Introduction to the School of Visual Sciences
1. Overview of the School
Founded in 1999, the School of Visual Sciences, is the longest-running and largest talent cultivation hub with in the field of visual sciences in Northeast China. It currently offers two undergraduate programs: a four-year program in Optometry (Bachelor of Science, B.Sc.) and a five-year program in Ophthalmological and Optometric Medicine (Bachelor of Medicine, M.B.). These programs are key disciplines developed with the university's premium resources. Among them, the Optometry program has been recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Demonstration Program and a Pilot Program for Applied Development in Liaoning Province.
As a Liaoning Provincial Modern Industry School, it boasts high-quality resources including a National Key Specialty Hospital, a National Training Base for Blindness Prevention and Treatment, and the Juvenile Myopia Prevention Base in Liaoning Province. Additionally, it has over 30 affiliated eye hospitals and more than 60 optometry centers serving as off-campus practice bases, providing students with systematic and diversified platforms for internships, practical training, and career development.
The talent cultivation process closely aligns with the eye health industry, leveraging the advantages of China's eye care industry chain — which integrates healthcare, education, research, industry, and public welfare. The School has established an educational system that integrates the "Medical, Education, Research, and Industry" to cultivate applied optometry talents with strong practical capabilities and high comprehensive quality, as well as interdisciplinary ophthalmology and optometry professionals. These efforts have been highly praised by society and employers.
2. Program Offerings:
Ophthalmological and Optometric Medicine
Duration: 5 years Degree
Awarded: Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.)
Educational Objective:
This program aims to cultivate interdisciplinary talents in ophthalmology and optometry with a solid clinical medical education background, demonstrating distinct advantages in professional knowledge and practical capabilities of ophthalmology and optometry. Graduates are capable of engaging in clinical diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases, formulation and implementation of refractive error solutions, as well as teaching and scientific research in medical and health institutions.
Core Courses:
Human Anatomy, Cytology and Genetics, Neurology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Diagnostics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, Contact Lens Science, Binocular Vision Science, Strabismus and Amblyopia, Optometry, etc.
Career Prospects:
Graduates can pursue careers in clinical diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases, development and implementation of refractive error solutions, as well as teaching and scientific research at various comprehensive hospitals, specialized ophthalmic hospitals and optometry clinics. They can also engage in teaching, research and management roles in research institutions related to medical and optometry, educational institutions, and enterprises specializing in ophthalmic and optometric products.
Optometry
Duration: 4 years Degree
Awarded: Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.)
Educational Objective:
This program aims to cultivate applied talents who master the technologies and methodologies for the entire process of ophthalmic and optometric diagnosis and treatment. Graduates will possess an interdisciplinary knowledge structure integrating medicine, engineering and science, along with composite technical skills in both optical industry and clinical optometry, and are capable of providing comprehensive and professional visual function protection and correction services for eye health.
Core Courses:
Applied Optics in Optometry, Fundamentals of Ophthalmology, Ocular Refraction, Common Eye Diseases and Related Chronic Conditions, Binocular Vision Science, Optometry, Strabismus and Amblyopia, Routine Ocular Examination Techniques, Contact Lens Science, Ophthalmic Optics, Specialized Ocular Examination Techniques, Comprehensive Practice, etc.
Career Prospects:
Graduates can pursue careers in visual healthcare and rehabilitation, visual function examination and training, specialized ophthalmic examinations, diagnosis and treatment of refractive errors, sales of optometric products, as well as research, teaching and management roles in ophthalmology departments, optometry centers, and other related enterprises and institutions.
3. Faculty Team
The School has built a dual-qualified teaching team, where 80% of the faculty are from the clinical frontline, including 32 overseas-educated talents in ophthalmology and optometry and 7 members of national society of optometry and opthalmology. The team possesses both teaching excellence and practical expertise, with a well-balanced structure in terms of professional titles, age, and academic levels. The internationally recognized, high-level faculty team stays abreast of the latest trends in the industry and technological developments and adopts a career-oriented approach to educate, prioritizing job-specific competency development.
The faculty has achieved remarkable results:
•Participated in compiling 4 national "13th Five-Year Plan" textbooks and 5 provincial-level textbooks;
•3 provincial-level undergraduate teaching awards and 3 scientific research projects;
•Won multiple awards in provincial and national educational informatization competitions;
•Several faculty members serve as judges and evaluators for the National Optometry and Optician Vocational Skills Competitions;
•Honored as "Technical Experts in the Eyewear Industry" and won the first prize in multiple sessions of the "Liaoning Provincial Optometry and Optician Vocational Skills Competition".
4. Educational Features
1)Integration of "Medical, Education, Research, and Industry"
Leveraging the advantages of China's eye care industry chain that integrates medical, industry, scientific research, public welfare and education, the School has established a comprehensive talent cultivation system in optometry integrating "Medical, Education, Research, and Industry" to deepen the alignment between education and industry, academia and enterprises, and the teaching process with production procedures.
By closely collaborating with industry partners, the School aims to develop it into a distinctive program rooted in Liaoning Province, serving the ophthalmology and optometry sectors across the Northeast Old Industrial Base and the entire nation, with significant impact within the province. It continuously improves the training conditions of both on-campus and off-campus practical bases to enhance students' comprehensive professional capabilities and employment competitiveness, ensuring a seamless transition to employment.
2)Holistic Character Cultivation
Adhering to the fundamental mission of fostering virtue and cultivating talents, the School implements a holistic character education philosophy centered on the school motto of "Dream, Gratitude, Knowledge, Perseverance, Results". It carries out a series of educational activities covering gratitude, empathy, morality, literacy, and safety, including "Gratitude to Parents", "Blindfold Experience", and "Glory of Medical Practitioners": for the first lesson of the new semester. These activities encouraged students to appreciate their parents, understand their majors, arouse their compassion for visually impaired individuals and strengthen their sense of responsibility and mission.
To enhance students' self-safety management capabilities and create a harmonious and safe campus environment, the School regularly conducts multiple safety education activities such as "Building Evacuation Drills" and "Rejecting Campus Loans Scams".
3)International Exchange and Cooperation
The School's leaders and core faculty members have extensive experience in international exchanges, providing students with opportunities to study abroad and participate in continuing education programs jointly organized with international organizations. Currently, students have engaged in training programs by the International Academy of Orthokeratology Asia (IAOA) and collaborations with Orbis International (training for optometrist and optician) as well as the International IJCAHPO training courses (for optometric assistant), and China-Africa Cooperation Training Programs (for optometrist and optician). Additionally, the School partners with ophthalmic hospitals and optometry centers to jointly launches the "Future Stars" Elite Training Program and organizes the industry-academia Integration lecture series, inviting leading experts from the field to deliver lectures to students.
5. Employment Status
The School's optometry-related programs have the largest enrollment scale among similar institutions in China. During their studies, students receive intensive technical training alongside a strong emphasis on cultivating their management capabilities. Since the School’s establishment, many graduates have grown into hospital directors, managers of multinational companies, and technical backbones in major ophthalmic and optometric enterprises. Graduates have been employed by ophthalmology departments of renowned comprehensive hospitals and specialized eye hospitals, such as Beijing Tongren Hospital, Tianjin Eye Hospital and Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center in Guangzhou. They also work at leading international ophthalmic enterprises and optometry centers including Carl Zeiss AG, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb, Baodao Optical etc.
