I propose to my clients the course "Design imaging systems in visible range using ANSYS-ZEMAX-OpticStudio". You can learn the course at any place, time, and pace. The course is based on the reading of specific chapters from various references and practical lessons completed under my instructions via email and ZOOM. Practical lessons (solved problems) are explained well in the main book of the course. So you can try to learn them yourself. Please find more in the link below.
The syllabus of the course can be found in the link below.
The course is based on books and articles that I have read. You can see examples of my optical designs and my experience on my website. I can provide you with the list of people who can recommend me. The cost of the syllabus with all references is 400 USD. The syllabus includes the number of pages in the references. If you have questions, I can help you for a fee of 80 USD/hour. You will need 6 months to learn the course. The version ANSYS-ZEMAX-OpticStudio Pro should be used. See the capabilities of the version in the link below. If you do not have experience of usage the program, you can take a free trial of the program for 30 days. See the link below.
You can contact ANSYS and request a loan of ANSYS-ZEMAX-OpticStudio Pro for a short period. See the link below. There is a free student version of the program, which comes with serious limitations and can be loaned for 12 months. See the link below. For example, Hammer optimization can be used for only 1 minute. No more than 4 CPUs are available for computation. To optimize a design, sometimes a few hours of Hammer optimization is required at 64 CPUs. I suggest that students start to learn the course with the student version and then take the free trial.
The cost of loaning ANSYS-ZEMAX-OpticStudio Pro for a year in Israel is 7,570 USD. This information was obtained in August 2025. I suggest clarifying the cost in your country. So, if you can not loan the program, I suggest putting an announcement in LinkedIn groups related to ZEMAX and Optical design. Write that you are ready to buy the Professional version of ZEMAX-OpticStudio released in 2017 or 2018. This version is permanent. No need to pay for a loan or support. There are no significant differences between the versions and the current version of ANSYS-ZEMAX-OpticStudio Pro. If a group of students is interested in taking the course, they can loan the program for a reduced cost. Please contact the marketing specialist of ANSYS in Israel Yarden Shva yarden.shva@ansys.com.
There are many other courses in optical design. But it is important to provide the articles describing your designs to potential employers. I will help you write the articles.