Faculty Handbook

SUNY College of Optometry

Faculty Handbook 2022-23

II. ADMISSIONS

A. Admissions Decisions 1. Admission to the Graduate Program is to either the Residency/MS, OD/MS, PhD, or Residency/PhD program. 2. Applications for admission to the Graduate Program shall be made to the Graduate Center for Vision Research, which maintains all admissions records and shall conduct or authorize all correspondence with applicants. 3. The GCVR office shall transmit all applications materials to the Graduate Committee, which will evaluate them and convey its’ recommendations to the Associate Dean. The Committee may consult other faculty. The GCVR shall inform applicants of the admission decisions. B. Admission Requirements 1. Baccalaureate degree or a professional degree 2. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is generally required for applicants to the PhD or Residency/PhD program. The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) is generally required for applicants to the OD/MS or Residency/MS program. 3. Demonstration of ability in both written and spoken English. Applicants from countries where English is not the official language must submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). 4. Letters of recommendation from at least three (3) mentors familiar with the applicant. 5. Official Transcripts of all college and post-graduate work (up to the last recent semester or quarter prior to application deadline). 6. Under special circumstances, the Graduate Program Committee may recommend waiving some of the requirements for admission, with the approval of the Associate Dean. C. Admissions Timetable 1. Ph.D., Residency/PhD and Residency/M.S. program students will normally be admitted to the Fall semester, while the OD/MS program admits students to the Spring semester. The M.S. program will accept applications no later than the January 4. The Graduate Program Committee may, at its discretion, recommend that a student be admitted to any other semester. 2. For Ph.D. and Residency/Ph.D. applications completed by February 15, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to the applicant not later than April 1. 3. For all M.S. applicants, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to the applicant no later than the second week in January. D. Admission with advanced standing 1. A student who has been admitted to the Graduate Program may apply to the Associate Dean for transfer credit for graduate level work completed at another institution. The Graduate Program Committee shall then assess the work that has been completed and make its recommendation concerning what transfer credit to grant. Transfer credit shall be indicated as such on the student's

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