Optometry Graduate Degree Requirements

The following areas are available:

Four-Year Professional Degree (O.D.) Curriculum
First Year
Fall Semester
504, Neuroanatomy
505, Geometric Optics
506, Practice Management I
508, Human Anatomy and Physiology
512, Biochemistry

Winter Semester
513, Physical Optics and Photometry
514, Clinical Optometry I
515, Ocular Optics
516, Physiological Optics Laboratory
517, Ocular Motility
518, Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
519, Physical Optics and Photometry Lab

Second Year
Fall Semester
520, Ophthalmic Optics
521, Clinical Optometry II
522 Systemic Disease
524, Monocular Sensory Processes
541, Practice Management II
555, General Pharmacology

Winter Semester
530, Ophthalmic Dispensing
531, Clinical Optometry III
532, Binocular Vision and Space Perception
533, Ocular Disease I
535, Epidemiology
565, Ocular Pharmacology
568, Clinical Medicine

Third Year
Fall Semester
550, General Clinic I
553, Contact Lenses I
554, Binocular Vision Anomalies
556, Ocular Disease II
558, Geriatric Optometry
596, Public Health

Winter Semester
557, Environmental Vision
559, Ophthalmic Lasers
560, General Clinic II
561, Pediatric/Binocular Vision Specialty Clinic
562, Contact Lenses Specialty Clinic
563, Contact Lenses II
564, Low Vision
566, Ocular Assessment
567, Pediatric Optometry
582, Practice Management III

Fourth Year
573, UMSt. Louis Pediatric/Binocular Vision Patient Care
574, UMSt. Louis Contact Lens Patient Care
575, UMSt. Louis CoManagement Patient Care
583, Practice Management IV
593, Clinic Seminar
585, External Rotation in Ocular Disease Patient Care or
586, External Rotation in Institutional Patient Care
570, External Rotation in General Patient Care
571, Community Service Rotation in Patient Care
572, East St. Louis Center patient Care and/or
576, Optometric Center Patient Care
577, Optometric Center Low Vision Patient Care
578, External Rotation in Contact Lens Patient Care
579, External Rotation in Pediatric/Binocular Vision Patient Care
580, Supplementary Rotation in General Patient Care
581, External Supplementary Rotation in General Patient Care
592, External Rotation in Low Vision Patient Care

Note: 585 and 586 cannot be taken twice.

Students must complete a minimum of 3 credit hours of approved elective courses during the course of their professional curriculum. Additionally, fourth year students must complete four elective clinic courses during their fourth year.

Grades
The School of Optometry does not recognize satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades for an optometry student enrolled in a course required for the doctor of optometry degree.

The School of Optometry does not recognize a D grade for an optometry student enrolled in a course required for the doctor of optometry degree

Master of Science in Physiological Optics
Degree Requirements
The M.S. degree requires 30 semester hours of course work, including the core courses. At least 25 of these hours will normally be taken from courses offered by the School of Optometry, with no more than 10 of these in Physiological Optics 490, Graduate Research in Physiological Optics. Each M.S. student will be required to teach at least two semesters in areas determined by the Graduate Committee in Physiological Optics..

The core courses for this program are:
Physiological Optics 400, Sensory Processes and Perception (3 credits)
Physiological Optics 401, Visual Optics (3 credits)
Physiological Optics 402, Ocular Anatomy and Physiology (3 credits)
Physiological Optics 403, Psychophysical Methods and Experimental Design (3 credits)
Physiological Optics 404, Sensory Neuroscience (3 credits)

Special Topics, Individual Studies, and Advanced Topics courses in Physiological Optics are also offered.

Each M.S. student must also complete a thesis based on research conducted during the program. The thesis must be approved by a committee of at least three members of the graduate faculty, at least two of whom must be from the graduate faculty in physiological optics.

Ph.D. in Physiological Optics
Degree Requirements
doctoral degree requires 60 semester hours of course work, including the core courses. Each Ph.D. student will also be required to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language, computer language, advanced statistical methods, or another acceptable tool skill. The tool skill and level of proficiency must be selected in advance in consultation with the Graduate Committee in Physiological Optics. Students will be required to teach at least two semesters in areas determined by the graduate committee.

Written qualifying examinations will be offered each semester. Students must declare their intent to take the examinations at least one month prior to the beginning of that semester or summer session. Fulltime students must attempt qualifying examinations before beginning their third year of study.

The preparation of the dissertation will be supervised by a dissertation committee, which will be selected by the student and the student's adviser with input by the graduate committee. An oral examination of the written dissertation proposal will be conducted by the committee. A public oral defense of the completed written dissertation is required.

The core courses for this program are:
Physiological Optics 400, Sensory Processes and Perception
Physiological Optics 401, Visual Optics
Physiological Optics 402, Ocular Anatomy and Physiology
Physiological Optics 403, Psychophysical Methods and Experimental Design
Physiological Optics 404, Sensory Neuroscience
Special Topics, Individual Studies, and Advanced Topics courses in Physiological Optics are also offered.

Continuing Education
The School of Optometry offers continuing education programs for optometrists throughout the Midwest region as well as nationwide. Courses on management of ocular diseases, ocular anomalies, and visual skills are held on a frequent basis. In addition to School of Optometry faculty, optometric specialists, medical educators, and researchers have input into course development as well as participation in course presentations.

All CE courses offered by the school are accepted by those states requiring continuing education credit for relicensure.

Continuing Education course information may be obtained by contacting:

University of MissouriSt. Louis School of Optometry
Office of Continuing Education
8001 Natural Bridge Road
St. Louis, MO 63121-4499
(314) 516-5615