Optician/Technician Program (AS)

Degree Requirements

The non-TOPT-V-lettered courses are offered outside of the School of Optometry and may be taken before or after completing the V-lettered technology courses.

First Year
First Semester
TOPT-V 111 Basic Optics 5
TOPT-V 151 Ophthalmic Procedures 1
4
TOPT-V 174 Office Procedures 4
TOPT-V 201 Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye 3

Total 16
Second Semester
TOPT-V 121 Ophthalmic Lens Finishing 4
TOPT-V 131 Ophthalmic Optics 5
TOPT-V 153 Ophthalmic Dispensing 4
TOPT-V 251 Ophthalmic Procedures 2
3

Total 16
Optional Summer Session

Completing courses during the summer session leads to early graduation.

  • Clinic Practicum
  • Other requirements
Second Year
First Semester
TOPT-V 210

Fabrication Practicum 1
(or C121 Public Speaking, C122 Interpersonal Communication,
or Business Studies 1)

3
TOPT-V 221 Ophthalmic Lens Surfacing and Optics 4
TOPT-V 232 Contact Lens Methods and Procedures 4
TOPT-V 254 Clinic Practicum 1
4
ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 2 3

Total 18
Second Semester
TOPT-V 211 Fabrication Practicum II (or Business Studies1) 3
TOPT-V 255 Clinic Practicum 2
3
TOPT-V 256 External Clinics 3
HPER-H 160 First Aid and Emergency Care3 3

Social & Historical Studies elective4 3

Total 15

Minimum total credit hours required for A.S. degree: 65

Note: All Optician/Technician V-lettered courses must be completed within four years of matriculation; any exceptions require a written petition to the Academic Review Committee.

1 Business studies courses should be chosen from a list provided by your optometry academic advisor.

2 Other means of completing the composition requirement exist. Consult the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin or an undergraduate advisor for details on these options.

3 Standard first aid with adult CPR course through the American Red Cross may be substituted for H 160 with your advisor’s approval. No credit hours are earned in the Red Cross course. Consequently, 3 credit hours of a general elective must be completed to achieve a total of 65 credit hours required for graduation. Substitution is granted after students present their Red Cross certification card to the Office of Student Administration.

4 The 3 credit hours may be selected from courses acceptable for the social and historical studies (S&H) requirement, as listed in the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin. Please note that this requirement may be fulfilled concurrently by selecting either Economics E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics or E 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics in the business studies group requirements. However, a minimum of 65 credit hours is required for graduation.

Pass/Fail Restrictions:

No course listed as required for graduation may be taken Pass/Fail. This includes courses within the School of Optometry as well as those requirements which are selected by the student from generalized groups of courses offered outside the School of Optometry. Examples of such courses are the Business Studies and the Social and Historical Studies requirements. Any other courses outside the curriculum may be taken Pass/Fail.

Opticians’ Laboratory Concentration

Students may elect to take the Opticians’ Laboratory Concentration in lieu of C 121 or C 122 and a 3 credit hour business studies elective or 6 credit hours of business studies elective courses. The Opticians’ Laboratory Concentration includes practical experience in all aspects of the optical laboratory and a study of the optics necessary to understand lens surfacing. Students must earn a grade of C- or above in all three concentration courses: V 210 Fabrication Practicum I, V 211 Fabrication Practicum II, and V 221 Ophthalmic Lens Surfacing and Optics.

In the event that enrollment limits are exceeded for the Opticians’ Laboratory Concentration courses, admission to V 210 and V 211 may require permission to enroll. Decisions will be made by the program director and the optical laboratory management.

In certain instances, a student may take V 210 Fabrication Practicum I as early as the summer following the completion of the first year of Optician/Technician Program studies. Because V 221 is a prerequisite or corequisite for V 211 Fabrication Practicum II, the student must then enroll in V 221 Ophthalmic Lens Surfacing and Optics the following fall semester.

Academic Regulations

Academic standards are listed in the Optician/Technician Program’s student handbook and are the same as listed in the University Division Planner.

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

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