The School of Optometry offers an accelerated Master's program in response to a number of needs among which are: Academic recognition of the contributions of outstanding students to original research and provision of academic enrichment for these students. Provision of an introduction to postgraduate study and research for good undergraduate students who might otherwise overlook the opportunity of graduate studies. Graduate training which provides an increased scientific component to clinical training and produces graduates who have a further specialization in an area of Vision Science. Provision of a quicker route to the MSc for outstanding students.
General Principles of the Accelerated Master's Program
An accelerated Master's program is one in which it is deemed academically advantageous to treat the educational process leading through the OD to the MSc degree as a continuous unit, while at the same time satisfying the requirements for both degrees. The accelerated program also provides the opportunity for mutual enrichment of both programs. The Vision Science background of the OD program serves as a solid precursor to research at an MSc level. The research at the MSc level broadens the application of the Vision Science component beyond that of the OD program and provides an increased scientific component to clinical training. This program provides an alternative scheduling of the requirements of both degrees to that used when the OD is considered a terminal degree.
Conditions
The following are general conditions that all such accelerated Master's degree programs satisfy:
Students in the accelerated Master's program will fulfill the degree requirements of both the OD program and the MSc program. This implies that:
a) nine terms of full-time enrolment at the undergraduate level and at least two terms of full-time enrolment at the graduate level are mandatory;
b) the graduate program must include at least four (graduate) courses and a thesis.
There must be complete freedom of transferability from the accelerated program to the OD or other undergraduate programs, or from the MSc program to the PhD program.
Admission to the accelerated program is on the basis of merit, as is continuance in the program. Students who fail to maintain sufficiently high standing will be required to revert to the OD program, or even, if their undergraduate performance so warrants, to withdraw from the University. Admission to the accelerated program does not guarantee admission to the MSc program.
The culmination of the accelerated program is the Master's degree; this will be achieved through the completion of a research thesis and 4 graduate courses (0.5 unit weight each).
Entry to an accelerated Master's program may occur as early as the term following completion of the first year of the OD program.
An accelerated Master's degree program must have the flexibility to satisfy the requirements of individual students; at the same time it must have coherence - each student's program must be addressed towards a well-defined area of specialization in Vision Science.
Structure of the Accelerated Master's Program
Application and Admission
Admission to the accelerated Master's degree program is restricted to students with a consistently good academic record at the end of the first year who are granted "conditional admission to the MSc program". The condition to be fulfilled is "satisfactory completion of the requirements for admission to the MSc program and a cumulative 75% average within the Optometry program. In granting admission to the program both the academic record in the OD program and in the preoptometry program and any research experience will be considered. Students must have a minimum 73-76% (B) average within the optometry program to be eligible for admission, and would normally have an 85-89% (A) standing in their preoptometry program. Students must have all application forms completed and be conditionally accepted into the accelerated program by the beginning of the 4th year. As in any program culminating in a Master's degree, a faculty supervisor is appointed on admission. Students are encouraged to consult faculty members regarding their research interests.
Course Programs
Although the supervisor advises students, all course selections and other academic administrative matters concerning each student are subject to the approval of the School's Undergraduate Officer and the Graduate and Research Committee.
The courses chosen by the student (with the advice of the supervisor and approval of the Undergraduate Officer and Graduate and Research Committee) should form a coherent series which (together with the thesis) complete the requirements of the OD and, ultimately, the Master's degrees.
In 3rd or 4th year,600 level courses may be chosen for credit to the MSc degree. These courses are in addition to the normal academic program for the OD level. Technically, it is necessary for students to register for these courses as "extras" in order to avoid counting them towards the requirements of the OD degree. Advanced standing in these courses will be granted following acceptance to the graduate program. Students will be encouraged to register in OPTOM 441/451 (Research Project).
A student proceeding to an MSc will normally complete the balance of the 4 required graduate courses in the one or two terms following 4th year.
Summer Research Terms
It is expected that most of the students proceeding to the MSc degree will be involved in summer research terms following first and second years. During these summer terms they are not required to register and they may be hired as associate researchers for the purposes of various research grants, without the restriction of student salaries. This combination can be attractive from the points of view of available research time, income generation for the student and total research cost from a grant. Work done during these summer research terms may be included in the thesis. During summer research terms, students may register as part-time undergraduate students, or, if all requirements for enrolment in an MSc program are met, graduate students, if they wish to pursue a graduate level course for which they are deemed to have adequate undergraduate preparation.
Fourth-Year Projects
For students in the accelerated Master's program, OPTOM 441/451 (Research Projects) may be integrated with their summer terms as well as with their work following 4th year. The thesis must contain a substantial research contribution in addition to that submitted for credit in OPTOM 441/451, such that the total normal research requirements of OPTOM 441/451 and the MSc thesis are met.
Granting of Degrees
The OD degree will be granted at the normal time, i.e. at the Spring Convocation following the 4th year. The program, however, culminates in the MSc. A minimum of two terms full-time enrolment in the MSc is required in addition to those required for the OD Degree. It is expected that the MSc degree will be completed more quickly than in the regular MSc program. Additional time may be required to complete the thesis or coursework.
Postgraduate Scholarships
Students in the accelerated Master's program may apply for graduate NSERC, OGS scholarships, etc. at the same time as their colleagues in the regular programs. They are also eligible for Optometry undergraduate scholarships during the summer terms.
Withdrawal or Failure
Students may remain in the accelerated Master's program provided they maintain sufficiently high academic standards. The minimum is a cumulative 75% average (70% in undergraduate courses to the end of 4th year, 70% in graduate courses) and no conditional standing.
A student who fails to maintain this standard will be required to withdraw from the accelerated degree program. In such a case, all courses taken up to the end of 4th year, including those originally intended to fulfill part of the Master's degree requirements, will be counted towards the OD degree program elective course requirements and these marks included in the 4th year averages as appropriate. Should the student have then satisfied the requirements for the OD degree, it will be granted at the next Convocation. Such students will not be permitted to enter the regular MSc program.
If a student maintains at least the minimum standard mentioned above, but decides to withdraw voluntarily from the accelerated Master's program, the student may choose to count courses towards the OD degree which were originally intended to fulfill part of the Master's degree requirements. When the requirements for the OD degree have been satisfied, the OD will be granted at the next Convocation. Such a student will be allowed (at a later date) to enter the regular MSc program. For these students, graduate courses counted towards the OD degree may not be applied to the Master's degree, but graduate courses not previously counted towards the OD degree may be counted towards the MSc with the approval of the Graduate and Research Committee
Transfer to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program
Following completion of the OD program, an accelerated Master's student will be eligible for transfer to the PhD program on the same basis as a regular MSc student.