Photonics engineers need knowledge in the following areas:

• Engineering and Technology: How to use computers and rules of engineering to design and produce goods and services.
• Mathematics: The rules and uses of numbers.
• Physics: The features and laws of matter and energy.
• Computers and Electronics: Computer hardware and software.
• Design: Making and using plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language: The meaning and use of the English language.
• Mechanical: The design, use, and repair of machines and tools.