Relevant areas of study for optical engineering majors include physics, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. A graph of 123M citations received by 2. 98M academic papers made by 1,000 universities in the United States was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were. Of course, there are numerous universities known for their strong programs in optical engineering. University of Rochester: The University of Rochester's Institute of Optics is highly renowned in the field. Read more: Engineering Degrees: 7 Areas of. Job Description for Photonics Engineers : Design technologies specializing in light information or light energy, such as laser or fiber optics technology.