Academic Plans - Departmental

A combined Doctor of Optometry – 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 combined program also provides the opportunity for mutual enrichment of both programs. The Vision Science background of the OD Academic Plan 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.

The following are general conditions that all such combined OD – Master's degree Academic Plans satisfy:

1. Students in the combined OD – Master's program will fulfill the degree requirements of both the OD program and the MSc program. This implies that:
   • nine terms of full-time registration at the undergraduate level and at least two terms of full-time registration at the graduate level are mandatory;
   • the graduate program must include at least four (graduate) courses and a thesis.
2. There must be complete freedom of transferability from the combined program to the OD or other undergraduate programs, or from the MSc program to the PhD program.
3. Admission to the combined 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. Students do not become graduate MSc students until after completion of the OD degree. Admission to the combined program does not guarantee admission to the MSc program.
4. The culmination of the combined program is the Master's degree; this will be achieved through the completion of a research thesis and four graduate courses.
5. Entry to a combined OD – Master's program may occur as early as the term following completion of the first year of the OD program.
6. A combined OD – 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.