Ogeechee Technical College

Opticianry

DESCRIPTION:
A licensed dispensing optician can be described as a visual pharmacist. An optician fills the prescription orders of an Ophthalmologist and Optometrist. The program teaches students to fabricate the prescription lens from the basic lens blank to the finished product that is inserted into fashionable eyewear worn by the patient. State of the art equipment is on the premises for student hands-on involvement. Understanding the theory of refraction and how it is used in obtaining the doctor’s Rx helps the optician master the decision-making process needed in filling the prescription to meet the patient’s eyewear needs according to the doctor’s specifications. Graduates of the program receive an Associate of Applied Science in Opticianry. The Associate of Applied Science in Opticianry is a terminal degree program that is not designed for transfer to a four-year institution.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
Graduates of the Associate of Applied Science in Opticianry are prepared for responsible positions in doctor’s offices and retail dispensing locations.

ACCREDITATION:
The program is accredited by the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation (COA)

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION: Graduates of the Opticianry Program, applying for licensure, must be a graduate of an optical dispensing program approved by the State of Georgia. To be licensed by the State of Georgia, the student must have a passing score in the ophthalmic dispensing examination, 70 for the American Board of Opticianry Examination, 72 for the National Contact Lens Examination and 75 for the practical examination Graduates of the Opticianry Program must pass the licensure examination administered by the state of Georgia in order to be a licensed dispensing optician. The test has three parts: State test, National Contact Lens Exam, and the American Board of Opticianry.

MINIMUM PROGRAM LENGTH: 111 credit hours, 1710 clock hours, 6 quarter(s)

PROGRAM TIMES: Day

ENTRANCE DATES: Every quarter for general education courses, fall quarter for program courses

TUITION (per credit hour): $31.00

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS:
Minimum Age: 16
High School Diploma/GED Required for Program Admission: Yes
High School Diploma/GED Required for Program Completion: Yes
Professional liability insurance fee: Yes, $23.00
Test Scores Required: Yes

CORE COURSES:

ENG 191

Composition and Rhetoric

MAT 196

Contemporary Mathematics

PSY 191

Introductory Psychology

SCT 100

Introduction to Microcomputers

SPC 191

Fundamentals of Speech

Five (5) hours from the following social science course:

SOC 191

Introduction to Sociology

One humanities course from the following:

ENG 193

Literature and Composition

HUM 191

Introduction to Humanities

PROGRAM COURSES:

OPD 101

Introduction to Opticianry

OPD 102

Eye Anatomy and Physiology

OPD 103

Applied Optical Theory

OPD 106

Optical Laboratory Techniques I

OPD 107

Optical Laboratory Techniques II

OPD 108

Contact Lens Instrumentation

OPD 109

Frame Selection and Dispensing

OPD 111

Soft Contact Lenses Concepts

OPD 112

Eyewear Lens Selection and Dispensing

OPD 113

Rigid Contact Lenses Concepts

OPD 114

Ophthalmic Sales

OPD 117

Contact Lens Review

OPD 118

Ophthalmic Dispensing Review

OPD 119

Ophthalmic Dispensing OBI

* "C" or higher grade is required for these courses

As set forth in its student catalog, Ogeechee Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, veteran status, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law). The following individuals have been designated to coordinate the College’s implementation of nondiscrimination policies: Kelli Waters, Title IX Coordinator, Office 143H, JEK Building, 912.871.1885 and Penny Hendrix, ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, Office 171E, JEK Building, 912.486.7211.