About
Welcome to the UAB School of Optometry, where we are preparing our students to be the nation’s leaders in providing comprehensive, evidence-based eye care and discovering new principles of vision science. The UAB School of Optometry is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
As one of the top optometry programs in the nation, we were the first in the U.S. to be fully integrated into an academic health center. As a result, small classes with a target size of 55 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, and students have opportunities to join them in research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries in vision science.
Since awarding its first Doctor of Optometry degree in 1973, the UAB School of Optometry has grown to include graduate degrees in vision science and three dual degree programs: OD/MBA, OD/MPH and OD/MS. We also offer eight residency programs for additional training in optometry with 16 highly competitive spots, all accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
Students receive clinical training at UAB Eye Care, a 34,000-square-foot teaching facility that provides personalized primary eye care, treatment for ocular diseases, low-vision rehabilitation and optical services. Optometry students at UAB provide numerous screenings and comprehensive eye exams in the clinic and across Alabama through community outreach. Students, faculty and residents collectively examine nearly 25,000 patients per year.
About Birmingham
The UAB campus occupies nearly 90 city blocks on the southside of downtown Birmingham and is the region’s principal economic driver. With a metropolitan population of about 1 million, Birmingham offers the amenities of a big city with the warmth and hospitality of a Southern town.
The Magic City, as Birmingham is known, is in the midst of a vast revitalization. Recently added to the downtown cityscape is a minor league baseball stadium (home to the Birmingham Barons) and the award-winning Railroad Park—19 acres of green space designed to celebrate the industrial and artistic heritage of the city. A number of craft breweries, renowned restaurants, growing businesses and renovated loft apartments are also part of the city’s recent growth.