Dear Hoover: Please post
Thank you
J. Feldman, Ph.D.
Associate dean
SUNY - college of Optometry
1001 East 24th St.
New York, N.Y. 10010
The Graduate Program at SUNY State College of Optometry offers programs
leading to a Ph.D. or M.S. in Vision Science. Training occurs in a
variety of vision areas including spatial, motion, color, and
binocular vision; visual psychophysics, ocular biochemistry and
physiology, accommodation, and many others.
The Graduate Program in Vision Science is designed for individuals
holding a professional degree in a health science or a bachelor's
degree. The Program consists of an active community of research
scholars and a diverse international student body dedicated to all
aspects of vision science. About 24 students are usually enrolled in
the program annually.
Students in the graduate program ordinarily work toward a Ph.D. or M.S.
degree in Vision Science. Doctoral students receive a broad background
in the various disciplines that comprise vision sciences, as well as
intensive training in specialty areas selected for dissertation
research. M.S. students receive a broad education in vision science
along with basic training in the methods of scientific research. The
program provides an opportunity for students to become acquainted with
and participate in both basic and clinical vision science research.
In addition to seminars and consultation with faculty and other
graduates, students enjoy the benefits of an excellent series of
colloquia, sponsored by the Schnurmacher Institute for Vision Research.
These colloquia, given by eminent visiting scientists, expand the
student's educational experience and keep the faculty and students
abreast of the latest developments in their field.
Degree Programs
M.S. in Vision Science Program: 60 quarter-hour credits of courses,
seminars and research.
Ph.D. in Vision Science Program: Doctoral students fulfill all of the
requirement of the M.S. in Vision Science Program along with an
additional 60 quarter-hour credits of intensive training in selected
areas of research concentration.
O.D./Ph.D. Optometrist Scientist Program: This is a "combined program"
for students enrolled dually in both programs.
The Faculty:
There are more than twenty faculty qualified to participate in the
Graduate Program in Vision Science. Their areas of expertise include
visual psychophysics, visual perception, spatial vision and motion and
color perception, binocular vision, myopia, accommodation, cornea
biochemistry, and many other areas. For a full listing of faculty and
their interests, please request an application for admission.
The College:
The clinical patient care facility, the University Optometric Center
(UOC), is housed in the same building as the teaching and research
programs. The UOC is the largest non_profit out_patient vision care
facility in the U.S., handling over 100,000 patient care visits per
year. It provides optometric diagnostic and therapeutic services in
Primary Care Optometry and Pediatric and Infants Vision clinics as well
as specialty clinics in Contact Lenses, Vision Therapy, Ocular Disease
and Low Vision.
Research Environment: Resources and Facilities
Numerous research laboratories, graduate program seminar and teaching
rooms, and various other support areas such as the Harold Kohn Vision
Science library ( the largest specialized collection in the U.S.), a
graduate student computer center, an electronics shop, a machine shop,
and a media center, are provided. Because vision science is
interdisciplinary by nature, and because New York City contains a great
number of Colleges and University centers, there is the potential for
graduate students to work with researchers outside the College of
Optometry in various collaborative research projects. The Schnurmacher
Institute for Vision Research
was founded in 1983 in response to the growing need for scientific
knowledge on the visual system and methods of improving visual
function. The scientific community within the Institute is engaged in
a wide variety of research projects. The Institute currently sponsors
a postdoctoral research associateship, a colloquium series, and an
annual grant-funding effort for SUNY faculty.
Admission Requirements for the Graduate Program in Vision Science
To be considered for admission to the graduate program, an applicant
must have completed the following requirements:
1) Baccalaureate or professional degree
2) Graduate Record Examination (general aptitude test, institutional
code 2897.7)
3) General Biology (including lab) - one year
General Chemistry (including lab) - one year
General Physics (including lab) - one year
General Statistics - one semester
Calculus - one year
4) Demonstrated ability to express oneself clearly in both written and
spoken English. Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL) or the Test of Spoken English (TSE) must be submitted by
applicants whose first language is not English.
5) Letters of recommendation from three professors.
6) Official Transcripts of all college and post-graduate work.
For an application to the GraduateProgram, please write or call: Office
of Graduate programs, SUNY State College of Optometry, 100 E. 24th
Street, New York, NY 10010, (212) 780-5140 or e-mail
jfeldman@sunyopt,edu.