| Date | Lecture Topic | Reference | Due |
| 1/7 | Introduction to optical communications | Ch. 1 | |
| 1/9 | Networks overview | Ch. 1 | |
| 1/11 | Digital signals | Ch. 1 | |
| 1/14 | No Class | 1/16 | Point to point link, Channel multiplexing | Ch. 1 |
| 1/18 | System architectures | 9.1 | HW #1 |
| 1/21 | No Class - MLK Day | ||
| 1/23 | No Class | ||
| 1/25 | Introduction to optical fiber | 2.2-2.4, 4.4.1, 5.1 | |
| 1/28 | Pulse dispersion | 3.2, 4.5.2 | |
| 1/30 | Bit rate and bandwidth | 3.2 | |
| 2/1 | Fiber attenuation | 5.3 | |
| 2/4 | Wave propagation | 5.4 | |
| 2/6 | Fiber modes | 5.4 | |
| 2/8 | Waveguide dispersion | 5.6 | HW #2 |
| 2/11 | Fiber coupling | 8 | |
| 2/13 | LED's | 6.1-6.2, 10.1 | |
| 2/15 | Laser diodes | 6.3-6.5 | |
| 2/18 | No Class - President's Day | ||
| 2/20 | Laser modulation | 10.2 | HW #3 |
| 2/22 | Laser noise | 11.4.2, 11.4.5 | |
| 2/25 | Transmitter modules | ||
| 2/27 | Photoconductive detectors | 7.1, 7.3 | HW #4 |
| 2/29 | Exam I | ||
| 3/3 | PIN photodiodes | 7.4, 7.5 | |
| 3/5 | Photodetector circuits | 7.4 | |
| 3/7 | Guest lecture - fiber splicing | 8 | |
| 3/10 | Receiver noise | 11.1-11.2 | |
| 3/12 | Error rates | 11.3 | |
| 3/14 | Power penalties | 11.4 | HW #5 |
| 3/24 | Optical amplifiers | 6.7, 11.4 | |
| 3/26 | Optical amplifier types | 6.7 | |
| 3/28 | Optical amplifier system performance | 11.4 | |
| 3/31 | DWDM/OTDM | 9.6 | HW #6 |
| 4/2 | DWDM point to point | 9.6 | |
| 4/4 | DWDM networks | ||
| 4/7 | Optical filters | 9.7 | HW #7 |
| 4/9 | WDM components | 9.6, 9.8, 9.9 | |
| 4/11 | OTDM components | ||
| 4/14 | Nonlinear propagation effects | ||
| 4/16 | Soliton propagation | HW #8 | |
| 4/18 | Exam II | ||
| 4/21 | No Class | ||
| 4/23 | Project review | ||
| 4/28 | Final Exam - Project Presentations | ||