calculate the behavior of acousto-optic and electro-optic modulators.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
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AB
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

(PHYSICS 202, 208, or 248) and (PHYSICS 322 or concurrent enrollment), or graduate/professional standing

PHYSICS 325

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027
Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 5.00/5 from 7 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2023: 3.62 GPA, 80.8% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.71 GPA, 92.3% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.56 GPA, 74.1% A/AB (n=27 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

DENIZ YAVUZ is recorded teaching in Spring 2009, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LAB 301Classroom Instruction0 / 150
LAB 304Classroom Instruction0 / 150
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 300

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.71 GPA, 92.3% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.56 GPA, 74.1% A/AB (n=27 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.34 GPA, 64.3% A/AB (n=28 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

No workload feedback recorded.

Topics

  • Imaging, polarization, telescopes, and microscopes
  • Interference, interferometers, and fiber-optic communication
  • Lasers, resonators, modulators, and quantum/nonlinear optics

Skills

  • Designing and analyzing imaging instruments with multiple optical elements
  • Constructing and evaluating optical telescopes
  • Applying Fourier optics and interference to design interferometric instruments
  • Calculating laser parameters and operating diode-pumped solid-state lasers

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
PHYSICS 325 · Spring 2027

Optics

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:754:015620",
    "course_id": "PHYSICS 325",
    "course_uid": "course_281c1356598d1cb0c312edaf",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "015620",
    "source_subject_id": "754",
    "title": "Optics",
    "credits_min": 4,
    "credits_max": 4,
    "typically_offered": "Spring"
  }
]
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Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

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Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "d7b0cc567b7b558da056e8f3148832a1acc36eacba6be39185b2f14bbb007df4",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}