A proposal Hazlehurst Now first reported on a few weeks ago has taken a major step toward becoming reality. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved Georgia Southern University on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to establish a Doctor of Optometry degree program, clearing the way for the creation of what would be Georgia’s first college of optometry.
The approval is significant because Georgia currently does not have an optometry school. Georgia students pursuing a Doctor of Optometry degree have had to look outside the state; the University System currently participates in a regional program that provides a limited number of Georgia students access to in-state tuition at optometry programs in Tennessee and Alabama.
When HN previously reported on plans for the college, the state had committed $29.8 million in the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget to help launch the program. That funding is designated for a major renovation of Georgia Southern’s Highway 301 facility in Statesboro, transforming it into an academic and clinical training center for optometry students.
At that point, however, the Doctor of Optometry program itself still needed approval. Tuesday’s action by the Board of Regents provides that approval and authorizes Georgia Southern to establish the O.D. degree program. “This Doctor of Optometry program, the state’s first program of its kind, represents an important investment in health care education in Georgia,” Georgia Southern Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Avinandan Mukherjee said in announcing the approval.
University officials say the college could have an impact well beyond Statesboro. One of the goals is to help address shortages in eye care, particularly in rural and underserved areas of Georgia. By training optometrists within the state, Georgia Southern hopes to strengthen Georgia’s health care workforce and increase access to vision care. That could be particularly significant for communities across South and Southeast Georgia, where access to specialized health care often requires residents to travel considerable distances.
With the Regents’ approval, Georgia Southern can now begin recruiting leadership for the new college. Plans call for hiring an inaugural dean, followed by an associate dean, assistant dean, clinical and research directors, 25 specialized faculty members and 12 support staff members.
Georgia Southern also formed an Optometric Education Task Force in August to help guide development of the college, including curriculum, accreditation, clinical education opportunities, partnerships and workforce needs.
Georgia Southern currently anticipates welcoming the college’s first class of Doctor of Optometry students in Fall 2029. However, there are still additional steps before that happens. The university says the program remains pending final approval by the Commission on Colleges and Universities and is currently in the first stage of the accreditation process with the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
So while Tuesday’s vote does not mark the end of the approval and accreditation process, it represents one of the most significant steps yet. What began as a proposal backed by nearly $30 million in state funding is now an authorized Doctor of Optometry program — and Georgia Southern is moving closer to opening the state’s first college dedicated to training optometrists.
Georgia Southern University announcement
Sources: Georgia Southern University, University System of Georgia
