Vision Science (VIS SCI)
VIS SCI 24 Freshman Seminars 1 Unit
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Hours and format: 1 hour of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 freshmen.
Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 39 Freshman and Sophomore Seminar 1.5 - 3 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty but the suggested limit is 25.
Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 84 Sophomore Seminar 1 or 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Hours and format: 1 hour of seminar per week per unit for 15 weeks. 1 and 1 half hours of seminar per week per unit for 10 weeks. 2 hours of seminar per week per unit for 8 weeks. 3 hours of seminar per week per unit for 5 weeks.
Prerequisites: At discretion of instructor.
Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores.
Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Undergraduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Offered for pass/not pass grade only.
Hours and format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks. 1.5 to 7.5 hours of Independent study per week for 8 weeks.
Prerequisites: Upper division status and consent of instructor, the student's major adviser and the departmental chair.
Supervised independent study and research. Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 201A Seminar in Vision Science 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Graduate seminar in vision science.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 201B Seminar in Vision Science 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Graduate seminar in vision science.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 203A Geometric Optics 4 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture, 2 hours of Laboratory, and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Geometrical methods applied to the optics of lenses, mirrors, and prisms. Thin lens eye models, magnification, astigmatism, prism properties of lenses, thick lenses.
Formerly known as 101.
VIS SCI 203B Optical System and Physical Optics 4 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture, 2 hours of Laboratory, and 1 hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: 203A.
Principles of optical systems, principles and clinical applications of aperatures and stops, aberrations and optical instruments. Optics of the eye. Selected topics in physical optics, diffraction, interference, polarization.
Formerly known as 102.
VIS SCI 205 Visual Perception Sensitivity 4.5 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3.5 hours of Lecture and 2 hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.
Psychophysical basis for clinical tests in acuity, perimetry, and color vision. The visual stimulus and photometry. Visual receptors. Psychophysical method and visual threshold. Light sensitivity. Contrast sensitivity. Light and dark adaptation. Temporal and spatial properties of visual function. Color vision and abnormalities. Changes with age and disease. Visual illusion. Basis for advanced diagnostic procedures.
Formerly known as 104.
VIS SCI 206A Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of Lecture per week for 7.5 weeks.
This course focuses on the anatomy and physiology of the eyeball. Overview of the gross anatomy of the eye followed by eye-relevant cellular and molecular biology. Cellular and molecular details of structure and function of each of the various non-neural components.
Instructors: Gong, Fleiszig
VIS SCI 206B Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye and Visual System 3 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2.5 hours of lecture .5 hour of laboratory per week.
Prerequisites: ViS Sci 206A.
Structure and function of the tissues of the eye, ocular appendages, and the central visual pathways. Basic concepts of physiological, neurological, embryological, and immunological processes as they relate to the eye and vision. Foster an appreciation of the pathophysiology of various disease processes. Convey the importance of anatomy and physiology in the medical approach to ocular disease processes.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
VIS SCI 206C Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye and Visual System 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: Course may be repeated for credit only if failed the first time.
Prerequisites: 206A-206B.
Problem-based learning approach using clinical case examples. Continuation of 206A-206B.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Formerly known as 106C.
VIS SCI 206D Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of the Eye and Visual System 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 4 hours of Lecture per week for 7.5 weeks.
Prerequisites: 206A (must be taken concurrently).
Structure and function of the neurosensory retina, photoreceptors, RPE including blood supply. Current concepts of etiology and management of major retinal conditions. Overview of diagnostic techniques in retinal imaging, electrophysiologic testing and new genetic approaches. Structure and function of the early visual pathway including retinal ganglion cells, optic nerves, lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex. Pupillary responses. Specialization in the visual cortex.
Formerly known as half of 206A. Instructors: Flannery, Freeman
VIS SCI 212A Optics and Dioptrics of the Eye 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture per week for 5 weeks plus library assignments.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Introduction for graduate students to basic principles of classic and modern geometric optics (thick lens systems, mirrors, prisms, apertures, and stops) and physical optics (interference, diffraction, and polarization) with emphasis on dioptrics of the human eye (including schematic eyes, aberrations, and entoptic phenomena).
VIS SCI 212B Visual Neurophysiology and Development 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture per week for 5 weeks plus library assignment.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Introduction for graduate students. Visual pathways will be considered from retina to lateral geniculate to visual cortex. Basic organization at each stage will be covered. Primary focus will be studies of receptive field characteristics and associated visual function. Development and plasticity of the same visual pathways will also be covered. Evidence and implications will be explored from controlled rearing procedures and studies of abnormal visual exposure.
VIS SCI 212D Anatomy and Vegetative Physiology of the Eye 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture per week for 5 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Introduction for graduate students to a general survey of the orbit, anterior and posterior segment of the eye, extraocular muscles, and neuroanatomy of the eye. Vegetative physiology of the cornea and tear film, aqueous humor, crystalline lens, vitreous humor, epithelial tissue (iris, ciliary body and retina), and photochemistry.
VIS SCI 212E Color Vision and Visual Sensitivity 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture per week for 5 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Introduction for graduate students to sensory aspects of light and color vision including: psychophysical methods, spectral response of the eye, mechanisms of sensitivity control, dark adaptation, color discrimination, mechanisms of normal and defective color vision.
VIS SCI 212F Spatial and Binocular Vision, Eye Movements, and Motion Perception 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of lecture and library assignments per week for 5 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Introduction for graduate students to human spatial vision including contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, and spatial localization. Introduction to eye movements, motion perception, and motor and sensory aspects of binocular vision including pursuit, vergence, and saccadic eye movements, accommodation, stereopsis, and binocular space perception. Perception of real and apparent motion.
Instructors: Banks, Malik, Schor
VIS SCI 212G Molecular Genetics of Vertebrate Eye Development and Diseases 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 5 weeks.
Prerequisites: Graduate student in vision science or consent of instructor in charge.
The primary focus of this course is to teach the molecular basis of vertebrate eye development and related disease. This course will cover some of the basic principles of molecular and cell biology, commonly used techniques and experimental approaches, as well as the biological mechanisms for vertebrate eye development and related eye diseases. Recent progress in identifying important ocular genes and the approaches used to identify them will be discussed.
Instructor: Gong
VIS SCI 215 Visual System Development 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: 206B.
Development of the eye and visual system. Normal development of the eye, retina, and central visual pathways. Effects of visual deprivation. Assessment of optical and visual function in human infants. Refraction and refractive error in infants and children. Development of visuomotor function, spatial vision, color vision, binocular vision, and depth perception.
Formerly known as 115.
VIS SCI 217 Oculomotor Functions and Neurology 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1.5 hours of Lecture and 10 hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: 203B or consent of instructor.
Neuro-anatomical pathways for the control of eye position and movement; gaze holding, image stabilization and tracking eye movement systems; oculomotor signs of disorders of the central nervous system (palsies, nystagmus, opthalmoplegia, cog-wheel pursuits, saccadic dysmetria); the near visual-motor response and the synergistic coupling of accommodation and convergence; binocular misalignment (heterophoria and fixation disparity); and presbyopia.
Formerly known as 117.
VIS SCI 219 Binocular Vision and Space Perception 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1.5 hours of Lecture and 10 hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: 203A-203B.
Perception of space, direction, and distance. Binocular retinal correspondence, horopters, differential magnification effects and anomalies of binocular vision development. Sensory vision, local stereopsis, static and dynamic stereopsis, binocular depth cues.
Formerly known as 118.
VIS SCI 230 Ethics in Scientific Research 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: Thirty hours of seminar per semester.
This seminar will examine a range of ethical issues that arise in the process of doing science. Beginning with the philosophical and social foundations, we will consider the pathogenesis of fraud, statistics and deception, the ethics of authorship and publication, research with human subjects, the use of animals, the definition(s) of misconduct and the difference between misconduct and questionable research practices, the relationship between industry and science, and finally, the responsibilities and obligations of the scientist in society.
VIS SCI 262 Visual Cognitive Neuroscience 2 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 2 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
The course will provide an overview of visual cognitive neuroscience, drawing from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology in humans and animal models, psychophysics, neuroimaging, neuropharmacology, neuropsychology, and computational models of vision and cognition. Topics will include basic anatomy and physiology of the mammalian visual system, motion perception and processing, depth perception and representation of visual space, brightness and color, object and face recognition, visual attention, developmental and adult plasticity, perceptual learning, multisensory integration, and visual awareness.
Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Instructor: Silver
VIS SCI 265 Neural Computation 3 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Calculus, differential equations, basic probability and statistics, linear algebra, and familiarity with high level programming languages such as Matlab.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of neural computation. The goal is to familiarize students with the major theoretical frameworks and models used in neuroscience and psychology, and to provide hands-on experience in using these models. Topics include neural network models, supervised and unsupervised learning rules, associative memory models, probabilistic/graphical models, and models of neural coding in the brain.
Instructor: Olshausen
VIS SCI C265/NEUROSC C265 Neural Computation 3 Units
Department: Vision Science; Neuroscience
Course level: Graduate
Term course may be offered: Fall. Offered even-numbered years.
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Calculus, differential equations, basic probability and statistics, linear algebra, and familiarity with high level programming languages such as Matlab.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of neural computation. The goal is to familiarize students with the major theoretical frameworks and models used in neuroscience and psychology, and to provide hands-on experience in using these models. Topics include neural network models, supervised and unsupervised learning rules, associative memory models, probabilistic/graphical models, and models of neural coding in the brain.
Instructor: Olshausen
VIS SCI C280/COMPSCI C280 Computer Vision 3 Units
Department: Vision Science; Computer Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 3 hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of linear algebra and calculus. Mathematics 1A-1B, 53, 54 or equivalent.
Paradigms for computational vision. Relation to human visual perception. Mathematical techniques for representing and reasoning, with curves, surfaces and volumes. Illumination and reflectance models. Color perception. Image segmentation and aggregation. Methods for bottom-up three dimensional shape recovery: Line drawing analysis, stereo, shading, motion, texture. Use of object models for prediction and recognition.
Instructor: Malik
VIS SCI 298 Group Studies, Seminars, or Group Research 1 - 6 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: 1 to 4 hours of lecture per week.
Group studies of selected topics. Advanced studies in various subjects through special seminars on topics to be selected each year, informal groups studying special problems, group participation in experimental problems and analysis.
VIS SCI 299 Research in Vision Science 1 - 12 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate
Terms course may be offered: Fall, spring and summer
Grading: Letter grade.
Hours and format: Hours varied.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Research.
VIS SCI 300 Teaching Methods in Vision Science 1 Unit
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Hours and format: 1 hour of class every other week.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing in vision science.
Instruction in teaching methods and materials, in vision science and optometry; practice teaching in classrooms and laboratory.
Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Instructor: Silver
VIS SCI 601 Individual Study for Master's Students 1 - 6 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate examination preparation
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Hours and format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Individual study for the comprehensive requirements in consultation with the adviser in vision science.
Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for master's degree.
VIS SCI 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 6 Units
Department: Vision Science
Course level: Graduate examination preparation
Terms course may be offered: Fall and spring
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Hours and format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Individual study in consultation with the adviser in vision science, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for the Ph. D.
Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements.
Print this page.
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.
All pages in Academic Catalog.