Vision Science
Degree: BS
Campus: Columbus
College: Arts and Sciences
The Bachelor of Science in Vision Science (BSVS) is for highly motivated, well-qualified Ohio State students who want to fast-track their optometry education. Students who pursue this option can complete both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Doctor of Optometry degree in a total of seven years, reducing both the time to career entry and total cost of education by one year.
Important note: Students cannot apply directly to this major on the Common Application. Interested students must first be admitted to Ohio State in the College of Arts and Sciences and then follow the steps below to be eligible for this major.
Students interested in pursuing this option should work with the pre-health advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences on the following steps:
- Declare a major of their choice for the first three years.
- Make a plan to complete all Bachelor of Science general education requirements and the Doctor of Optometry prerequisites in three years.
- Apply for the Ohio State Doctor of Optometry (OD) program in the second year of undergraduate education.
- Once admitted to the OD program, declare BSVS major.
Please note:
- Admission to the Ohio State Doctor of Optometry program is not guaranteed and students must follow all standard admissions requirements and procedures.
- This option is only available for Ohio State students in the College of Arts and Sciences and admitted to the Ohio State College of Optometry.
- Students who are not admitted to the Doctor of Optometry program in their third year can continue in the College of Arts and Sciences to earn a bachelor degree and are welcome to re-apply to the OD program the following year under the traditional track.
Candidates complete the General Education Requirements for a Bachelor of Science in the first three years of their undergraduate career. Then, if admitted to the Ohio State College of Optometry, the courses taken in the first year of the OD program are applied to the BSVS and the degree will be awarded in the spring of that year, thus allowing students to graduate with their undergraduate cohort. Students then complete the remaining three years of the OD program.
The College of Optometry encourages students to explore the profession of optometry on their own, whether through work or volunteer experience with an optometric practice or informational interviews with people in the profession. It's a good idea to get exposure to a variety of optometric practice settings, including both private practice and clinical settings such as veterans’ hospitals. These opportunities will help students confirm that optometry is the right career choice for them.
The Health Sciences Scholars Program provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to explore the health professions with the support of a residential community. For more information on Honors and Scholars, go to honors-scholars.osu.edu.
Undergraduate students can become involved in the Pre-Optometry Club, one of the largest of its kind in the country. The club is student-run with an optometry staff advisor, and it sponsors a variety of activities to help students become more aware and knowledgeable of the optometry profession.
Optometry students participate in a wide variety of other student organizations, ranging from pre-professional organizations that allow them to network with current practitioners to interest-based groups such as the Sports Vision Club, and service groups such as Student Volunteers for Optometric Service to Humanity, which helps provide eye care and eye wear to developing nations, and the National Optometric Student Association, which encourages diversity in the profession.
Optometrists practice in a variety of settings. The majority of optometrists are independent professionals and own their practices. Many are in group practice, where optometrists practice together or with other health professionals to form a health care team. Optometrists are also employed in health maintenance organizations, academia, research, retail/optical settings, optometric/ophthalmologic professional settings, military/public health settings, interdisciplinary care, and as corporate or industrial consultants.
Practice opportunities for optometrists are steadily increasing due to advances in technology and expanded scope of practice. The increased emphasis on early detection and prevention of vision problems in preschool children as well as managing the special visual needs of an aging population will create an increased demand for vision care services in the next several decades. Working as an optometrist is consistently ranked one of the 50 best careers by U.S. News and World Report, citing the likelihood of strong growth over the next decade as the American population ages.
The beginning salary for optometrists ranges from $90,000 to $100,000, depending on the type of practice, setting or geographic location. According to the 2018 American Optometric Association Survey of Optometric Practice, the 2017 average net income of optometrists was $143,520.