Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science
The Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science program provides a broad, graduate-level core curriculum in vision science, optics, binocular vision, ocular anatomy, physiology, genetics, statistics, and research methodology, preparing students through interdisciplinary study for scholarly research and professional contribution. The program emphasizes detailed coursework, conducting research, and interacting with students, faculty, patients and fellow professionals in a variety of academic, laboratory and clinical settings. Students receive in-depth training to conduct basic, applied and/or clinical vision research, achieve proficiency in developing and presenting basic and advanced material as effective lectures in small to large classes, grand rounds, continuing education venues, and as peer-reviewed presentation at major national and international meetings.
The program consists of 60 credit hours, including 26 credit hours in core curriculum coursework. After successful completion of the core coursework, students are eligible to take a written qualifying exam, scheduled for the summer semester. In the fall of the second year of enrollment, an oral qualifying exam is offered to determine the student’s eligibility to continue in dissertation research and writing.
Candidates for the PhD must complete 30 hours of dissertation research and writing, which begins at the end of completion of core coursework.
Admission Requirements
Admission to doctoral study is restricted to applicants whose backgrounds show promise of scholarship in the field of study. In addition to the General Requirements and Application Procedures for graduate study at UIW, requirements for admission include:
— Bachelor's degree in a field relevant to vision science from an accredited university.
— Official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate and/or professional schools.
— Two Letters of recommendation from professional colleagues, instructors or professors.
— Official Score Report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with Verbal.
— The following GRE component scores are highly recommended:
— Verbal Reasoning ≥ 142
— Quantitative Reasoning ≥ 143
— Analytical Writing ≥ 2.7
— International Students: Official score report of English proficiency test.
— Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.
— Conditional admission is allowed and retention is based on performance in core curriculum.
Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science Degree Plan
Successful completion of the Doctor of Philosophy in Vision Science program requires:
— a minimum of 33 months in residency;
— a minimum of 60 credit hours;
— successful completion of all core curriculum with letter grades of “B” or higher;
— successful completion of a written qualifying exam;
— successful completion of an oral qualifying exam and advancement to candidacy;
— successful completion of a written dissertation, major portions of which are suitable for publication as at least three papers in peer-reviewed journals.
The PhD program in Vision Science consists of 60 credit hours. Core curriculum coursework accounts for 26 hours. After successful completion of the core coursework, students are eligible to take a written qualifying exam, which is an objective, multiple-choice exam reflecting a compilation of topics from the core curriculum. The qualifying exam is scheduled for the summer semester. In the fall of the second year of enrollment, an oral qualifying exam is offered to determine the student’s eligibility to continue in dissertation research and writing.
Candidates for the PhD must complete 30 hours of dissertation research and writing, which begin at the end of completion of core coursework.
Department of Defense students may begin coursework in July, to match their Permanent Change of Station move; this option is also available to non-DOD students.
Independent study can be substituted for in-class course attendance if approved by the dissertation advisor and course instructor(s), but all courses must be completed with a letter grade of “B” or higher.
Core Curriculum
Fall Semester—Year 1
Spring Semester—Year 1
Matriculation Program Curriculum
Summer Semester—Year 1
| VISC 7125/VISC 6125 | Teaching In Vision Science | 1 |
| VISC 8550 | Dissertation Research, Analysis and Writing | 5 |
| Written Qualifying Exam | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 6 |
Fall Semester—Year 2
| VISC 7125/VISC 6125 | Teaching In Vision Science | 1 |
| VISC 8550 | Dissertation Research, Analysis and Writing | 5 |
| Oral Qualifying Exam | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 6 |
Spring Semester—Year 2 Advancement to Candidacy
Summer Semester—Year 2
Fall Semester—Year 3
| VISC 8550 | Dissertation Research, Analysis and Writing | 5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 5 |
Spring Semester—Year 3
| VISC 8550 | Dissertation Research, Analysis and Writing | 5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 5 |
Total Credit Hours: 60