About the Program
The School of Optometry provides professional training in the art and science of vision care. Drawing upon the principles of anatomy, optics, physiology, and psychology, the four-year professional program leads to the degree of Doctor of Optometry, which qualifies one to take national and state board examinations.
Doctors of Optometry are health care professionals. Optometry is a primary health care profession that encompasses the prevention and remediation of disorders of the vision system through examination, diagnosis, treatment, and/or management of visual efficiency, eye health, and related systemic manifestations. Optometry graduates are able to diagnose patients with ocular disease or systemic diseases with ocular manifestations. Recent changes in optometry laws across the United States have expanded the scope of optometric practice, giving practitioners responsibility for nonsurgical pharmaceutical treatment of eye disorders and diseases.
Doctors of Optometry are educated in the sciences of anatomy, chemistry, physics, mathematics, neurology, bacteriology, microbiology, disease processes and detection, pharmacology, behavioral science, social science, public health, and many other related fields. The school provides four years of comprehensive training in vision care aimed at training primary eye care practitioners. The first year emphasizes advanced study of sciences which form the background of optometry, such as ocular anatomy, medical physiology and biochemistry, ocular pathology, physiology, microbiology and virology, neuroanatomy, the psychology of vision, vision science, geometric optics, ophthalmic optics, pharmacology, and theoretical and practical optics. The second and third years are devoted to the science of optometry and the acquisition of skills in examination procedures. Although clinic participation is involved in all four years, active responsibility for patient care begins in the spring preceding the third year. The fourth year is devoted to primary care practice of optometry and the detailed study of specialized areas, including contact lenses, binocular and infant vision, vision functions, ocular disease, vision of the elderly, and low vision.
Optometry offers a wide variety of interesting, challenging, and rewarding careers in private practice, in hospitals and other health organizations, and in public service. The education acquired at the School of Optometry provides today’s Doctors of Optometry with the knowledge and skill necessary to meet the challenges of providing vision care.
Admissions
Admission to the University
Uniform minimum requirements for admission
The following minimum requirements apply to all programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:
- A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
- A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
- If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 90 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
- Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.
Applicants who already hold a graduate degree
The Graduate Council views academic degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without undertaking a graduate program, unless the fields are completely dissimilar.
Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.
Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.
The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:
- Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
- Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.
Applicants may only apply to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.
Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.
Required documents for admissions applications
- Transcripts: Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. If you have attended Berkeley, upload unofficial transcript with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required if admitted.
- Letters of recommendation: Applicants can request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
- Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a U.S. university may submit an official transcript from the U.S. university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.
Doctoral Degree Requirements
Curriculum
OPTOM 200A | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 200AL | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 3 |
OPTOM 200BL | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 3 |
OPTOM 200CL | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 200DL | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 432 | Introduction to Clinical Topics for the New Clinician | 2 |
VIS SCI 203A | Geometric Optics | 4 |
VIS SCI 205 | Visual Perception Sensitivity | 4.5 |
VIS SCI 206A | Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye | 2 |
VIS SCI 206D | Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of the Eye and Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 200B | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 213 | Evidence Based Optometry | 1 |
VIS SCI 203B | Course Not Available | |
VIS SCI 206B | Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye and Visual System | 3 |
VIS SCI 206C | Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye and Visual System | 2 |
VIS SCI 217 | Oculomotor Functions and Neurology | 2 |
VIS SCI 219 | Binocular Vision and Space Perception | 2 |
OPTOM 200C | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 222A | Optics of Ophthalmic Lenses | 4 |
OPTOM 226A | Systemic Pharmacology | 2.5 |
OPTOM 236A | Systemic Disease and its Ocular Manifestations | 3 |
OPTOM 270B | Eyecare Business and Professional Management I | 2 |
VIS SCI 215 | Visual System Development | 2 |
OPTOM 200D | Clinical Examination of the Visual System | 2 |
OPTOM 222B | Advanced Clinical Optics | 2 |
OPTOM 226B | Ocular Pharmacology | 2.5 |
OPTOM 236B | Systemic Disease and its Ocular Manifestations | 3 |
OPTOM 240 | Diagnosis and Treatment of Sensory/Motor Anomalies | 3 |
OPTOM 260A | Contact Lenses: Examination Principles and Practice | 3 |
OPTOM 430A | Optometry Clinics | 4 |
OPTOM 241 | Advanced Management and Rehabilitation of Sensory/Motor Anomalies | 3 |
OPTOM 246 | Diagnosis and Treatment of Anterior Segment Ocular Disease | 4 |
OPTOM 251 | Low Vision | 2.5 |
OPTOM 430B | Optometry Clinics | 9 |
OPTOM 435 | Advanced Procedures in Ocular Disease Diagnosis | 2 |
OPTOM 256 | Diagnosis and Treatment of Posterior Segment Ocular Disease | 4 |
OPTOM 270C | Eyecare Business and Professional Management II | 2 |
OPTOM 430C | Optometry Clinics | 9 |
OPTOM 440A | Advanced Optometry Clinic | 2.5 |
OPTOM 441A | Specialty Clinics | 2.5 |
OPTOM 440B | Advanced Optometry Clinic | 9 |
OPTOM 441B | Specialty Clinics | 7 |
OPTOM 450A | Grand Rounds and Seminar | 2 |
OPTOM 440C | Advanced Optometry Clinic | 9 |
OPTOM 441C | Specialty Clinics | 7 |
OPTOM 450B | Grand Rounds and Seminar | 2 |
OPTOM 452 | Current Concepts in Ocular Disease | 1 |
Courses
Optometry
OPTOM 200A Clinical Examination of the Visual System 2 Units
Fundamentals of the optometric examination. Case history, visual acuities, objective and subjective methods of determining refractive status. Basic examination of anterior ocular structures and the ocular fundus; perimetry.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 100A
OPTOM 200AL Clinical Examination of the Visual System 3 Units
Fundamentals of the optometric examination. Case history, visual acuities, objective and subjective methods of determining refractive status. Basic examination of anterior ocular structures and the ocular funds; perimetry.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 6 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 200B Clinical Examination of the Visual System 2 Units
Classification and epidemiology of refractive errors, evaluation of accommodative and binocular status. Tonometry, advanced techniques of examining the posterior pole, evaluation of visual pathway function.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200A
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 100B
OPTOM 200BL Clinical Examination of the Visual System 3 Units
Classification and epidemiology of refractive errors, evaluation of accommodative and binocular status. Tonometry, advanced techniques of examining the posterior pole, evaluation of visual pathway function.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Opt 200A, Opt 200AL
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 6 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 200C Clinical Examination of the Visual System 2 Units
Case analysis of refractive, accommodative, and binocular anomalies. Pediatric examination techniques. Advanced methods of examining the peripheral ocular fundus; anterior chamber angle evaluation.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 100C
OPTOM 200CL Clinical Examination of the Visual System 2 Units
Case analysis of refractive, accommodative, and binocular anomalies. Pediatric examination techniques. Advanced methods of examining the peripheral ocular funds; anterior angle evaluation.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: OPTOM 200B
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 200D Clinical Examination of the Visual System 2 Units
Modification of the exam sequence for specific patient needs. Evaluation and management of tear film disorders; analysis of vision with cataract. Patient management and professional communications; legal and ethical issues; managed care and optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200C, 200CL
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 200DL Clinical Examination of the Visual System 2 Units
Modification of the exam sequence for specific patient needs. Evaluation and management of tear film disorders; analysis of vision with cataract. Patient management and professional communications; legal and ethical issues; managed care and optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: OPTOM 200C, OPTOM 200CL
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 213 Evidence Based Optometry 1 Unit
Basic concepts in evidence based optometry including various clincal study designs, potential sources of bias in each design as well as development of a systematic approach to evaluate strength of evidence from published studies, to identify potential limitations and develop appreciation for the importane of evidence based practice as a practice philosphy.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Liu
OPTOM 222A Optics of Ophthalmic Lenses 4 Units
Optical and physical characteristics of ophthalmic lenses, to include spheric and aspherical surface of single and multifocal lens designs, and ophthalmic prisms. Lens power measurement methods, lens thickness power relationships and considerations in designing prescription eyewear. Characteristics of absorptive lenses, ophthalmic coatings, lens materials, and their role in ocular protection.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Vision Science 203A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 222B Advanced Clinical Optics 2 Units
Ophthalmic lens aberrations and minimization. Ophthalmic lens designs relating to anisometropia, aniseikonia, and high refractive errors. Optics of the eye, contact lens optics, and optical principles of low vision aids. Environmental vision and related ophthalmic standards.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 222A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 122B
OPTOM 226A Systemic Pharmacology 2.5 Units
Basic pharmacology, terminology, and concepts (both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic) and pharmacotheraphy of medical conditions commonly encountered in clinical optometric practice (including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, infection and inflammatory conditions, as well as central nervous system disorders).
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Vision Science 206D
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Wildsoet
OPTOM 226B Ocular Pharmacology 2.5 Units
Basic pharmacology, terminology, and concepts (both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic) as applied to the eye and ophthalmic drugs, clinical prescribing issues including formulation, dosing and prescribing, and pharmacotherapy of anti-inflammatory, centrally acting, hormonal and other "specialist" systemic drugs.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 226A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Wildsoet
OPTOM 230A Graduate General Clinical Practice 2 - 6 Units
General optometric practice for four hours per week per credit hour, including optometric examination, dispensing, consultation, and subsequent vision care of patients, performed independently by graduate student clinicians.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 230B Graduate General Clinical Practice 2 - 6 Units
General optometric practice for four hours per week per credit hour, including optometric examination, dispensing, consultation, and subsequent vision care of patients, performed independently by graduate student clinicians.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 231A Graduate Specialty Clinics 2 - 8 Units
Clinical examination of patients in designated specialty clinics. More than one clinical specialty may be taken simultaneously.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 231B Graduate Specialty Clinics 2 - 8 Units
Clinical examination of patients in designated specialty clinics. More than one clinical specialty may be taken simultaneously.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Orel-Bixler
OPTOM 236A Systemic Disease and its Ocular Manifestations 3 Units
The pathophysiology, pharmacotherapy, and clinical management of systemic and ocular diseases will be discussed through a combination of lecture and problem-based learning approaches. Disease processes will be emphasized and include cellular injury and repair, inflammation, infection, degeneration, and neoplasia. Neurologic, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, and congenital disease and their relative ocular manifestations will be presented.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200D. 236A is a prerequisite for 236B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Harvey
OPTOM 236B Systemic Disease and its Ocular Manifestations 3 Units
The pathophysiology, pharmacotherapy, and clinical management of systemic and ocular diseases will be discussed through a combination of lecture and problem-based learning approaches. Disease processes will be emphasized and include cellular injury and repair, inflammation, infection, degeneration, and neoplasia. Neurologic, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, and congenital disease and their relative ocular manifestations will be presented.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 236A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Harvey
OPTOM 240 Diagnosis and Treatment of Sensory/Motor Anomalies 3 Units
Diagnosis and treatment of heterophoria, accommodative, vergence and oculomotor anomalies including sensory anomalies and amblyopia. Rationale and methods for treatment with lenses, prism, occlusion, and vision training. Design and implementation of treatment programs.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Vision Science 217 and 219
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2.5 hours of lecture and 16 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 140
OPTOM 241 Advanced Management and Rehabilitation of Sensory/Motor Anomalies 3 Units
Advanced diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of strabismus, neurologic oculomotor disorders, amblyopia, and other associated sensory anomalies. Assessment and management of developmental and acquired visual perceptual disorders in relationship to learning disabilities. Design and implementation of treatment programs.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 240
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2.5 hours of lecture and 16 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 141
OPTOM 246 Diagnosis and Treatment of Anterior Segment Ocular Disease 4 Units
This course series consists of the pathophysiology, pharmacotherapy, and clinical management of systemic and ocular diseases through a combination of lecture and problem-based learning approaches. Disease processes will be emphasized and include cellular injury and repair, inflammation, infection, degeneration, and neoplasia. Neurologic, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, and congenital disease, and their relative ocular manifestations will be presented. The basic principles of pharmacology will be followed by overviews of drugs used to treat diseases of each system. The role of the optometrist in the health care system will be emphasized.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 236
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 146
OPTOM 251 Low Vision 2.5 Units
Epidemiology and etiology of low vision. Optical principles of low vision aids. Optometric examination and treatment of the low vision patient. Interdisciplinary rehabilitation resources, counseling, and referral.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 200D
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2.5 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 151
OPTOM 256 Diagnosis and Treatment of Posterior Segment Ocular Disease 4 Units
This course series consists of the pathophysiology, pharmacotherapy, and clinical management of systemic and ocular diseases through a combination of lecture and problem-based learning approaches. Disease processes will be emphasized and include cellular injury and repair, inflammation, infection, degeneration, and neoplasia. Neurologic, cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary, and congenital disease and their relative ocular manifestations will be presented. The basic principles of pharmacology will be followed by overviews of drugs used to treat diseases of each system. The role of the optometrist in the health care system will be emphasized.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 246
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 156
OPTOM 260A Contact Lenses: Examination Principles and Practice 3 Units
Examination procedures and instrumentation used in monitoring the ocular response to contact lenses. Contact lens inspection, care, and handling. Physical and optical properties of contact lenses. Fitting contact lenses to the human eye, clinical implications. The Sarver Lecture series in Contact Lenses (12 hours on a Saturday and Sunday.)
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
Formerly known as: 160A
OPTOM 270B Eyecare Business and Professional Management I 2 Units
A review of the optometric profession and its opportunities. Debt management, goal setting, professional practice operations including accounting and finance, patient communications, fee calculation, scheduling, office systems flow and operations. Professional ethics, malpractice, and microeconomics as it affects the practice of optometry.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 270C Eyecare Business and Professional Management II 2 Units
Entrepreneurship, financing alternatives, business loans, human resources, marketing, personal finance, business law as it affects optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 270A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 281A Graduate Clinical Rounds 1 - 3 Units
Presentation and discussion of the diagnosis, etiology, prognosis, and treatment of selected clinical cases.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
OPTOM 281B Graduate Clinical Rounds 1 - 3 Units
Presentation and discussion of the diagnosis, etiology, prognosis, and treatment of selected clinical cases.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
OPTOM 291A Optometry Research Project 1 Unit
Thesis research for optometry students. Presentation of research results.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 290A-290B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only. This is part one of a year long series course. A provisional grade of IP (in progress) will be applied and later replaced with the final grade after completing part two of the series.
Instructor: Cohn
Formerly known as: 191A-191B
OPTOM 291B Optometry Research Project 1 Unit
Thesis research for optometry students. Presentation of research results.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 290A-290B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only. This is part two of a year long series course. Upon completion, the final grade will be applied to both parts of the series.
Formerly known as: 190A-190B
OPTOM 292A Graduate Optometry Seminar 1 - 3 Units
Graduate seminars on selected topics in clinical optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
OPTOM 292B Graduate Optometry Seminar 1 - 3 Units
Graduate seminars on selected topics in clinical optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
OPTOM 298A Independent or Group Studies 1 - 6 Units
Directed studies on a selected topic(s) within optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 298B Independent or Group Studies 1 - 6 Units
Directed studies on a selected topic(s) within optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 299A Graduate Optometry Research 2 - 4 Units
Directed research on a selected topic within clinical optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. Degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 299B Graduate Optometry Research 2 - 4 Units
Directed research on a selected topic within clinical optometry.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: O.D. Degree
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Graduate
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 430A Optometry Clinics 4 Units
Clinical practice in examination techniques and interpretation of clinical data. Primary care optometric exams.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Opt 200D and Opt 200DL
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 24 hours of clinic and 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 430B Optometry Clinics 9 Units
Examination of patients in a primary care setting, prescribing of optometric therapy, management of emergency procedures, and vision screenings of children and adults.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 430A
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 37 hours of clinic, 1.5 hours of lecture, and 5 hours of seminar per week
8 weeks - 32 hours of clinic, 1 hour of lecture, and 4 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Revelli
OPTOM 430C Optometry Clinics 9 Units
Examination of patients in a primary care setting, prescribing of optometric therapy, management of emergency procedures, and vision screenings of children and adults.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 430A
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 37 hours of clinic, 1.5 hours of lecture, and 5 hours of seminar per week
8 weeks - 32 hours of clinic, 1 hour of lecture, and 4 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Revelli
OPTOM 432 Introduction to Clinical Topics for the New Clinician 2 Units
This course emphasizes ocular conditions and diseases that are commonly encountered during patient care. The goal is to improve observational skills for new clinicians by presenting clinical information in a Grand Rounds format and to increase efficiency for comprehensive eye examinations by outlining alternative strategies for examining patients and analyzing clinical data.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: OPTOM 200D Clinical Examination of the Visual System
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Summer: 10 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Ozawa
OPTOM 435 Advanced Procedures in Ocular Disease Diagnosis 2 Units
Instrumentation, techniques, and principles for examination, diagnosis, and treatment of ocular disease. Introduction to optometric informatics related to ocular disease.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 440A Advanced Optometry Clinic 2.5 Units
Optometric examination of patients in the primary care clinic performed independently by student clinicians under supervision of the clinical staff.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 430C
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated a maximum of 3 times.
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 2 hours of seminar and 16 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 440B Advanced Optometry Clinic 9 Units
Examination of patients in a primary care setting. Diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, patient management and follow-up.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440A and 441A
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Revelli
OPTOM 440C Advanced Optometry Clinic 9 Units
Examination of patients in a primary care setting. Diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, patient management and follow-up.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440A and 441A (offered Summer Session only)
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Revelli
OPTOM 441A Specialty Clinics 2.5 Units
Examination, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and management of patients in the specialty clinics.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 430C
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated a maximum of 3 times.
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 2 hours of seminar and 16 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 441B Specialty Clinics 7 Units
Examination, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and/or management of patients in specialty clinics; ocular disease, contact lenses, binocular vision, ophthalmic optics, and environmental and occupational vision.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440A and 441A (offered Summer Session only)
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5 hours of seminar and 18 hours of clinic per week
8 weeks - 2 hours of seminar and 16 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 441C Specialty Clinics 7 Units
Examination, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and/or management of patients in specialty clinics; ocular disease, contact lenses, binocular vision, ophthalmic optics, and environmental and occupational vision.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440A and 441A (offered Summer Session only)
Hours & Format
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5 hours of seminar and 18 hours of clinic per week
8 weeks - 2 hours of seminar and 16 hours of clinic per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 450A Grand Rounds and Seminar 2 Units
Presentation of clinical cases demonstrating basic and advanced optometric care, including diagnosis, treatment, and patient management.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructors: Bailey, Sheedy
Formerly known as: 450B-450C
OPTOM 450B Grand Rounds and Seminar 2 Units
Presentation of clinical cases demonstrating basic and advanced optometric care, including diagnosis, treatment, and patient management.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
Instructor: Revelli
OPTOM 452 Current Concepts in Ocular Disease 1 Unit
Recent advances in the detection, diagnosis, and management of ocular disease.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 440B and 441B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Letter grade.
OPTOM 490A Optometric Spanish - Beginner Level I 1 Unit
This course provides an introduction to Spanish in its uses in a clinical optometry setting with the Spanish-speaking patient. Basic vocabulary and grammar acquisition and skill building exercises will help the practitioner perform conversations and procedures in simple but accurate and clear communications. The sounds and structures of Spanish, including the present tense and some other verbs will be covered. All materials will be taught and practiced in relation to their practical application in a clinical setting.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
OPTOM 490B Optometric Spanish - Intermediate Level II 1 Unit
This course provides vocabulary and grammar acquisition and skill building for the intermediate to advanced Spanish student who works with Spanish-speaking patients in the field of optometry. Emphasis is on practical, hands-on application of the materials: patient interviewing, doing various aspects of the eye exam, taking a history, and giving diagnostic, treatment, and follow-through information to the patient, with appropriate cultural sensitivity, taking into consideration the socio-cultural background of the patient. The goal is accurate and sophisticated communication.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
OPTOM 499 Supervised Independent Study 1 - 12 Units
Independent study under control of Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit. Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-12 hours of independent study per week
Summer:
6 weeks - 2.5-18 hours of independent study per week
8 weeks - 1.5-22.5 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Optometry/Other professional
Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.
Faculty
Professors
Ian L. Bailey, Professor. Low vision, visual ergonomics, clinical optics, optometry.
Research Profile
Martin S. Banks, Professor. Stereopsis, virtual reality, optometry, multisensory interactions, self-motion perception, vision, depth perception, displays, picture perception, visual ergonomics.
Research Profile
Shirin Barez, Professor.
Dennis S Burger, Professor.
Thomas Callan, Professor.
Stephen R. Chun, Professor.
Robert B. Di Martino, Professor. Ocular disease and ocular therapeutic pharmacology, electronic instructional technology.
Research Profile
Robert E. Dister, Od, Professor.
John Gerard Flannery, PhD, Professor. Neurobiology, optometry, vision science, cell and molecular biology of the retina in normal and diseased states.
Research Profile
Suzanne M J Fleiszig, Professor. Immunology, eye, microbiology, infectious disease, corneal physiology, tear film physiology, bacterial pathogenesis, contact lenses, pseudomonas aeruginosa, epithelial cell biology, innate immunity.
Research Profile
Xiaohua Gong, Professor. Optometry, vision science, eye development and diseases, lens development.
Research Profile
Robert B. Greer, Professor.
Gunilla Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Professor. Optometry, vision science, clinical psychophysics, color vision and color vision defects, vision and aging, children's vision, achromatopsia, electrodiagnostics.
Research Profile
Patsy Harvey, Professor.
Pia Hoenig, Professor.
Carl H. Jacobsen, Professor.
Stanley A. Klein, Professor. Optometry, vision science, spatial vision modeling, psychophysical methods and vision test design, corneal topography and contact lens design, source localization of evoked potentials, fMRI, amblyopia.
Research Profile
Dennis M. Levi, Professor. Optometry, vision science, pattern vision, abnormal visual development.
Research Profile
Bruno A. Olshausen, Professor. Visual perception, computational neuroscience, computational vision.
Research Profile
Deborah Ann Orel-Bixler, Professor. Optometry, vision science, visual abilities in infants, children and special-needs population, visual evoked potentials, vision screening, photorefraction.
Research Profile
Austin John Roorda, Professor. Adaptive optics, eye, vision, ophthalmoscopy, scanning laser ophthalmoscope, ophthalmology.
Research Profile
Donald S Sarver, Professor.
A. Lee Scaief, Professor.
Lawrence S. Thal, MBA Od, Professor.
Richard C. Van Sluyters, PhD Od, Professor. Optometry, vision science, Mammalian developmental visual neurobiology.
Research Profile
Wayne Verdon, Professor. Optometry, clinical electrophysiology, color vision.
Research Profile
Christine F Wildsoet, PhD, Professor. Optometry, vision science, myopia, refractive errors, accommodation, aberrations, eye growth, ocular therapeutics, optical myopia control, pharmacological myopia control, ocular tissue engineering, ocular stem cells.
Research Profile
Associate Professors
Charles Bailey, Associate Professor.
Frank G Balestrery, Associate Professor.
Lu Chen, Associate Professor. Mechanisms of synapse formation during development, synapse modification in plasticity, protein composition of the synapse, glutamate receptor.
Research Profile
Susana T Chung, Associate Professor. Optometry, low vision, vision science, pattern vision, reading.
Research Profile
John C. Corzine, Associate Professor.
Darlene T. N. Fong, Associate Professor.
Karsten Gronert, PhD, Associate Professor. Mass spectrometry, inflammation, lipid mediators, wound healing, resolution, omega-3 fatty acids, leukocytes, ocular inflammatory diseases, diet, angiogenesis, lipidomics.
Research Profile
Maziar Haririfar, O.D., Associate Professor.
Jeffrey Ko, Od, Associate Professor.
George K Lee, Associate Professor.
Meng Lin, Associate Professor. Contact lenses, vision, clinical trials (phase I - Phase IV), clinical trial designs, tear film, biomedical devices, ocular surface.
Research Profile
Nancy Mcnamara, Associate Professor.
Randall Ray Mcpherran, Associate Professor.
Anne Mika Moy, Associate Professor.
Glen Ozawa, Associate Professor.
Paul H Peng, Associate Professor.
Michael Andrew Silver, PhD, Associate Professor. Cognitive neuroscience, pharmacology, learning, attention, visual perception, neuroimaging.
Research Profile
Meredith Whiteside, Associate Professor.
Barry C. Winston, Associate Professor.
Assistant Professors
Karen Chester, Assistant Professor.
Marlena A Chu, Assistant Professor.
Jorge Anthony Cuadros Od PhD, Assistant Professor.
Sarah N G Fisher, Assistant Professor.
Sara L Frane, Assistant Professor.
Cheslyn M Gan, Assistant Professor.
Kenneth S Gee, Assistant Professor.
Harry Miguel Green, Assistant Professor.
Daniel Marc Harvitt, Assistant Professor.
Michelle J Hoff, Assistant Professor.
Kuniyoshi Kanai, Assistant Professor. Optomery, primary eye care, ocular disease, contact lens.
Research Profile
Nicholas G Kerry, Assistant Professor.
Cindy Yumi Sakai Kim, Assistant Professor.
Debora Mingjai Lee, Od, Assistant Professor.
Scott Eunjohn Lee, Assistant Professor.
Garley Cheng Leon, Assistant Professor.
Mira Lim, Assistant Professor.
Yue Liu, Od, Assistant Professor. Epidemiology, optometry, vision science, myopia, refractive errors, accommodation, eye growth, contact lens, optical myopia control, pharmacological myopia control, aberration, bifocal, emmetropization, multifocal, orthokeratology, pediatric vision exam, RGP, clinical trials.
Research Profile
Robert W. Melrose, Assistant Professor.
Anousheh Mortazavi, Assistant Professor.
Jeffrey Joseph Schultz, Assistant Professor.
Jennifer Yuka Seino, Od, Assistant Professor.
Mary Ann C. Shui, Assistant Professor.
Kelvin K. Tang, Assistant Professor.
Kathy Tran, Assistant Professor.
Lillian Ing-Ling Wang, Assistant Professor.
Tonya Watson, PhD, Assistant Professor.
Brian Wolff, Od, Assistant Professor.
Walter Andrew Wong, Assistant Professor.
Patrick H Woodring, Assistant Professor.
Contact Information
School of Optometry
Department Chair/Head Graduate Adviser
Richard C. Van Sluyters, OD, PhD
Phone: 510-642-1235