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SPIE Instructor Guidelines

SPIE Education Services invites you to consider teaching a professional development course for the Society. Welcome back to those who have taught previously!

The Society has a reputation for providing world-class continuing education to scientists, engineers, and non-technical personnel in the field of optics. SPIE instructors are highly qualified, technical experts who have a passion for sharing their knowledge. SPIE offers over 300 live courses annually at our symposia and in-company training sessions, and more than 100 courses are available in self-study formats (Online, DVD, CD-ROM, and video).

Necessary components of a successful course include:

  • A well-written Course Description, including clearly stated Learning Outcomes
  • Well-organized technical presentation
  • Clear, concise slides and Course Notes (print version of the slides)
  • A brief quiz, measuring attainment of the stated Learning Outcomes

Please send a proposed Course Description to SPIE Education Services at least 6 months in advance of the symposium you are interested in. Those selected to teach will receive an invitation and instructor agreement 3-4 months prior to the symposium. If you are not sure which of our symposia your course is best suited for, you may submit a description at any time.

An index of guidelines for the various components of the course program is provided below. Please email Course Descriptions and any questions to education@spie.org.


Before the course:

After the course:

A "Green Lab" program supported by SPIE at the Pennsylvania State Univ. Electro-Optics Center gives high-school students lab experience in analyzing power consumption incandescent, compact fluorescent, and LED lighting sources.

"The lab inspires students to think about the environment and the economy," said Jim Einsporn of the Penn State project. "Students discover first-hand the amount of energy used in each source, and the long-term costs of each."


Continuing Education Units

IACET Authorzed Provider
Document noncredit work and training in specifically developed activities.


USA Science and Engineering Festival


SPIE Education Catalog

SPIE Course Catalog

Download the Catalog