A patient receiving care from an ophthalmic technician
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Ophthalmic Technician Program

St. Kate’s two-year Ophthalmic Technician Program, the first in Minnesota, addresses the shortage of well-trained ophthalmic medical personnel in the area.

With the aging population and the diagnosis of pediatric eye conditions at earlier ages, this healthcare profession is expanding rapidly to meet the needs of persons of all ages.

“We deal with the whole human being,” advises program founder and director Aaron Shukla. “Your habits, lifestyle, occupation and physical condition all impact the health of your eyes.”

An important part of the eye-care team

A Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) is an important part of the eye-care team. As a COT, you will:

  • Work under the direct supervision of an ophthalmologist
  • Take medical, family and social histories
  • Measure vision, powers of spectacle lenses, eye pressure and pupil reactions
  • Perform ophthalmic tests for visual field, color and muscle movement

After graduating, you can take the Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) certification exam administered by JCAHPO (Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology).

Real-world clinical experience

You will learn through clinical experiences in eye clinic settings as well as classroom lectures and discussion, laboratory demonstrations and practice. The curriculum includes 30 semester credits of liberal arts and sciences courses and 40 semester credits of ophthalmic courses and approximately 1,000 hours of supervised clinical experience.