The following list of optometry schools covers many countries, although the list is not exhaustive. Internationally, optometry as a profession includes different levels of education. [1] The institutions listed below provide academic and professional education and clinical training that ranges from Doctor of Optometry degree level to other professional degrees in optometry and also non-degree level education leading to a diploma or other qualifications in optometry.
In many countries the role of optometry is statutorily defined, practice is regulated and there is uniformity in professional education and clinical training and the scope of practice is consistent with the definition of optometry as a profession. In such countries the nomenclature of terminal qualification may be reviewed as and when necessary. In Australia, for example, Doctor of Optometry (OD) is now established at University of Melbourne (first intake 2011) and OD is described as "an internationally recognised qualification and the gold standard for optometry education." [2]
Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Department of Optics and Optometry [30]
Semmelweis University, Faculty of Health Sciences - Optometry within Medical Diagnostic Analysis Bsc [32]
At present there are more than fifty schools of optometry in India. In 1958, two schools of optometry were established, one at Gandhi Eye Hospital, Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and the other at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, under the second five-year plan by Director General of Health Services of Government of India. These schools offered diplomas in optometry courses of two years duration validated by state medical faculties. Subsequently, four more schools were opened across India at Sitapur Eye Hospital, Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, Chennai (formerly Madras) in Tamil Nadu, Bengalooru (formerly Bangalore) in Karnataka, and Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (Govt medical college), Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum) in Kerala.
The Elite School of Optometry (ESO) was established in 1985 at Chennai and was the first to offer a four-year degree course. This was followed by All India institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and in Kerala, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (Govt Medical college), Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum) is the first government colleges to offer a bachelor's degree in optometry in 2010; were considered as the best in excellence from Govt. of India.
The following list includes educational institutions offering four year degree courses, two or three year diploma courses and also non-degree courses. Post-graduate education in optometry is also offered in India leading to M.Optom, M.Sc. and Ph.D. by several universities.
Currently there are seven state universities (in Milano, Padova, Lecce, Roma, Firenze, Napoli, and Torino) offering three-year university degrees in optics and optometry (Ottica e Optometria), formally a kind of a physics degree.
Optometry education in Italy starts in 1969-70. Some post-secondary non-university courses are currently active (2020). Their program can be accessed only by licensed opticians. Some of the more appreciated schools are:
There are seven schools offering the O.D. (Doctor of Optometry) degree.
In 2009 University of Manchester (UK) and Singapore Polytechnic set up a degree course in optometry within the premises of Singapore Polytechnic. The degree is not recognised by the General Optical Council (GOC) in the United Kingdom. [69] This course has since been stopped [70] due to staffing issues. [71]
4 Year bachelor's degrees including clinical optometry
School of Ophthalmic Technology, established in 1983 by the Ministry of Health at National Eye Hospital Colombo with the initiation of Dr. C E Parker III., honours the diploma in ophthalmic technology. However, a degree program does not exist. These ophthalmic technologists are trained for government hospitals.
Optometry courses are conducted by private institutes such as Sri Lanka Optometric Association, Eye Care Institute, and Vision Care Academy.
However, the government of Sri Lanka does not recognize optometry as a profession and has no regulations to date.
Established in 1954 as institute of optometry in Khartoum eye hospital. Joined ministry of Higher Education in 1986 as the High Institute of Optometry, and lastly was annexed to Alneelain University in 1997 when it was re- named to become Faculty of Optometry and Visual Sciences (FOVS).
Currently FOVS has the following programs:
1- BSc optometry in 5 years 2. BSc in ophthalmic technology in 4years. 3. BSc in optical dispensary in 4 years 2- Diploma in ophthalmic technology in 3 years. 3- Diploma in optical dispensary in 3 years.
FOVS also offers MSc and PhD degrees in Optometry with sub- specialization in either binocular vision, contact lenses, ocular photography, neurology of vision, low vision, primary eye care and pediatric optometry
FOVS is the only of its kind in Sudan and is the first in Middle East and Africa .
In 2010, Alneelain University Eye Hospital was established as part of FOVS to expand training capacity and to serve community.
Ibnsina university 4-year bachelor'sFaculty of optometry and visual sciences Makka eye college 4-year bachelor'sFaculty of optometry and visual sciences University of Western Kordufan University 4-year bachelor's Faculty of optometry and visual sciences
There are currently seven universities offering a bachelor's degree in optometry and four educational institutions offering an associate degree in optometry:
There are 12 educational institutions in the United Kingdom offering degrees in optometry. Nine are located in England with one optometry school in each of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Additionally, in England, the Institute of Optometry offers a post-graduate professional doctorate (Doctor of Optometry degree) [89] [90] in partnership with London South Bank University. The Doctor of Optometry postgraduate degree is also offered at Aston University, Birmingham. The Aston Doctor of Optometry includes academic modules in independent pharmaceutical prescribing, alongside advanced optometry modules in glaucoma, retinal/macular disease, myopia and many others.
Twenty-three American educational institutions offer the Doctor of Optometry degree.
Ophthalmology is a clinical and surgical specialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. A former term is oculism.
Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive eye care.
Sankara Nethralaya is a non-profit missionary institution for ophthalmic care headquartered in Chennai, India. In the name "Sankara Nethralaya", "Sankara" is a reference to Lord Shiva and "Nethralaya" means "The Temple of the Eye". Sankara Nethralaya has over 1000 employees and serves around 1500 patients per day, performing over 100 surgeries daily. The annual revenue as per the taxes is close to US$100 million.
An eye care professional is an individual who provides a service related to the eyes or vision. It is any healthcare worker involved in eye care, from one with a small amount of post-secondary training to practitioners with a doctoral level of education.
The Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, also known as Trivandrum Medical College, is a public medical college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Founded in 1951, it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and is Kerala's first ever Medical College.
Marshall B. Ketchum University is a private university focused on graduate programs in healthcare and located in Fullerton, California. MBKU expanded from the Southern California College of Optometry which was founded in 1904. The university was officially established as a multidisciplinary university with the addition of School of PA Studies in 2011 and College of Pharmacy in 2013. Along with Hope International University, the campus bookends the north and south sides of the Cal State Fullerton campus respectively.
The Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of California, Berkeley is an optometry school at the University of California, Berkeley. It offers a graduate-level, four-year professional program leading to the Doctor of Optometry degree (OD), and a one-year, ACOE-accredited residency program in clinical optometry specialties. It is also the home department for the multidisciplinary Vision Science Group at UC Berkeley, whose graduate students earn either MS or PhD degrees.
Chitkara University is a private university located in Rajpura, Punjab, India. It offers undergraduate programs, post-graduate program and doctoral programs in fields of engineering, management, pharmacy, health sciences, nursing, hospitality, art & design and education. It was established and is managed by the Chitkara Educational Trust.
The UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is an institute within the Faculty of Brain Sciences of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, United Kingdom. The institute conducts research and post-graduate teaching in the area of ophthalmology.
The eye care system in Ghana can be said to be one in its infant or growing stages. Today there are less than 300 eye care professionals taking care of the eye needs of over 23 million Ghanaians.
The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University is a Chinese institution for study and treatment in the fields of Ophthalmology and Optometry. The hospital was founded in 1998 in Zhejiang Province of the People's Republic of China. The institute collaborates with the New England College of Optometry to offer a Joint MS/OD Degree of optometry and ophthalmology, in which participating students undertake clinical practice both in Wenzhou and Boston. The hospital is associated with national government programs including the Optometry Research Center, the key laboratory for visual science and the National key lab, Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Vision Science.
Gerald Westheimer AM FRS is an Australian scientist at University of California, Berkeley researching the eye, its optics, and how we see details in space and in three dimensions.
Konrad Pesudovs is an Australian optometrist and outcomes researcher in ophthalmology; recognised as the leading optometrist researcher worldwide in terms of H-Index and total citations. He is SHARP Professor of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales (2020-). He was the Foundation Chair of Optometry and Vision Science at Flinders University from 2009 to 2017.
Hadassah Academic College Jerusalem is a publicly funded college in Jerusalem.
Irvin M. Borish was an American optometrist who is widely considered "The Father of Modern Optometry". Even though he entered the field of optometry because his family could only afford to pay for two years of college, he left a lasting impression in the field. He wrote one of the most renowned textbooks of optometry, Clinical Refraction. He worked to create several educational and research institutions for optometry. He also lobbied tirelessly to establish optometry as a mainstream medical practice. His contribution to optometry has been recognized through prestigious awards and recognition from his peers.
Louise Littig Sloan was an American ophthalmologist and vision scientist. She is credited for being a pioneer of the sub-division of clinical vision research, contributing more than 100 scientific articles in which she either authored or co-authored. Her most notable work was in the area of visual acuity testing where she developed and improved equipment. Sloan received her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College in experimental psychology. She spent a short period of time in both Bryn Mawr's experimental psychology program as well as the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. The majority of her career, however, was spent at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute where she directed the Wilmer Laboratory of Physiological Optics for 44 years. In 1971, Sloan was the second woman awarded the prestigious Edgar D. Tillyer Award by Optica (formerly Optical Society for her many achievements in the field of vision.
J. K. K. Nattraja Educational Institutions (JKKNEI) is an educational institution established in 1969 by J. K. K. Rangammal Charitable Trust at Komarapalayam, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India.
Al-Karim University is a private university located in Katihar, Bihar, India. The university was established in 2018 by the Al-Karim Education Trust, which also established, maintains and manages Katihar Medical College and Hospital since 1987. It operates under the Bihar Private Universities Act, 2013, one of the first six private universities planned in Bihar.
The university has a span of about 55 acres and runs 32 academic courses including 9 undergraduate and 23 postgraduate courses.
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