Durham Tech Opticianry Program Opticianry Program About the Opticianry Degree About the Opticianry State Boards Contact the Opticianry Program Director Durham Tech Open Campus About on-line learning Resources for students Durham Tech home page Contact Durham Tech Now available on a computer near you . . . . . .  Opticianry A.A.S. Degree through distance learning

• A way for people who live in North Carolina to earn the A.A.S. Degree in Opticianry without moving to Durham N.C.
• Semester-driven:  The classes will start in late August and early January, and the students will have to complete their class work by mid December and mid May.
• Non-laboratory Opticianry courses that the student may take from home, the computer in the local public library, the computer in the learning center of the local community college, . . .
• Laboratory-based Opticianry courses that will require the student to come to Durham one day every month during the semester.  Prospective students who live outside North Carolina may participate in the program if they are willing/able to come to Durham one day every month.

• Easy.
• A way to get college credit for all the years that you have been working in the profession.
• A way to take any class you want to any time you want to.
• A way to go to school full time and work full time too.

What will be involved:

Subject to change without notice.

• General education courses

You may take these at any community college, college or university. If you already have college credits in these subjects you may be able to transfer them to Durham Tech.

Courses required (numbers are for the N.C. Community College System.  Other colleges / universities will have different numbering systems):

• ACC 120 Principles of Accounting I -- This course will be a basic course in collecting, summarizing, analyzing, and reporting financial information.
• CIS 110 Introduction to Computers -- This course covers the basics of what computers are and how to use them.  The student should become familiar with the basics of word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and the Internet.
• ENG 111 Expository Writing -- This course emphasizes the basic skills involved in producing a good quality college-level essay or paper.
• ENG 112 Argument-Based Research -- This course continues the process of writing pagers, but emphasizes research techniques, documentation, and the presentation of arguments supporting the paper's thesis.
• Humanities elective -- Any course in literature, music, art, religion, or any language except English.
• MAT 121 Algebra/Trigonometry I -- This course covers basic college-level algebra and basic trigonometry.  A course chosen to transfer for this course should at a minimum cover basic college-level algebra.
• PSY 150 -- General Psychology -- This course provides an overview of the study of human behavior.
• Science elective -- Any basic college-level course in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.


The student should take a course that is a minimum of 3 semester hours in each of these subjects.  This will be a total of a minimum of 24 semester hours of non-opticianry specific courses.

 

• Opticianry courses

NON-LABORATORY courses
The non-laboratory Opticianry courses will be Internet-driven courses.  The degree student will go 'on-line' each week to print out the weekly assignment.  In any given week the student may be given reading assignments in the text book, research assignments, lectures to read, problems to solve, exercises to do at a local opticianry store, an on-line discussion to join, etc.  Each week the student will be required to submit an assignment to the Durham Tech instructor to show 'attendance' in the class for that week.  Courses will be:
• OPH 121 -- Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
• OPH 222 -- Optical Business Management -- This course will cover topics about basic small business management, frame board management, etc.
• OPH 131 -- Optical Dispensing I -- This course is an introduction to the profession of Opticianry.  The student will learn basic dispensing concepts and be exposed to basic dispensing skills.
• OPH 233 -- Advanced Optical Procedures -- This course will require the student to learn about the elements of the eye exam, and specialty subjects such as low vision, safety, sports, and pediatric dispensing.
• OPH 141 -- Optical Theory I -- This course introduces the basic topics in the theory of light and the concepts and formulas involved in ophthalmic lens work.
• OPH 142 -- Optical Theory II -- This course continues the study of the concepts and formulas involved in ophthalmic lens work.
• OPH 243 -- Technical Proficiency -- This course will help the student prepare for the North Carolina Opticianry Board exam.  This course may be taken only during the last semester of work in the Opticianry A.A.S. degree.
• OPH 282 -- Externship -- The student will work in laboratory and/or dispensing situations near the student's domicile that are not the student's current Opticianry employment.  The student will be required to demonstrate to the 'employer' the mastery of a list of basic skills involved in the retail Opticianry profession.  This will be 6 hours (one day) per week, and by N.C. State law this work experience is unpaid.


The courses with an active link are available now on the Internet.


LABORATORY-BASED courses
The laboratory based Opticianry courses will not be entirely Internet driven.  The student will be required to come to Durham for 3 to 6 hours  (in one day) every month for each course.  The best use of the student's time will be to take two of these courses at a time in order to minimize travel time.  The student will be told what days he/she will be required to be in Durham before the beginning of the semester.

The student will be required to locate a "facilitator" for these laboratory courses. The facilitator must be:

1. a Licensed Optician in NC, or an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist;
2. able and willing to spend 3-6 hours/week on the non-travel weeks with the student overseeing laboratory/dispensary/clinical exercises;
3. knowledgeable in the subject -- for example, for the OPH 111 course the facilitator will have to be skilled in laboratory work; for OPH 261 the facilitator will have to be actively fitting contact lenses.


Each course will involve some independent study, reading, formulas, etc., as well as one-half to one day every month at Durham Tech.  On the monthly visits to Durham the student will be shown manual skills for the next month,  told what projects will have to be completed during the month, and  given any  materials that are necessary to complete those projects.  The student will be responsible for finding a laboratory near home or work where these skills may be practiced.

• OPH 111 -- Ophthalmic Laboratory I -- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 6 hours (one day) every month.  It covers basic safety and environmental considerations, an overview of ophthalmic laboratory work, surfacing formulas and surfacing skills.
• OPH 112 -- Ophthalmic Laboratory II -- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 3 hours (in one day) every month.  It covers finishing (edging) formulas and skills.
• OPH 215 -- Laboratory Proficiency -- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 3 hours (in one day) every month.  The student will be required to demonstrate the ability to perform all normal ophthalmic laboratory skills.
• OPH 132 -- Optical Dispensing II -- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 3 hours (in one day) every month.  The student will demonstrate the mastery of basic dispensing skills and learn intermediate dispensing skills.
• OPH 251 -- Internship -- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 3 hours (in one day) every month.  The student will work in the Durham Tech Opticianry Clinic, which is a retail dispensary and atypical surfacing/finishing lab, under the supervision of a Durham Technical Opticianry Instructor.
• OPH 261 -- Contact Lens I-- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 3 hours (in one day) every month.  The student will learn basic contact lens theory and fitting.  The laboratory time will be spent learning to use the standard contact lens equipment.
• OPH 262 -- Contact Lens II -- This course will require the student to come to Durham for 3 hours (in one day) every month.  Topics will include advanced Contact Lens theory and fitting.  The laboratory time will be spent practicing standard contact lens equipment.


A typical semester for the distance learning student might be include taking OPH 112, Laboratory II and OPH 132, Dispensing II.  The student's schedule (communicated at the beginning of the semester) might be travel to Durham on the first Monday of every month.  Possible typical schedule:

• 9 am -10 am (OPH 112)  the student would be in the laboratory demonstrating to the Opticianry instructor the skills learned over the past month.
• 10 am - 11 am (OPH 112) the student would be shown the next laboratory skills to be learned.
• 11 am - 12 noon (OPH 112) the student would have time to begin practicing the new laboratory skills, and would be able to discuss any problems/ questions arising from the weekly didactic lessons from the past month.  This may also be the time for the mid-term exam and final exam.
• 12 noon - 1 pm break for lunch.
• 1 pm - 2 pm (OPH 132) the student would be in the dispensary demonstrating to the Opticianry instructor the skills learned over the past month.
• 2 pm - 3 pm (OPH 132) the student would be shown the next dispensing skills to be learned.
• 3 pm - 4 pm (OPH 132) the student would have time to begin practicing the new dispensing skills, and would be able to discuss any problems/ questions arising from the weekly didactic lessons from the past month.  This may also be the time for the mid-term exam and final exam.


Subject to change without notice.

Required A.A.S. Opticianry Degree course textbooks:

1.    Appler, Dennis, Muth, White, Management for Opticians, 2nd ed, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999
2. * Brooks & Borish, System for Ophthalmic Dispensing, 2nd ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996
3. * Brooks, Essentials for Ophthalmic Lens Work,  Butterworth-Heinemann, 1983.
4. * Brooks, Understanding Lens Surfacing,  Butterworth-Heinemann, 1992.
5. * Contact Lens Society of America  Contact Lens Manual:  A Comprehensive Study and Reference Guide.
6.    Contact Lens Society of America  Advanced Contact Lens Manual:  A Comprehensive Study and Reference Guide, Vol II
7. * Remington, Clinical Anatomy of the Visual System, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1997.
8.    Stoner & Perkins, Optical Formulas Tutorial, 2nd ed, Elsevier, 2005.

Available from:
Durham Technical Community College Bookstore:  (919) 686-3642
http://efollett.com
Contact Lens Society of America:  (703) 437-5100
 

The student will need access to a computer with Internet access, a printer, and an e-mail address.

1. Computer:  Pentium or better recommended.  It does not have to be at home or at work.
2. Internet access:  This can be a free service (many retailers such as Barnes and Noble offer CD's with free dial-up service).  AOL, Web TV, Netscape, Internet Explorer;  all fine.  For some applications the server software may need to be relatively recent.  If you are reading this text in a browser where the 'questions' are in their own frame on the left while you are reading this text, the browser is probably just fine.
3. E-mail address:  There are several free e-mail services.  Hotmail and Juno are two of them.  There are more.  Hotmail (and some of the other ones) allows you to access your e-mail from any browser without changing someone else's e-mail program.
4. Other software:  There will occasionally be the need for other software.  The student will need to submit papers occasionally, and writing the paper in Word will facilitate attaching it to an e-mail message to the instructor.
5. Other hardware:  A printer will be needed for printing out lessons so that the student may study lessons without being 'on the computer'.  The student should also have 3.5" disks for storing his/her work if he/she is using someone else's computer, the computer at work, or the computer in the public or community college library.
6. It is advisable that the student take CIS 110 or the equivalent computer course very early in the degree program, since a lot of questions about how to do things will be answered in this course.

1. Call the admissions office (919) 686-3300 for an application for Durham Tech.  Fill it out completely and mail it back to the admissions office.  There is no fee for this application.
2. Request proof of High School graduation or G.E.D. (or the international equivalent) be sent directly to Durham Tech.  If your name has changed make sure your current name or your social security number is on the request.  If you did not graduate from High School or get a G.E.D. you will not be able to take the Opticianry courses.
3. Take english, reading and math placement tests at the college where you will be taking English, Math, science, etc.  Have your scores sent to Durham Tech.  You will be admitted to the Opticianry program when the school where you are taking these courses has accepted you into the college-level English and Math courses.
4. If you have a 2-year or four-year degree already then you do not need the placement tests sent to Durham Tech.  Have a copy of your College transcript sent to the admissions office instead.  If you are requesting transfer credits for your general education courses, call the admissions office at (919) 686-3300 after your college transcript arrives to discuss transfers.
5. Once the Opticianry Program director receives notification that you have been accepted into the degree program you will receive a copy of the Opticianry Student Handbook.

The following costs are approximate, all costs and semester hour requirements are subject to change.
*** TUITION costs subject to change without notice ***

• In this example in-state tuition is $39.50/semester hour, maximum of $632.00/semester to one school.  A student taking courses at two different community colleges in one semester may pay  more than the maximum tuition in a semester.
• *** TUITION costs subject to change without notice. ***
• At this time out-of-state tuition is $219.00/semester hour, or a maximum of $3,512 per semester.  Student must establish residency in N.C. for 1 year before in-state tuition is applicable.  If a student's tuition is paid by an employer located in North Carolina then in-state tuition may be applicable.
• Current as of spring semester 2006.
  

Financial aid for full-time and part-time students is available through Pell grants, V.A., and other sources.  For information call  (919) 686-3660.

To become licensed as an Optician in the state of N.C.  the applicant must either:

1. APPRENTICE
• register for and perform 3.5 years apprenticeship in an approved training establishment;
• complete formal training through either the NAO Career Progression Program or a certificate program from a COA accredited Opticianry program such as the Durham Tech Basic Opticianry Certificate;
• pass the  N.C. State Opticianry Board Examination ; and
• complete 6 months internship in an approved training establishment.


or
 

2. FORMAL EDUCATION
• complete a 2-year college program in opticianry approved by the COA;
• pass the  N.C. State Opticianry Board Examination ; and
• complete 6 months internship in an approved training establishment.

Further information is available from Carolyn Allen, Director, N.C. Board of Opticians, Raleigh, N.C.  (919) 733-9321.

• Over the period 1995-2000, 7% of apprentices passed the N.C. Opticianry Board Examination on the first try.
• Over the period 1995-2000, 41% of Durham Tech degree graduates passed the N.C. Opticianry Board Examination on the first try.

• Over the period 1995-2000, 24% of apprentices retaking the board examination passed it.  This means that after 5 years working experience and four tries at the boards, 59% of applicants who worked apprenticeship have earned the license.
• Over the period 1995-2000, 49% of Durham Tech degree graduates retaking the board examination passed it.  This means that 3.5 years after starting in school (the time when the apprentice starts taking the licensing exam), over 90% of applicants with degrees have earned their license.

*    After 6 months Internship
**  Full time student.  Full time students spend about 40 hours/week on classes and studying.  It is almost impossible to go to school full time and work full time, unless you have no life and do nothing else.

According to information gathered by national organizations, licensed Opticians who have 2-year degrees make an average of $7,000/year more than licensed Opticians who did apprenticeship.  (Source, NFOS.  See that link for more information about the advantages of formal education for Opticians.)

2-year degree graduates have a better than 90% pass rate on the ABO and NCLE examinations.  (Same source.)

Durham Technical Community College allows the student to earn credit for up to 10% of the program through credit by examination.  Requirements:

1. acceptance into the degree program;
2. receive permission from the Opticianry program director to 'test out' of the course  (the recommended procedure is to discuss with the program director and / or the course instructor what knowledge and skills are presented in the course);
3. register for the course and pay the tuition;
4. take the examination in the first two weeks of the semester; and
5. earn an 85 or better (B grade level or better) on the credit by examination for the course.

Not all courses are acceptable for Credit by Examination.  Generally, only the basic-level courses have this option.

The Opticianry degree program consists of 70 semester hours of courses.  Therefore, a student may receive credit by examination for a maximum of 7 semester credits.  This would be two 3-credit courses, or one 3-credit course and one 4-credit course.