Doctor of Optometry and Master of Business Administration

The first program of its kind in the nation, the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Doctor of Optometry opens a new website/Master of Business Administration (OD/MBA) program exposes students to a truly interdisciplinary approach to learning. Here, the fundamental and advanced principles of both optometry and business converge to provide a greater understanding of the business of eye care.
Some of the greatest challenges in healthcare today are business related. As optometrists find themselves in an increasingly complex business environment, many are choosing to pursue a business education in order to navigate the healthcare system with efficiency and effectiveness. Combining a business degree with an optometry degree can help future healthcare leaders learn to manage rapid change and traverse the uncertainties of management with flexibility.

Students who choose the OD/MBA option often plan careers with both clinical and administrative responsibilities, perhaps opening their own practices. OD/MBA graduates can manage group practices and clinics more effectively and efficiently. Students successfully completing the program should understand how to use innovation and strategic thinking to solve healthcare problems and become fluent in the languages of science and business - putting them on the fast track to career advancement.

Baccalaureate Degree- Applicants must be holders of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. Quantitative Requirement- The UAB MBA Program requires that students have completed the equivalent of a pre-calculus course with a grade of C or better within the past five years. A free, self-paced pre-calculus tutorial and quiz is provided online for admitted students who do not meet this requirement and must be successfully completed before the start of their first term. TOEFL IBT score of 80 (minimum of 20 in each subscore) or IELTS of 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 in each subscore).