The Health Science Major may be used as a preprofessional curriculum for students wishing to apply to an Optometry Program. The College of Optometry at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah offers and Optometry program. The College of Optometry considers applicants with a previous bachelors degree in an appropriate field of study or those with 90 or more hours of college work.
Optometrists prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, vision therapy, and low-vision aids.
The majority of Optometrists are in solo practice. Others are in partnership or group practices, treatment optical stores, teachers in schools of optometry or consultants in industrial safety programs, insurance companies, manufacturers of ophthalmic products, and other related business. Incomes vary greatly depending on location, specialization, and other factors. Optometrists who start out by working on a salaried basis tend to earn more money initially than optometrists who set up their own independent practice. All states require that optometrists be licensed.