Academics

Grad students and professors around a conference table

Graduate Program: Curriculum

Core Courses in Vision Science

Core courses present a comprehensive background in vision science and are not intended as introductory. Graduates of other institutions should have the graduate program evaluate the suitability of similar courses at their institution as substitutions. Open to graduate students only.

VIS SCI 8001 Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye

  • 2 credits
  • ½ semester
  • 2 hours per day, 2 days per week
  • Advanced gross anatomy and vegetative physiology and molecular biology of the eye

VIS SCI 8002 Ocular Motility and Binocular Vision

  • 2 credits
  • ½ semester
  • 2 hours per day, 2 days per week
  • Autumn semester, every year
  • Prerequisites include VS 6300 (Spring of 2nd year OD curriculum) and VS 6320 (Summer of 3rd year OD curriculum), or permission of instructor. Advanced topics on eye movements, ocular motility, and sensorimotor aspects of visual perception and binocular vision

VIS SCI 8003 Visual Sensory Processes

  • 2 credits
  • ½ semester
  • 2 hours per day, 2 days per week
  • Spring semester, every year
  • Neurophysiology of the retina, the ascending visual pathway, and the brain, and their functional significance
  • Prerequisite is VS 6300 (Spring of 2nd year OD curriculum), or equivalent with permission of instructor

VIS SCI 8004 Optics of the eye and specification of the visual stimulus

  • 2 credits
  • ½ semester
  • 2 hours per day, 2 days per week
  • Spring semester, every year
  • Contemporary issues in visual and clinical optics and imaging

Courses in Vision Science

VIS SCI 5500 Global Health

  • 1 credit
  • Spring semester, even years
  • Provides an overview of the common causes of vision impairment and eye disease, including means to eliminate avoidable blindness

VIS SCI 5998 Credit for Non‐Thesis or ‐Dissertation Research

  • 1 to 5 credits
  • Student receives course credit for conducting research not related to a thesis or dissertation
  • Every semester
  • Cannot be concurrently taken with VIS SCI 8999

VIS SCI 7101 Basics of Graduate Work

  • 1 credit
  • Designed for first‐semester graduate students
  • Autumn semester, every year
  • Students will learn the basics of graduate work, from data management to writing abstracts

VIS SCI 7940 Oral Presentation of Scientific Research

  • 1 credit
  • Available every semester, PhD only
  • PhD students present in VS 7950 based on their research or scholarship to improve presentation skills

VIS SCI 7950 Seminar in Vision Science

  • 1 credit
  • Every semester
  • Series of seminars dealing with new developments in various areas of vision science

VIS SCI 7960 Ethics in Biomedical Research

  • 2 credits
  • Autumn semester, every year
  • Provides a general understanding of the issues surrounding the ethical conduct of science including issues related to research involving human subjects, scientific misconduct, and authorship of scientific papers. Real‐life case studies will be used

VIS SCI 7970 Grantsmanship

  • 2 credits
  • Spring semester, every year
  • The structure of the National Institutes of Health, the principles of good grantsmanship, and description of the grant review process. Emphasis focused on Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08/K23) and Research Project Grant (R01)

VIS SCI 7980 Statistics for Clinical Research

  • 2 credits
  • Spring semester, every year
  • Introduction to the basic concepts and methods of statistical analysis of clinical research data. Statistical software packages will be demonstrated along with interpretation of output

VIS SCI 7990 Assessing the Literature

  • 1 credit
  • Autumn and summer semesters, every year
  • Provides a framework to develop skills to critically evaluate the literature, improve data presentation skills, summarize information efficiently, and improve statistical knowledge by critically reviewing published literature

VIS SCI 7999 Credit for Master’s Thesis Research

  • 1 to 5 credit hours
  • Every semester
  • Student receives course credit for conducting research related to a Master’s thesis
  • Cannot be concurrently taken with VIS SCI 5998

VIS SCI 8101 Designing Clinical Studies

  • 1 credit
  • Summer semester, even years
  • Teaches various aspects of designing clinical studies, from specific aims to data management

VIS SCI 8103 Circadian Rhythms and the Eye

  • 2 credits
  • Autumn semester, even years
  • Advanced topics in chronobiology with emphasis on the role of the eye in synchronizing circadian rhythms to the external environment

VIS SCI 8104 High Resolution Imaging of the Eye using Adaptive Optics

  • 2 credits
  • Autumn semester, even years
  • Design, construction, interpretation, and use of adaptive optics (AO) in normal and diseased eyes

VIS SCI 8105 Advanced Ocular Motility

  • 1 credit
  • Autumn semester, even years
  • Methods to monitor eye movements including eyetracker selection, calibration, and data interpretation

VIS SCI 8106 Refractive Error Development

  • 2 credits
  • Spring semester, odd years
  • Students learn about ocular changes that lead to the development of refractive error in children

VIS SCI 8107 Basic Science Experimental Design

  • 2 credits
  • Summer semester, odd years
  • Teaches various aspects of designing basic science experiments, from choosing controls to data analysis

VIS SCI 8108 Quantitative and Computational Methods for Vision Science

  • 2 credits
  • Summer semester, odd years
  • An introduction to Matlab and its applications in research

VIS SCI 8111 Advanced Topics in Low Vision

  • 1 credit
  • Autumn semester, odd years
  • Advanced topics in models for rehabilitation, patient‐reported outcomes measurement, and psychophysical testing of people with permanent vision impairment

VIS SCI 8112 Advanced Binocular Vision and Visual Plasticity

  • 1 credit
  • ½ semester
  • Spring semester, even years
  • Structural, molecular and functional considerations of mechanisms underlying visual plasticity

VIS SCI 8113 Clinical Trials in Binocular Vision

  • 0.5 credit
  • Spring semester, even years
  • Review of recent clinical trials in amblyopia and intermittent exotropia

VIS SCI 8114 Advanced Contact Lens Topics

  • 2 credits
  • Autumn semester, odd years
  • Advanced topics related to contact lens materials and care, lens modalities, advanced fitting techniques, adverse events and regulations

VIS SCI 8115 Effective Scientific Presentation Skills

  • 2 credit hours
  • Summer semester, even years
  • Develop skills to communicate scientific findings using a variety of presentation formats

VIS SCI 8116 Scientific Writing

  • 2 credit hours
  • Summer semester, odd years
  • Developing effective scientific writing skills
  • Prerequisite is enrollment in the Vision Science PhD program, or permission of the instructor.

VIS SCI 8998 Credit for Pre-Candidacy Dissertation Research

  • 1 to 5 credit hours
  • Every semester
  • Student receives course credit for conducting research related to a dissertation
  • Cannot be concurrently taken with VIS SCI 5998

VIS SCI 8999 Credit for Thesis or Dissertation Research

  • 1 to 5 credits
  • Every semester
  • Student receives course credit for conducting research related to a dissertation
  • Cannot be concurrently taken with VIS SCI 5998