Office of Optometry Relations (Optometry Program)
(713) 743-2040
Graduate Program Office
(713) 743-1885
Office of the Dean
(713) 743-1889
Clinic Administrator
(713) 743-1886
Clinic Patient Appointments
(713) 743-2020
Optical Services
(713) 743-2030
Library
(713) 743-1910
Financial Aid Counselor
(832) 842-9024
Dean: Earl L. Smith III, Greeman-Petty, Professor, O.D., Ph.D., University of Houston.
Associate Dean for Finance and Administration: Roger L. Boltz, O.D., Ph.D., University of Houston.
Associate Dean for Professional Studies: Kimberly Lambreghts, R.N., Pace University, O.D., State University of New York.
Assistant Dean for Professional Studies: Ralph Herring, O.D., M.H.A., University of Houston.
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research: Laura J. Frishman, John and Rebecca Moores Professor. Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh.
Associate Dean, Clinical Education: Nicky R. Holdeman, Executive Director University Eye Institute, Chief of Medical Services and Professor of Optometry. O.D., University of Houston; M.D., Texas Tech University.
Associate Dean, Professional Development; Chair, Department of Clinical Sciences: Marcus Piccolo, Executive Director, Surgical Services and Associate Professor of Optometry. O.D., Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs: Melissa A. Mares
Chair, Department of Basic Vision Sciences: Vallabh E. Das, Benedict-Pitts, Professor. Ph.D. Chase Western Reserve University.
Director of Learning Resources: Suzanne Ferimer, M.L.S., University of Kentucky.
General Information
The College of Optometry is one of the university’s thirteen colleges. Established in 1952, the college moved in 1976 to a new building, now named the J. Davis Armistead Building. In 2013, the College expanded into the Health and Biomedical Building 1 which was built adjacent to and connected with the Armistead building, making the optometric facility one of the most modern in the world.
Approximately, one hundred and five students are admitted into the professional optometric program each year from the United States and other countries. The college not only educates students planning to practice optometry, but also offers Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs in physiological optics/vision science for students planning careers in teaching and research. Students who have a degree in biological or physical science or biomedical engineering with a special interest in vision or who are graduates of an optometry school or other professional health program may want to consider entering the graduate program.
The faculty of dedicated research scientists and expert clinicians is complemented by research laboratories, teaching clinics, and a college library with a large collection and internet access to literature on eye care and vision science.
Doctors of Optometry are independent primary health care providers who specialize in the examination, diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye and associated structures as well as the diagnosis of related systemic conditions.
Graduates from the professional optometric program may enter family practice or serve in multidisciplinary primary care clinics. Graduates also find careers in public health, teaching and research, industry and health administration. Residencies/fellowships are available in pediatric, primary care, contact lenses, rehabilitative, or hospital-based optometry. Special services for children, the elderly, and the partially-sighted can each be exclusively practiced. Helping to care for vision, our most treasured sense makes optometry a rewarding profession for students interested in a health career.
Optometry Calendar
Because of its clinical activities, The College of Optometry may use an academic calendar which is different than the University’s. This information can be obtained directly from the college website.
Educational Programs
http://www.opt.uh.edu/future-students-residents/programs/
The college’s goals are to provide educational programs essential to rendering high-quality, comprehensive optometric care; to add to the body of knowledge and the applications of the vision sciences; and to provide leadership in the improvement of optometric patient care. All programs and activities of the college serve one or more of these educational, research, or service purposes.
The college’s institutional objectives are to achieve and to sustain standards of excellence in teaching, research, and patient care; to create a climate in which faculty and students cooperatively pursue processes of inquiry that result in effective learning; and to help lead the optometric profession toward its highest potential for human service.
Professional Degree Program
http://www.opt.uh.edu/future-students-residents/programs/doctor-of-optometry/
The educational program in optometry requires four academic years and two summer sessions. All fourth-year students begin externships and specialty clinics just after the end of their third academic year. Two terms are devoted to external clinical rotations and one is spent at College of Optometry in advanced seminars and clinical practice in the University Eye Institute. 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.
Graduate Program in Physiological Optics/Vision Science
http://www.opt.uh.edu/future-students-residents/programs/graduate-program/
The Graduate Program in Physiological Optics/Vision Science confers an M.S., Ph.D. or a dual degree for students already in the O.D. program, and prepares students to embark on a career in teaching and research in the basic and clinical science of vision.
Students are accepted into the M.S. or Ph.D. program with a minimum of a B.S. degree (or equivalent) from a variety of fields such as optometry, physiological optics, vision sciences, medicine, ophthalmology, structural and functional biosciences, neuroscience, psychology, optics, optical engineering, bio- or electrical engineering, or biophysics.
The need for new knowledge in the vision sciences is great, and teaching and research opportunities are numerous in a spectrum of academic, industrial, and professional settings. Although the program has sufficient structure to provide a broad base of scientific knowledge about vision systems, it is at the same time appropriately flexible to permit students to develop expertise in areas of special interest. Students will join the labs of faculty mentors who are studying normal and abnormal visual processes, diseases and disorders of the eye, visual optics, the visual pathways, eye movement control systems, and the development of treatments to prevent loss of vision using a variety of approaches ranging from molecular and cellular, to behavioral and optical.
O.D./M.S. Program
A combined O.D./M.S. program is available to enrolled optometry students, who wish to pursue an MS degree in Physiological Optics/Vision Science concurrently with the doctor of optometry (O.D.) degree. O.D. students apply for the combined program in the Fall of their second year for admission in the Spring of that year. The combined program allows a student to obtain both degrees in four years. Entry into an accelerated Ph.D. program is also possible for students who wish to enroll in a combined program. Applicants must submit separate applications to each program.
Other Educational Programs
The university also recognizes a responsibility to provide postgraduate clinical training, to bring continuing education to optometrists in the state and region, and to participate in the training of allied personnel.
Accreditation
The College of Optometry is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association.
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