Program Overview

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Introduction to the Doctor of Optometry Program

The UAB School of Optometry is dedicated to making lasting contributions to eye care and vision science by providing education and clinical training to optometry students and postdoctoral residents. The fundamental goal of the four-year professional optometry program is to prepare its students to be the nation's leaders in providing comprehensive, evidence-based eye care.

Program Overview

The UAB School of Optometry was one of the first in the U.S. to be fully integrated into an academic health system. As a result, small classes with a target size of 58 students are embedded within the vast network of academic and clinical resources offered by UAB. Internationally recognized faculty in optometry, vision science, and ophthalmology teach students within a state-of-the-art clinical practice, providing opportunities for students to engage in research.

Admissions Information

• Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early in the admissions cycle because the program uses a rolling admissions process.
• The deadline for applications for the class entering Fall 2026 is April 1, 2026.
• A specific major is not required for admission to the UAB School of Optometry, but specific prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the summer semester before matriculation.
• Applicants must also complete the Optometry Admissions Test (or a comparable exam), submit letters of recommendation, forward academic transcripts, and be interviewed either virtually or in person at the UAB School of Optometry.

Clinical Training

Students at the UAB School of Optometry receive clinical training at UAB Eye Care, affiliated sites throughout the Birmingham area, and through the externship program.

Community Outreach

Optometry students at UAB provide numerous screenings and comprehensive eye exams at sites across Alabama and the region through community outreach. Students, faculty, and residents collectively examine nearly 22,000 patients per year.

Curriculum

As one of the first optometry schools to be integrated into an academic health center, the UAB School of Optometry offers courses within its Department of Optometry and Vision Science, in addition to courses in other UAB health science departments.

Dual Degree Programs

Students at the UAB School of Optometry can combine their four-year Doctor of Optometry degree with an additional degree that will allow them to better understand the ever-advancing field of eye care and equip them to follow a variety of career paths. The UAB School of Optometry has partnered with other UAB schools to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum in three programs.

Faculty

The expertise of the faculty reflects the full scope of optometric and vision science. While faculty members are primarily clinical optometrists, vision scientists and ophthalmologists also provide direct supervision and training of optometry students and postdoctoral residents. Students learn under the tutelage of faculty in a number of clinics affiliated with the UAB School of Optometry, and faculty are widely published in the scientific and clinical literature.

Scholarships

The UAB School of Optometry offers scholarships and awards that provide financial support for outstanding Optometry students. Currently, the School has numerous endowed optometry scholarships which were generously given by alumni and friends of the School of Optometry. Some scholarships provide multiple awards. Most awards range in value between $500 and $1500 each, though there are exceptions that have higher award amounts.

Endowed Scholarships List

• The Abel Family Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Abraham Azman Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Aharon Sternberg Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Arol Augsburger, O.D. Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Birmingham Area Optometric Society Endowed Optometry Award Fund
• The Bob and Hulene Crosby Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Clark F. Amos Endowed Optometry Presidential Scholarship
• The Day Family Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Douglas & Connie Clark Endowed Optometry Leadership Scholarship
• The Dr. Bradford W. Wild Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Catherine S. Amos Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Charles A "Scotty" McCallum Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. E.C. Overton Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Elbert A. (Bert) Coshatt / Alumni Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Ernest DeBakey Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Jess Boyd Eskridge / UABSO Alumni Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Jimmy Bartlett Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Kristine Hopkins Vision Therapy Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. L. Don Snellgrove Endowed Scholarship in Optometry
• The Dr. Lester Caplan / CIBA Vision Corporation Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Dr. Terrence N. Ingraham Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Paul S. Worrell Endowed Memorial Optometry Scholarship
• The Drs. Debi & Rod Nowakowski Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Drs. James & Robin Marbourg Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Drs. John and Catherine Amos Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Edgar M. Warr Endowed Alumni Scholarship
• The Energen / Alagasco Endowed Scholarship
• The Essilor of America Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Eydie C. Jones Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Faculty of Optometry and Vision Sciences Student Optometry Scholarship Endowment
• The Florence Lions Club Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Fredric and Marion Rosemore Family Foundation Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Helen and David Bunkin Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Heersink Family Foundation Scholarship in Optometry
• The Heersink Family Optometric Scholarship Endowment in Optometry
• The Henry B. Peters Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The HOYA Vision Care Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The John & Jeanne Classe' Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The John A. Williamson Endowed Scholarship in the School of Optometry
• The Lee Dickerson Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Luxottica Eye Care Student Leadership Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Marin & Rita Gaffney Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The New Orleans Contact Lens Society Scholarship (2)
• The Richard B. Booth Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Robert and Judy Rutstein Binocular Vision Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Sara Fran Hanan Endowed Award Fund for Low Vision
• The Schaeffer Eye Center Endowed Award Fund
• The SECO International Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The SECO University Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Smith-Hammonds Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Southern Council of Optometrists Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Sylvia D. Worrell Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Vision Care Institute Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Whitewater Creek Symposia Endowed Optometry Scholarship
• The Zeiss Endowed Optometry Scholarship

Alabama Board of Optometry Scholarship and Loan Awards

The Alabama Board of Optometric Scholarship and Loan Awards (BOSLA) considers candidates for an upfront award of up to $140K in return for at least six years of service in an Alabama small town/rural community in need of an optometry professional.

Scholarship Requirements

• The award money is in addition to any regular earnings it does not replace or constitute an awardee's practice income.
• First through fourth year students are eligible to apply.
• In-state residency for UAB is not required.

Application Requirements

• Personal Statement: A typewritten, 12 font sized, double-spaced, one-page essay that briefly explains why the applicant is applying to the Board of Optometry Rural Service Program, how their professional goals relate to the eye health/healthcare workforce needs in Alabama, and what makes them a good fit for practicing optometry in a small-town setting.
• Resume: A one-to-two-page resume (12-point font, double spaced) outlining relevant professional and volunteer experience only.
• Recommendation letters from two professional or educational references, with one recommendation coming from an optometrist who can attest to the applicant's fit for this program.

Why Practice in a Rural Community?

Small town life has many unique advantages, including stronger connections with the community, less practice saturation, less competition, and relatively low overhead costs. Small town optometrists can develop a broad range of clinical skills by engaging in a wide variety of procedures and make a significant difference in their communities.

Qualifying Counties

The qualifying counties are subject to change depending upon workforce metrics and include:

• Bullock
• Chambers
• Coosa
• Greene
• Henry
• Lowndes
• Monroe
• Perry
• Russell
• Sumter
• Washington
• Wilcox

Tuition & Fees

• Resident: $10,552 per semester, $31,656 per year
• Non-Resident: $18,004 per semester, $54,012 per year
• Non-Resident with Merit Scholarship: $13,671 per semester, $41,012 per year
• Mandatory Fees:
  • 1st Year: $1,196
  • 2nd Year: $1,346
  • 3rd Year: $1,346
  • 4th Year: $1,184
• Insurance Cost:
  • Health Insurance (can opt out with proof of current coverage): $2,460
  • Dental Health Fee (can opt out with proof of current coverage): $102
• 98% of non-resident, non-contract students qualify for the School of Optometry Merit Scholarship.