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.
Mazandaran university of medical science دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مازندران
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.
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.
Midwestern University (MWU) is a private medical and professional school with campuses in Downers Grove, Illinois and Glendale, Arizona. As of the 2022–23 academic year, a total of 2,758 students were enrolled at the Downers Grove campus and 3,782 were enrolled at the Glendale campus.
Sankara Nethralaya is a non-profit missionary institution for ophthalmic care headquartered in Chennai, India.
SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), formerly SRM University, is a private deemed university, located in Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1985 as SRM Engineering College in Kattankulathur, it gained the deemed University status in 2002. SRM Institute of Science and Technology is spread across five campuses — Kattankulathur, Ramapuram, Vadapalani,(all in Chennai), Ghaziabad and Tiruchirappalli. Those are all same University as per section 3 of University Grants Commission Act, 1956. It has three sister universities in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Sikkim.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is a private university focused on health- and life-sciences education, with campuses in Boston, Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as online programs. The university provides traditional and accelerated programs of study focused on professional education in pharmacy and the health sciences.
The Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, 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.
Paruvachi Ammasai Venkatachalam is an Indian academic.
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.
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.
C. U. Velmurugendran is an Indian neurologist, medical writer and the chairman and head of the Department of Neurology at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai. He is an honorary professor at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati and has contributed chapters to books including Diseases of the Spinal Cord, published in 2012. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to medicine.
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.
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.
Bachelor of Optometry is a four-year degree programme in the field of optometry, awarded upon graduation from an optometry school under a recognised university. Its curriculum is designed to impart knowledge related to eye and its connected organs, the correction of refractive errors, and the treatment and management of eye diseases. This degree comprises four years of education, including one year of clinical internship at a tertiary eye care center. This degree is the minimum required qualification to be called an optometrist and to practice optometry in several countries of the world.
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