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College of Optometry
Doctor of Optometry Program

Curriculum

Professional Degree Program

The educational program in optometry requires four academic years and two summer sessions. All fourth-year students begin studies just after the end of their third academic year. One-third of the fourth-year class serves external multidisciplinary primary care clinical rotations during each of the three semesters. One-third serves in an external medical setting, and one-third rotates through specialty clinics each term. Didactic courses are taken during the specialty clinic rotation. Students must satisfactorily complete a total of 177 semester hours, at least seven hours of which must be in approved electives. With permission of the associate dean for graduate studies, students may also take graduate courses in physiological optics for elective credit in the professional degree program.

First Professional Year
			Hours
Fall Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 5314	Optics I	3	3	0
OPTO 5111	Optics I Lab	1	0	3
OPTO 5320	Vision Science I	3	3	0
OPTO 5121	Vision Science Lab I	1	0	2
OPTO 5334	Human Neuroanatomy and Physiology	3	3	0
OPTO 5134	Neuroanatomy Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 5233	Advanced Human Anatomy	2	2	0
OPTO 5234	Advanced Human Physiology	2	2	0
OPTO 5133	Advanced Human Anatomy Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 5271	Optometry I	2	2	0
OPTO 5171	Clinic I Laboratory	1	0	3
Totals		20	15	14

			Hours
Spring Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 5381	Community Health Optometry I	3	3	0
OPTO 5315	Optics II	3	3	0
OPTO 5112	Optics II Lab	1	0	3
OPTO 5194	Ophthalmic Optics Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 5321	Vision Science II	2	2	0
OPTO 5335	Ocular Anatomy and Physiology	3	3	0
OPTO 5135	Ocular Anatomy Lab	1	0	3
OPTO 5331	General Pathology and Medicine	3	3	0
OPTO 5272	Optometry II	2	2	0
OPTO 5172	Clinic II Laboratory	1	0	3
Totals		19	16	12

Second Professional Year
			Hours
Fall Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 5311	Optics III	3	3	0
OPTO 5222	Vision Science III	2	2	0
OPTO 5132	Medical Laboratory Procedures	1	0	3
OPTO 5434	General Pharmacology	4	4	0
OPTO 5191	Primary Optometry Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 5190	General Clinic I	1	0	4
OPTO 5373	Primary Optometry	3	3	0
OPTO 5131	Clinic III Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 5232	Ocular Pathology I	2	2	0
Totals		18	14	13

			Hours
Spring Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 5312	Optics IV	3	3	0
OPTO 5351	Pediatric Optometry I	3	3	0
OPTO 5151	Pediatric Optometry I Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 5292	General Clinic II	2	1	8
OPTO 5192	Contact Lens Lab	1	0	3
OPTO 5332	Ocular Pathology II	3	3	0
OPTO 5374	Contact Lens I	3	3	0
OPTO 5232	Perception	2	2	0
OPTO 5333	Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics	3	3	0
Totals		21	18	14

Third Professional Year
			Hours
Fall Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 6490	General Clinic IIIA	4	2	12
	*Electives	2	0	0
Totals		6	2	12

			Hours
Fall Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 6491	General Clinic IIIB	4	0	16
OPTO 6375	Contact Lens II	3	3	0
OPTO 6361	Geriatric Optometry	3	3	0
OPTO 6352	Pediatric OptometryII	3	3	0
OPTO 6152	Pediatric Optometry II Laboratory	1	0	3
OPTO 6220	Refractive Surgery and Opthalmic Lasers	2	2	0
OPTO 6331	Ocular Pathology II	3	3	0
	*Electives	1
Totals		20	14	19

			Hours
Spring Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 6492	General Clinic IIIC	4	0	16
OPTO 6342	Environmental Optometry	3	3	0
OPTO 6142	Environmental Optometry Laboratory	1	0	2
OPTO 6162	Vision Rehabilitation Lab	1	0	2
OPTO 6262	Rehabilitative Optometry	2	2	0
OPTO 6332	Ocular Pathology IV	3	3	0
OPTO 6383	Practice Management	3	3	0
OPTO 6120	OPT III Rounds/Case Discussion	1	1	0
OPTO 7253	Pediatric Optometry III	2	2	0
	*Electives	1	0	0
Total		21	14	20

Fourth Professional Year
Rotation A
Summer, Fall, Spring
			Hours
Externship I - Primary Care		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 7990	Community Health Clinics	9	0	20
OPTO 7991	Community Health Clinics	9	0	20
Totals		18	0	40

Rotation B
Summer, Fall, Spring
			Hours
Externship II - Primary Care		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 7992	Community Health Clinics	9	0	20
OPTO 7993	Community Health Clinics	9	0	20
Totals		18	0	40

Rotation C
Summer, Fall, Spring
			Hours
Specialty Clinic/Didactic Semester		Cr.	Lecture	Lab
OPTO 7691	Specialty Optometry Clinic IV	6	0	20
OPTO 7391	Recent Developments/Rounds	3	3	0
OPTO 7384	Practice Management II	3	3	0
	*Electives	3	0	0
Totals		15	6	20

*Elective requirements may be fulfilled at any time. They are listed in this curriculum only for suggested times.

Academic Units

The professional curriculum is delivered by two academic units. These units are optometric sciences and basic sciences.

Summary of Elective Courses

Students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of seven semester hours in approved elective courses to qualify for the O.D. degree. Courses in the graduate program or upper division courses in another college may be selected with the approval of the student's academic advisor and the dean.