As the laser is incorporated into more and more systems in our technology, there is a growing need for undergraduate courses detailing the nature of the laser, its uses and limitations. In this paper we report on a junior–senior level course on lasers and their applications, developed jointly by faculty of the Schools of Physics and Electrical Engineering during the past four years. An outline of the course is given and some novel features of the course are discussed. A number of demonstrations that we have found useful are also discussed. Finally, an indication of student response is provided, along with some conclusions of our own.