Welcome from the Dean!

The Michigan College of Optometry (MCO) at Ferris State University belongs to a group of only 20 schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and is the only college of optometry in the state of Michigan. The mission of the college is stated as follows:

The Michigan College of Optometry prepares doctoral and post-doctoral students for successful professional careers, responsible citizenship, and lifelong learning. Through its clinically-based education and patient care, the Michigan College of Optometry serves the optometric health care needs of society.

The profession of optometry has evolved rapidly in recent years with the result being exciting but demanding challenges for optometric educational institutions. MCO has been a national leader in curricular innovation and continues to review its curriculum to assure that course content, course sequence, and clinical experiences combine to offer each student a leading edge optometric education. The current four-year curriculum that is delivered by a top-notch faculty guides the students through basic science underpinnings, clinical technical skill acquisition, diagnosis and treatment planning, patient and practice management development, and personal and professional ethics evolution.

This happens to be a particularly exciting time for MCO because, beyond the state-of-the-art curriculum, a brand new facility is under construction to house the educational and clinical activities of the college. This innovative new home for MCO will provide 21st century quarters for the faculty, staff and students of MCO and the patients they serve.

The focus of the optometric educational activities at MCO continues to be the personalized interaction between faculty and students that has been the trademark of MCO since its inception. Among the smallest of the nation’s optometry schools (currently admitting only 36 highly-qualified students per class), MCO is committed to accessibility of faculty and staff to enhance all aspects of student life.

We are also fortunate at MCO to be able to offer post-doctoral residency training in the areas of cornea and contact lenses, ocular disease, primary care, and pediatrics. Our seven different residency opportunities give the residents concentrated clinical and didactic experiences in specific areas that result in advanced competency in those specialties.

Students who are admitted to MCO in the doctor of optometry degree program find it to be academically challenging, intellectually stimulating and highly personally rewarding. Beyond the traditional classroom education, MCO students enrich their learning and themselves by taking on student leadership roles, tutoring fellow students, and providing vision screenings as well as comprehensive care to underserved populations in our area and on overseas mission trips.

Feel free to contact us or to drop by and visit and observe firsthand the caliber of faculty and staff at MCO and the quality of the educational interaction they have on a daily basis with the enthusiastic students here.