OD/MS Program
Optometry students in The Ohio State University College of Optometry can earn a Master of Science degree while they concurrently earn their Doctor of Optometry degree. This program is not open to outside applicants.
- Question When do I apply for the combined OD/MS program?
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Answer
An internal application cycle will open in January of your first year in the optometry program. Applications will be due to the graduate program coordinator by February 15th.
- Question How do I know who is available to advise me in this program?
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Answer
In January, faculty who are able to take combined OD/MS students into their lab will provide presentations of their research lab’s work to interested first year optometry students.
- Question How will my advisor be determined?
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Answer
We encourage first year optometry students to meet with faculty in January and early February whom they are interested in working with. We will then use a match system to identify student and advisor pairings.
- Question Will participation in the OD/MS program cost me additional tuition?
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Answer
Since optometry students are already enrolled in enough credit hours to hit maximum tuition, there is no additional cost for taking MS courses to earn the combined OD/MS degree.
Prerequisites
All students must have a cumulative undergraduate and optometry GPA equivalent of at least 3.0.
Application Procedures
- An initial internal application will be submitted in February of the first year of the OD program
- Students who are offered conditional acceptance must apply to the graduate school when instructed by the graduate program coordinator following completion of the first year of the optometry program (typically in May).
Application Requirements
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A brief statement describing the applicant’s educational and professional objectives. The SOP must include information on your area of research interest.
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A written overview of academic, research, and work experiences and other qualifications.
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During the internal application, you will be asked to name two individuals who can provide recommendation letters. These should be close colleagues, instructors, or others who are familiar with your work, classroom performance, and/or research experience. Letters of Recommendation will not be accepted from family or friends. The program coordinator for the vision science graduate program will contact recommenders directly for materials. The applicant cannot submit the letters.
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Transcripts are generally not necessary because the University already has them on file. The exception to this are transcripts from Community Colleges you may have attended. Please submit copies (front and back) of community college transcripts. These can be uploaded with your other documents. Transcripts you submit from your personal official copies will be considered unofficial by GP Admissions, but will be accepted for application review purposes. If you are admitted to the program, you will need to have official transcripts submitted.
Official transcripts are those submitted directly from one institution to another. Institutions should send transcripts to OSU electronically (preferred) at gpadocs@osu.edu.
If an institution cannot send these electronically, they can be sent by US Mail to:
The Ohio State University
Graduate/Professional Admissions
PO Box 182004
Columbus, OH 43218-2004Transcripts from international or express mail should be sent to:
The Ohio State University
Graduate/Professional Admissions
281 W. Lane Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1132 -
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required of applicants to the Combined OD/MS program.
Degree Requirements
In consultation with their advisor, students select coursework according to their interests. However, coursework must include:
- 30 graduate credit hours; no more than 10 credit hours of Vision Science 7999 (research credits) count toward the degree
- Must complete at least two of the following four courses:
- Vision Science 8001 (Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye)
- Vision Science 8002 (Ocular Motility and Binocular Vision)
- Vision Science 8003 (Visual Sensory Processes)
- Vision Science 8004 (Optics of the Eye and Specification of the Visual Stimulus)
- Vision Science 7101 (Basics of Graduate Work)
- Vision Science 7960 (Ethics in Biomedical Research)
- Vision Science 7980 (Statistics for Clinical Research)
- Vision Science 6300 & 6320 taken in the optometry curriculum may contribute up to 10 of the 30 credit hours required for the MS degree
- Completion of an independent research project and thesis is required.