Course Descriptions
The following 8000-level courses are taken in the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) program.

8010 Gross Anatomy, Physiology and Disease Process I (5)
First in a two-semester course sequence that will detail the general anatomy of the human body along with the histology (microanatomy), physiology and disease processes of major organ systems. Course content will be presented in a modular format. Areas of discussion will include cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, digestive, reproductive, integumentary, and peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. The laboratories will emphasize and augment important concepts introduced in the classroom environment.

8020 Geometric Optics (4)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. The principles of geometric optics as applied to refracting and reflecting surfaces, thin lenses, thick lenses, and lens systems. The optics of various ophthalmic instruments and techniques will be examined.

8030 Practice Management I (2)
An introduction to the profession of optometry, including a consideration of the characteristics of a profession, the history of optometry, the profession's legal limitations, and major optometric organizations. The ethical basis of the practice of optometry will be explored, including a consideration of the theories and principles of normative ethics, biomedical ethics and the responsibilities of the health care practitioner, professional codes of ethics and ethical issues that arise in the practice of optometry. Ethical case studies will be extensively used. This is an interactive course, requiring active participation on the part of the student.

8040 Neuroanatomy (4)
Detailed gross and microscopic anatomy of the human central nervous system with a special emphasis on the cranial nerves, nuclei, and the visual system.

8060 Biochemistry (3)
Basic concepts of general and cellular biochemistry. Study of nomenclature structure, and reactions of organic molecules. Some emphasis on visual system - tears, intraocular fluids, lens, and photochemistry.

8110 Gross Anatomy, Physiology and Disease Process Il (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8010. Continuation of Human Anatomy and Physiology and Disease Processes I. (Three hours lecture, two hours laboratory/week.)

8120 Ocular Optics (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8020. The eye as an image forming mechanism, the schematic eyes, the optical role of the pupil, the retinal image and its evaluation. Nature, classification, and etiology of ametropia. Experimental models of refractive errors. Entoptic phenomena. Mechanism and optical aspects of accommodation.

8140 Physical Optics and Photometry (3)
Prerequisite: Optometry 8020 or consent of instructor. Basic photometric concepts, measurements of light levels, applications in ergonomics, visual and photographic optics. Physical optics including diffraction, interference, polarization, birefringence, and lasers.

8160 Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye (5)
Prerequisite: Opt 8040 and Opt 8010 or consent of instructor. Vegetative anatomy and physiology of the eye, optic nerve, orbit, and adnexa will be discussed. This includes discussion of embryology and the dynamics of ocular fluids and includes a two-hour laboratory.

8180 Clinical Optometry I (2)
Selected tests for ocular assessment including case history, visual acuity, and ophthalmoscopy.

8220 Ophthalmic Optics (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8140, and 8120. Ophthalmic materials, physical characteristics of lenses and frames, paraxial optics of ophthalmic lenses, ophthalmic prisms, lens specifications, special lenses, multifocal lenses, unique designs, aniseikonic lenses, abberation theory and its application to lens design, lenses for low vision, protective eyewear, selecting and dispensing eyewear, management of a dispensary.

8230 Practice Management II (2)
Prerequisite: Opt 8030. Principles of human interpersonal relationships. The enhancement of listening and verbal skills will be provided. Emphasis will be preparing the student to understand and manage the many human interpersonal relationships necessary in the practice of optometry.

8240 Ocular Motility (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8040 or consent of instructor. The anatomy, physiology, neurology, measurement, characteristics, and control of the intra and extraocular system.

8250 Monocular Sensory Processes (5)
Prerequisite: Opt 8160 or consent of instructor. Monocular sensory mechanisms of vision, photoreception, visual neurophysiology, spatial and temporal effects, visual acuity and resolution, adaptation, brightness discrimination, and color vision. Topics include a consideration of both the psychophysical aspects and neurophysiological bases of these mechanisms.

8260 General Pharmacology (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8110. General principles of drug actions on the organ systems, central and peripheral nervous systems, methods of administration, pharmacological actions, side effects, and drug interactions. Regulatory agencies, laws, and drug abuse.

8280 Clinical Optometry II (5)
Prerequisite: Opt 8180. Continuation of clinical optometry. Patient care in the areas of refraction, binocular integration, perimetry, and bimicroscopy.

8290 Physiological Optics Lab II (1)
Prerequisite: Opt 8130. Experiments designed to accompany Opt 8240 and Opt 8250.

8320 Ophthalmic Dispensing (1)
Prerequisite: Opt 8220. Clinical experience in verification and dispensing of ophthalmic materials.

8340 Binocular Vision and Space Perception (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8240, 8280, and 8250 or consent of instructor. Binocular vision and space perception. Visual direction, theory of correspondence, fusion, rivalry, ocular dominance, and stereopsis. Developmental aspects and neurophysiological mechanisms.

8350 Epidemiology (2)
A review of descriptive statistics, probability sampling, correlation, and prediction. The essentials of epidemiological study procedures and a discussion of the epidemiology of vision disorders.

8360 Ocular Pharmacology (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8260. Pharmacology principles, methods of administration, doses, contraindications, and adverse effects of drugs used for the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities of the eye, adnexa and visual system. Ocular manifestations of systemic medications.

8370 Ocular Disease I (4)
The etiology, epidemiology, symptoms, signs, and course sequelae of ocular disease and anomalies. Disease and anomalies of lids, orbit, conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, iris, ciliary body, lens, vitreous, retina, choroid, and optic nerve.

8380 Clinical Optometry III (5)
Prerequisite: Opt 8280. Correlation and analysis of optometric data. Emphasis on diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of visual problems.

8390 Clinical Medicine (2)
Prerequisite: Opt 8290 and 8260. Diagnostic principles and medical management. Comprehensive health history, physical examination and neurological screening with particular association to ocular health conditions. Clinical chemistry and interpretation of clinical laboratory tests, criteria for referral to other providers and emergency office procedures. Comanagement practice with other primary care physicians will be emphasized.

8400 Directed Readings (1)
Credit is given for independent literature review of a specific topic in any area of basic or clinical vision science. Readings are to be supervised by a two person faculty committee and at least one member of this committee must be selected from among the full-time regular faculty. Credit is awarded upon approval of a written paper regarding the selected topic. This elective may be repeated once.

8410 Directed Research (3)
Credit is given for independent research. Projects may be laboratory, library, or clinically based research in any area of vision science. All projects must be undertaken under the supervision of a three member faculty committee. This elective may be repeated once.

8420 Ocular Photography (2)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Optical principles and clinical techniques in photographing the internal and external eye and its adnexa. Includes laboratory exercises on use of the most common types of clinical cameras.

8440 Clinical Applications of Current Topics in Visual Science (2)
(elective) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. A seminar on the use of new discoveries in visual science in clinical optometry. Students will participate in selecting the topics, which will change from year to year, with the guidance of the instructor. The course will also include laboratory demonstrations of seminar topics.

8470 Case Studies in Ocular Disease (1)
Prerequisites: 8370, Ocular Disease I and 8570, Ocular Disease II. This course will focus on discussion of current clinical topics in eye disease as they relate to student experiences in the clinic. Ocular diagnosis and management will be reviewed as well as advanced diagnostic techniques.

8500 General Clinic I (6)
Prerequisite: Opt 8380 and successful completion of all first and second year course work. The clinical examination and care of general clinic patients, along with the fitting and dispensing of lenses and frames.

8520 Contact Lenses I (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8380. Historical development of the contact lens and its use. Basic lens terminology, specifications, physiochemical characteristics, optics, fabrication, and verification. Preliminary patient evaluation, indications and contraindications for contact lenses. Basic fitting philosophies for all lens types. Lens care and patient education. Patient and practice management considerations.

8540 Binocular Vision Anomalies (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8310 and 8340 or consent of instructor. The etiology, epidemiology, symptoms, signs, and course sequelae of the obstacles to binocular vision - sensory, integrative, and motor. The detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and orthoptic treatment of such anomalies. Clinical care of aniseikonias.

8550 Low Vision (3)
The etiology, epidemiology, symptoms, signs, and course sequelae of low vision problems. Methods of testing, prognosis, selection of therapy, design of environmental and optical aids, problems of rehabilitation. Agencies, laws, public and social assistance for the partially sighted and blind.

8560 Public Health (2)
A review of local, state, and federal organizations involved in health care, comprehensive health planning, new trends in health care delivery, and the assessment of the quality of health care delivery. The relationship of vision care to these topics is emphasized.

8570 Ocular Disease II (4)
Prerequisite: Opt 8370. The etiology, epidemiology, systems, signs, course sequelae and management of posterior segment ocular disease and the anomalies and ocular manifestations of systemic diseases. Disease, abnormalities and management of neurological conditions which affect the lids, pupils, extraocular muscles, optic nerve and visual system.

8600 General Clinic II (6)
Prerequisite: Opt 8500 and successful completion of all Fall semester third year course work. Same as General Clinic I.

8610 Environmental Vision (2)
This course considers the relationship of the eye and vision to all aspects of one's environment including home, work, recreation, and transportation. Emphasis will be placed on protecting the eye from injury and maximizing vision performance.

8620 Contact Lenses II (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8520. Advanced contact lens fitting, theories, and clinical methods for astigmatic, presbyopic, keratoconic, and aphakic designs. Special considerations include the use of corneal topography, orthokeratology, disposable lenses, lenses for extended wear and lenses for color deficiencies.

8630 Practice Management III (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8030 and Opt 8230. The development and management of an optometric practice from a patient and community service point of view - office design, office routine, patient care administration, personnel management, and recall systems. The establishment, development, and management of an optometric practice from a business point of view. Legal developments, governmental relationships, legislation and the legislative process, malpractice, professional ethics, taxes, fee structures, insurance, and accounting methods.

8640 Pediatric Optometry (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8380. Special examination and management considerations of the pediatric patient. Psychological, physiological, social, and demographic aspects of early visual development. Discussion of the optometric considerations of children with learning and reading disabilities.

8650 Geriatric Optometry (2)
Same as Gerontology 6458. Special examination and management considerations of the geriatric patient will be discussed. Psychological, physiological, social, and demographic aspects of aging, as well as ocular changes associated with the aging process will be taught.

8660 Contact Lens Specialty Clinic (1)
Prerequisite: Opt 8520 and successful completion of all Fall semester third year course work. The clinical examination and care of patients in the optometric specialty area of contact lenses.

8670 Ocular Assessment (1)
Prerequisite: Enrollment in General Clinic I or II. Discussion of the diagnosis and management of common clinic patient encounters via Socratic teaching techniques. Interns are encouraged to present actual cases which have been particularly challenging for them.

8680 Ophthalmic Lasers (1)
Principles and applications of lasers for ophthalmic use. Emphasis will be placed on demonstration where possible. Topics will include the principles, physics and safety concerns of ophthalmic lasers. Lasers used in retinal imaging, and in the care of glaucoma, cataract, refractive conditions, and cosmetic conditions will be discussed and demonstrated. Comanagement of patients requiring ophthalmic laser treatment will also be covered.

8690 Pediatric/Binocular Vision Specialty Clinic (1)
Prerequisite: Opt 8540 and successful completion of all Fall semester third year course work. The clinical examination and care of patients in the optometric specialty areas of binocular vision and pediatric vision.

8700 UM-St. Louis Pediatric/Binocular Vision Patient Care (3)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients in pediatric/binocular vision clinic at the University of Missouri-St. Louis University Eye Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with 8710 Opt and Opt 8720.

8710 UM-St. Louis Contact Lens Patient Care (3)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care in the contact lens clinic at the University of Missouri-St. Louis University Eye Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with Opt 8700 and Opt 8720.

8720 UMSL Eye Health Management Patient Care (1)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care in the eye health management clinic with ophthalmologists at the University of Missouri-St. Louis University Eye Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with Opt 8700 and Opt 8710.

8730 Optometric Center Patient Care (6)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients at the University of Missouri-St. Louis Optometric Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with Opt 8740.

8740 Optometric Center Eye Health Management Patient Care (1)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients in the eye health management clinic with ophthalmologists at the University of Missouri-St. Louis Optometric Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with Opt 8730.

8750 East St. Louis Center Patient Care (6)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients at the East St. Louis Eye Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with Opt.8850.

8760 Harvester Eye Center Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients at the Harvester Eye Center. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8770 Community Service Rotation in Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients at St. Louis area community health centers. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8780 External Rotation in Institutional Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of primary care patients at external sites approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8790 External Rotation in Ocular Disease Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients with ocular disease at external sites approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8800 External Rotation in Pediatric/Binocular Vision Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of pediatric/ binocular vision patients at an external site approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8810 External Rotation in Contact Lens Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of contact lens patients at an external site approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8820 External Rotation in Low Vision Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of low vision patients at an external site approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8830 External Rotation in General Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of a general population of optometric patients at external sites approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council. This course fulfills one of the clinic courses required for graduation.

8840 External Supplementary Rotation in General Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of general population of optometric patients at an external site approved by the College of Optometry 's Externship Council.

8850 Supplementary Rotation in General Patient Care (7)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of general population of optometric patients at the UM-St. Louis University Eye Center , UM-St. Louis Optometric Center , or the UM-St. Louis East St. Louis Eye Center.

8860 East St. Louis Eye Health Management Patient Care (1)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Comprehensive clinical care of patients in the eye health management clinic with ophthalmologists at the East St. Louis Eye Center. This course fulfills one of the clinical courses required for graduation. This course must be taken in conjunction with Opt 8750.

8870 Practice Management IV (2)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Further in-depth discussion in practice management.

8880 Clinic Seminar (1)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all first, second, and third year course work. Presentation and discussion of interesting clinical patients. Additional clinical testing techniques and concepts. Further discussion of patient data analysis - the process of determining diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Further discussions in the optometric specialties.

8910 Topics in Geriatric Optometry (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 8650. This course will address concerns and options in providing optometric care to a geriatric population. New techniques, research, and public policy changes will be discussed to assist students in assembling a global perspective on delivering health care to a specific population.

8970 Geriatric Patient Care Delivery (3-6)
Prerequisite: Consent of Geriatric Residency Instructors. Direct optometric patient care to a population that is largely geriatric. Emphasis will be on integrating specialty care available for these patients to provide comprehensive vision care. Two hours of direct patient care per week are required per hour of credit. In addition, the student will attend weekly supervisory meetings. May be repeated with consent of instructor for a total of 18 credits. Patient care will become more independent of direct supervision and the type of patients seen will be more varied with each repeat.

The following 6000-level courses may be taken in the master of science or doctor of philosophy programs in Physiological Optics.

6400 Sensory Processes and Perception (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor required for graduate students not in Physiological Optics. Current views on the encoding of various aspects of the visual stimulus (intensity, space, time, and wavelength) that give rise to the perceptions of brightness, contour, motion, and color will be considered in this course. The psychophysical tools available to examine visual encoding will be emphasized. Other topics will include binocular vision and depth perception, information processing approaches to visual pattern recognition, and the similarities and interactions of the visual system with the other sensory modalities.

6401 Visual Optics (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 6406, Opt 8020, or consent of instructor. This course deals with the optical properties of the eye. Included are a review of general optics including physical optics, paraxial and non-paraxial geometric optics, image quality, radiometry and photometry, and optical instrumentation. Topics in visual optics will include schematic eyes, measurement of the parameters of the eye, accommodation, retinal image size, refractive errors, visual axes, spectral absorption by the ocular media, and the optical performance of the eye.

6402 Ocular Anatomy and Physiology (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor required for graduate students not in Physiological Optics. The structures and fluids of the eye and orbit, their interactions and functions are considered in this course. Specific topics include the eyelids, tearfilm, conjunctiva, cornea, iris, ciliary body, vasculature, aqueous humor, vitreous body, and the retina.

6403 Psychophysical Methods and Experimental Design (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor required for graduate students not in Physiological Optics. Advanced methodology for the design and analysis of experiments in a variety of areas of visual science are considered in this course. Both basic and applied topics will be considered. Special emphasis will be placed on psychophysical methodology, signal detection analysis, and scaling techniques.

6404 Sensory Neuroscience (3)
Prerequisite: Opt 6405, Opt 8040, or consent of instructor. This course will deal with the neural organization of the sensory systems with an emphasis on vision. It will include a review of general neurophysiology and neuroanatomy as they relate to the processing of environmental stimuli into neural information, as well as experimental approaches utilized in neurobiology. Topics to be covered include neural transduction and sensory coding by receptors and neurons, constraints on perception defined by the functional organization of the nervous system, sensory development and plasticity as related to neural development, and evolution of sensory systems.

6405 Neuroanatomy (5)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Detailed gross and microscopic anatomy of the human central nervous system with a special emphasis on the cranial nerves, nuclei, and the visual system. Students may not receive credit for both Opt 6405 and Opt 8040.

6455 Visual Information Processing (2)
Prerequisite: Completion of core or consent of instructor. This course covers a variety of topics related to the computer modeling of visual problems, such as the detection of surfaces and three-dimensionality, the perception of color, and the encoding of motion. Computer models will be evaluated in terms of their efficiency, veridicality, and relation to biology.

6456 Oculomotor Systems (2)
Prerequisite: Completion of core or consent of instructor. The intra-and extraocular muscle systems illustrate the role of visual and other sensory information in feedback control systems. Topics include the control of eye movements, accommodation and pupil size, and their synkinetic relationship in the near triad. The anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of the muscles, kinematics, methods of measuring eye movements, neurophysiology of eye movements, and perceptual phenomena are also discussed.

6470 Individual Studies in Physiological Optics (2)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. This course designation can be used to cover a variety of topics in visual science. In general, very specific topics of limited interest will be presented as individual studies. Individual studies and advanced topics enable the student's course of study to be sharply tuned to his or her major area of interest.

6490 Graduate Research in Physiological Optics (1-15)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Research in an area selected by the student in consultation with faculty members. May be taken to a maximum of 10 hours for the M.S. and 15 hours for the Ph.D.

6497 Interdisciplinary Geriatric Care (2)
(Same as Gerontology 6497). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Interdisciplinary approaches that address the medical and social needs of the elderly will be examined. Information about geriatric care and social issues affecting the well-being of older adults will be provided. Clinical, theoretical, and educational perspectives will be presented.

6499 Current Topics in Optometry and Vision Science (1)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. This seminar course examines and analyzes current publications in eye care and vision research. May be taken as an optometry elective to a maximum of 3 hours.