For more information, contact the Office of Student Administration, School of Optometry, Indiana University, 800 E. Atwater Avenue, Bloomington, IN 474053680; (812) 855-1917; e-mail iubopt [at] indiana [dot] edu.

Bachelor’s Degree Options for School of Optometry Students

Bachelor of Arts in the B.A./O.D. Program (B.A.) (College of Arts and Sciences)

A Bachelor of Arts degree is offered by the College of Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the School of Optometry. It requires fulfillment of the B.A. requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. A student who is admitted to the School of Optometry after completing 90 credit hours in the College of Arts and Sciences may apply 32 credit hours of courses in optometry as electives toward the B.A. degree, which is received in the initial major. The student must satisfy the college’s specified requirements, including a concentration in the department of the college.

Special Bachelor of Science in Biology for Three-Year Preoptometry Students (B.S.) (College of Arts and Sciences)

This program is designed for students admitted to the Indiana University School of Optometry after three years at Indiana University Bloomington. Students who have completed the fundamental skills and distribution requirements for the standard B.S. in Biology and at least 90 credit hours in courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences may apply 8 credit hours of their first-year professional courses toward their major and 24 credit hours of their first-year professional courses as elective credit.

Bachelor of Science in Optometry (B.S.) (School of Optometry)

A Bachelor of Science degree is offered by the School of Optometry. It is available only to those students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree before enrolling in the professional (O.D.) degree program. It requires satisfactory completion of all preoptometry courses and of the course work specified in the section of this bulletin titled “Bachelor of Science in Optometry Degree.”

Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) (School of Optometry)

The Doctor of Optometry degree is offered by the School of Optometry. It requires fulfillment of a bachelor’s degree (before or after enrollment), including all preoptometry requirements and satisfactory completion of the four-year professional curriculum. The specific requirements are described in the section of this bulletin entitled “Doctor of Optometry Degree.” Holders of this degree are eligible to apply for examinations for licensure by the Indiana Optometry Board or by corresponding agencies in other states.

Associate of Science in Optometric Technology/Opticianry (A.S.) (School of Optometry)

The School of Optometry offers a two-year Associate of Science degree in Optometric Technology/Opticianry. The Optician/Technician Program that leads to this degree is open to high school graduates as well as those with some college experience. Students completing the program will be qualified to work as optometric technicians and/or opticians, or may choose to pursue related careers as laboratory opticians, optical managers, contact lens technicians, or ophthalmic sales and service representatives.

Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy (M.S., Ph.D.) (University Graduate School)

Offered by the University Graduate School in conjunction with the School of Optometry, the two degree programs in vision science are designed primarily for those who wish to devote themselves to teaching and research in the field of vision.

Combined Degree Programs

Indiana University’s Vision Science Program has a proud tradition of training more than 50 doctoral graduates and nearly 100 master’s graduates who have gone on to productive academic or clinical careers. Many have held prestigious leadership positions in academia and national and/or international research organizations. Because of the increasing cost of higher education, it has become difficult for optometry graduates to pursue M.S. or Ph.D. degrees after completing optometry training. The Indiana University School of Optometry has developed combined degree programs in conjunction with the University Graduate School to allow students to work toward an M.S. or Ph.D. simultaneously with the O.D. degree. The two combined degree programs are designed to attract students interested in careers devoted to the creation of new knowledge in clinical and/or academic optometry. A number of financial support mechanisms are available.

Application for Degrees

The School of Optometry awards A.S., B.S., and O.D. degrees in May, June, August, and December. Candidates for these degrees should submit degree applications to the Office of Student Administration of the School of Optometry at least two months in advance of anticipated graduation. Candidates for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees should consult the University Graduate School Bulletin.