This course will provide attendees with a basic understanding of the optical properties and potential device applications of photonic crystals. We will first introduce the audience to the fundamental concepts, such as band diagrams, photonic band gaps, and optical modal pictures. We will then use these concepts to explore unusual optical phenomena in photonic crystals, including novel waveguides, cavities, and lasers, slow light, and negative refraction. We will next discuss device applications in which photonic crystals are starting to enter the commercial market, including photonic-crystal slab waveguides and photonic-crystal/holey fibers. An overview of existing methods for computational design and experimental fabrication will be given.