Visitor Information
About Us
Our Core Values
- The core values of the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO), are those qualities that constitute the educational philosophy and spirit of the institution, and permeate every aspect of the campus community. The College emphasizes and enhances these values in its students throughout the professional program.
- The core values of SCCO are leadership, ethics, professionalism, compassion, commitment, pursuit of excellence, pursuit of knowledge, collegiality, and sense of community.
Our Vision
- Enhancing the quality of life through vision care.
Our Mission
- The mission of the Southern California College of Optometry is to provide the highest quality optometric education through excellence in teaching, patient care, research, public service and institutional management.
Our Focus
- Next to life itself,
God's most precious gift is sight,
And to the ministry of this great gift,
The profession of optometry dedicates itself.
Our Inspiration
- Good vision is more than seeing 20/20...it is seeing without effort.
History
- Established in 1904
- Private
- Non-profit, 501 (c) 3
- Independent
- Fully accredited
- Four-year professional college granting the Doctor of Optometry degree.
- Third oldest of the schools and colleges of optometry in the United States.
- In 1973, the College moved to a newly built campus in the City of Fullerton from downtown Los Angeles.
Governance
- A 22-person Board of Trustees governs the College.
- Trustees are non-salaried.
- No financial benefits accrue to any members of the controlling body.
Accreditation
- American Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association
- Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
- Historically, every accreditation site-visit by ACOE and WASC has resulted in full accreditation status.
- SCCO offers 16 different postdoctoral residency programs, with 30 residency positions. All programs are fully accredited and structured in accordance with the guidelines of the ACOE.
Students and Admissions
- Individuals best qualified to make a contribution to the public and profession, and who will benefit most from the optometric education program are selected.
- The decision for admission is based on the applicant's ability, scholarship, character, and motivation.
- The College has a nondiscriminatory policy regarding race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, or handicap.
- SCCO was the first school or college of optometry in the nation to require a baccalaureate degree for admission.
- Class of 2013 – Entering August 2009
- Class Size: 100
- Applicant Pool: 6:1
- Mean GPA: 3.44
- Mean Optometry Admission Test Score: 342
Curriculum
- World-renown didactic and clinical optometric program.
- Curriculum prepares you as a primary healthcare professional to practice full-scope optometry.
- Strong basic science component that stresses clinical medicine and therapeutic pharmacology, as well as clinical patient care and practice administration and management.
- Faculty of leading optometric practitioners, educators and researchers.
- SCCO's curriculum prepares students and graduates to take any and all licensing exams in the United States and Canada.
- SCCO students consistently earn high pass rates on all national licensing exams.
Faculty
- More than 80 full- and part-time faculty members provide the body of lecture, laboratory, and clinical education.
- A contingent of more than 60 adjunct faculty teach in the College's extensive Outreach Clinical Program and in the specialty areas.
- Diverse group of basic science and clinical educators.
- Faculty represent more than half of the 19 schools and colleges of optometry in the nation.
- Most faculty have completed either a residency or other postdoctoral education.
- The majority of faculty are Fellows or Diplomates in the American Academy of Optometry.
- Faculty are actively engaged in research and scholarly activities, and participate in professional, educational and scientific organizations. This involvement places the SCCO faculty in prominent leadership roles to influence and facilitate policy and decision making that shapes the future of optometric education and the profession.
- By nature, a professional program fosters a mentoring and collegial relationship between faculty and students. This is what we do best!
Clinical Education Program
- SCCO's Outreach Clinical Program has been cited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association as "unparalleled in optometric clinical education."
- SCCO's Clinical Education Program is composed of two components:
- On-Campus – Carling Huntington Childs Family Eye Care Center
- Off-Campus – Outreach Clinical Program, including the college-owned Optometric Center of Los Angeles
- The Carling Huntington Childs Family Eye Care Center is the main clinical teaching facility of the College serving more than 25,000 patients annually. The Eye Care Center, located on SCCO's Fullerton campus, provides comprehensive eye and vision care services to the public. Professional services encompass the diagnosis, treatment, and management of eye disease and vision disorders. Clinical services include contact lenses, vision therapy, pediatrics, geriatrics, sports vision, low vision rehabilitation and electrodiagnostics.
- SCCO's Outreach Clinical Program provides extensive off-campus optometric clinical experiences. Students in their final year of the optometric program may select from more than 75 clinical programs in 18 states, Washington, D.C., Japan and Guam.
- SCCO's extensive clinical programs offer students tremendous opportunities to develop their clinical and professional skills in many different healthcare delivery systems while serving patients from diverse socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and educational backgrounds.
Residency Programs
- One-year postdoctoral clinical programs offer advanced clinical management experiences in eye and vision care specialties, with additional opportunities in teaching, research, and scholarship.
- Sixteen different programs with 30 positions.
Location
- The College is located in Fullerton – a city of over 137,000 nestled against the hills of North Orange County, one of the most progressive counties in the nation.
- The City of Fullerton is known as "The Education Community," as five colleges and universities with a total enrollment in excess of 55,000 call it home.
- A beautiful seven-acre campus, great year-round weather, fantastic natural resources, and tremendous recreational attractions combine to create a wonderful environment for learning and personal growth.
Facilities
- The College moved to its then-newly built campus in the City of Fullerton in 1973.
- An academic center and multi-level parking structure were completed in 1998.
- A renovation and expansion of the College's Carling Huntington Childs Family Eye Care Center was finished in 2004.
- Fullerton campus facilities total 264,681 square feet.
- The Richard L. Hopping Academic Center houses the M.B. Ketchum Memorial Library; a 300-seat lecture hall that converts to three 100-seat classrooms; a student computer lab; seminar and study rooms; a fitness center; and an adjoining multi-level parking structure.
- The Basic and Clinical Sciences Building provides research space and designated teaching laboratories, a student computer lab, and faculty offices.
- The Roger C. Wilson Administration Building houses administrative and business offices.
- The Student/Faculty Center includes the Student Lounge, Campus Store, Recreation Center, and offices for clinic faculty.
- The campus-based Carling Huntington Childs Family Eye Care Center serves as both a teaching facility and major community health service center.
- The Patricia Hopping Commons provides a spot for quiet reflection and study, or a fun-filled campus event.
- SCCO also owns and operates a major teaching and community eye and vision care facility in Los Angeles – the Optometric Center of Los Angeles.
- All campus and clinical facilities provide access for the handicapped.
Financial Stability and Strength
- The College is financially stable and strong thanks to the contributions of its donors and the prudent stewardship of Members of the Board of Trustees and the administrators and staff of the Financial Affairs Office.
- Total assets have a book value of $64.3 million as of June 30, 2009 and $20.9 million of bond debt liability.
- Tuition supports 45% of the total operating expenses of the College as of June 30, 2009. This is well below the industry standard of 60%. The balance of operating revenues include contributions from individuals, alumni, corporations and foundations as well as income from endowments, investments, continuing education programs and College vision-care centers.
- The College is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 charitable organization.
Awards and Scholarships
- Annually, more than 190 scholarships and awards are available to qualified students to recognize and honor those who have achieved excellence in academics, clinical abilities, research, leadership, and service.
- SCCO students receive in excess of $1.2 million in scholarships and awards each year.
- Click here to learn more.
Alumni
- The Alumni Relations Office develops spirit, pride, and commitment by fostering lifelong relationships with the College and opportunities for participation, involvement, active leadership, service, and support.
- Today, SCCO's 4,250 alumni practice in 47 states and 8 foreign countries.
Continuing Optometric Education
- SCCO is a major provider of online and classroom-based Continuing Optometric Education programs that encompass the full scope of vision and eye care.
- Programs are designed to enhance the patient care diagnosis, treatment, and management abilities of optometric practitioners.
- To learn more: ce@scco.edu
To List Your Practice Sale or Placement Opportunity
- Preparing students for the transition from school to private practice is a strength of SCCO's program. This includes the integration of the curriculum with access to placement, liaisons with optometrists and linkages to appropriate referral sources.
- The College hosts, InSight, a listing of practice sales and professional opportunities available via the internet. On average, 300–400 opportunities are listed each year and are available to any optometry student at no charge. A fee is assessed to those wishing to list an opportunity.
- Visit InSight for Career Resources.
Revised: 9-9-09