Georgia Southern’s new College of Optometry advances with Board of Regents degree approval
Georgia Southern University received approval from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) today to establish a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree program. The decision authorizes the creation of Georgia’s first college of optometry at Georgia Southern and allows the institution to offer the new degree, filling a long-standing educational and health care gap in the state.
“This Doctor of Optometry program, the state’s first program of its kind, represents an important investment in health care education in Georgia by expanding regional health care access and removing geographic barriers for residents seeking optometric education and care,” said Avinandan Mukherjee, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Southern. “Building on a comprehensive health care education portfolio and interprofessional experiential pedagogies at Georgia Southern, this program will serve to expand access to ocular medicine while educating future Georgia optometrists.”
The new college of optometry in Georgia addresses a critical need for expanded access to eye care across the state, particularly in rural and underserved communities, and as an increased demand for modern, cost-effective eye care places new pressures on the health care system. By training future optometrists in Georgia, Georgia Southern will continue to help strengthen the health care workforce pipeline and improve health outcomes for generations to come.
The Board of Regents approval also allows Georgia Southern to recruit an inaugural dean, followed by an associate dean, assistant dean and eventually several clinical and research directors, 25 specialized faculty members and 12 support staff.
The degree approval by the Board of Regents follows the allocation of $29.8 million in direct state funding through the state’s Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget (HB 973) to launch the new college at Georgia Southern. The state investment supports the comprehensive renovation of the Highway 301 facility in Statesboro, converting it into a modern academic and clinical training center specifically tailored for optometric education.
This valuable health care resource will also expand opportunities for students to pursue careers in vision care by exposing them to a new level and quality of academic preparation and clinical rotations that have not been available to them in the state of Georgia. The University anticipates enrolling an inaugural class in the O.D. program in Fall 2029.
The program is pending final approval by the Commission on Colleges and Universities and is in stage one of accreditation with the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
In August, Georgia Southern announced that a Optometric Education Task Force, led by Horace Deal, O.D., was established to advise on the development of the University’s College of Optometry. Together, the task force will provide strategic guidance as Georgia Southern advances planning for the college of optometry, including program proposal, curriculum development, accreditation planning, partnerships, clinical education opportunities and workforce alignment.