THECB greenlights UTRGV’s new School of Optometry and Doctor of Optometry degree

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has officially endorsed The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s proposal to launch a new School of Optometry and a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.

This pivotal approval, announced on Thursday, marks the second step in a lengthy development process that will require further approvals from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.

UTRGV anticipates welcoming its inaugural class of the School of Optometry as early as Fall 2027, becoming the second public optometry school in Texas.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey remarked on the importance of this approval, allowing local students to pursue their dreams within the region.

“The THECB’s decision is a crucial step forward in our efforts to advance healthcare education in the Rio Grande Valley,” Bailey said. “This program will open new educational opportunities and increase access to specialized treatments for our communities.”

Bailey added the School of Optometry will enhance UTRGV’s ongoing diabetes research and care initiatives in the region. Students will gain hands-on experience in specialty optometric services, including surgical care, diabetes management, dry eye treatment, myopia control, vision therapy, neuro-optometric care and special populations. The UTRGV School of Medicine and the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute will collaborate in these research and clinical activities.

“We are dedicated to building pathways for our students while addressing healthcare shortages in the Valley,” Bailey added.

The proposal received initial approval from the University of Texas System Board of Regents in May 2024. UTRGV has appointed Dr. William L. Miller, an accomplished clinician, educator and researcher, as the inaugural dean of the School of Optometry.

Miller has decades of experience in optometric education, serving at three previous institutions of higher education. He has served as a tenured faculty member at two of those institutions holding administrative positions including Clinical Service Chief, Chair of the Clinical Sciences Department and of late the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

“I am excited to see UTRGV achieve approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the next step toward opening a School of Optometry,” Miller said. “The steps forward will include achieving accreditation with the goal of welcoming students in Fall 2027.

“In my short time at UTRGV, it is apparent that the university has laid the foundation through intentional planning and support to achieve success. I look forward to serving the Rio Grande Valley community and providing eyecare and future eyecare providers to the area.”

The school plans to enroll about 40 students per cohort and will require approximately 15 full-time faculty members, including both research-active and clinical faculty.

The new OD program will be a four-year, 189-credit-hour curriculum modeled after the top five optometry programs in the U.S. for national board examination pass rates.