Faculty Handbook 2020-2021

SUNY College of Optometry

Faculty Handbook 2020-21

the decisions made by the Graduate Program Committee. (See section III-1, and note that the Graduate Program Committee makes the final decision on admissions, but not on financial support.) 3. Admission to the Graduate Program is to either the MS, OD-MS, or PhD program. B. Admission Requirements An applicant for admission must have completed the following requirements within the past ten years: a. Baccalaureate degree, or a professional degree in a health science b. Graduate Record Examination General Exam or at the discretion of the Graduate c. Program Committee, the OAT or other similar examination. d. Demonstration of ability in both written and spoken English. Foreign applicants from non-English speaking countries must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). e. Letters of recommendation from three (3) mentors familiar with the applicant. f. Official Transcripts of all college and post-graduate work (up to the last recent semester or quarter prior to application deadline). g. Under special circumstances, the Graduate Program Committee may recommend waiving some of the requirements for admission. C. Admissions Timetable 1. PhD and MS program students will normally be admitted to the Fall semester. The OD- MS program will accept MS applications no later than November 30 for acceptance in the Spring. The Graduate Program Committee may, at its discretion, recommend that a student be admitted to any other semester. 2. Completed applications normally must be received not later than January 15 for admission to the Fall semester, but the Graduate Program Committee may, at its discretion, recommend the acceptance of a late application. 3. For PhD and MS applications completed by January 15, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to the applicant not later than April 1. 4. For M.S. applicants to the OD-MS program, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to the applicant not later than the first week in January.

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