This graduate certificate is jointly offered by SUNY College of Optometry and Empire State University, and is, therefore, only available to students currently enrolled in both programs. This certificate provides knowledge and critical tools to identify, anticipate, analyze, and address important economic, policy and organizational challenges that optometry students will confront as they transition into professional roles and progress in their careers. The six-course, 18 credit curriculum focuses on health policy, financial management, practice management, operations management, leadership, interprofessional relations and public health.

Program Delivery and Tuition Rate

The SUNY College of Optometry courses are delivered on an on-site classroom basis and billed at the optometry rate. The SUNY Empire courses are delivered online and billed at the MBA rate.

Admission 

Admission to this graduate certificate program is selective. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.  Applicants must be accepted into SUNY College of Optometry’s program. 

Application Requirements 

A complete application includes: 

• Official transcript with proof of a conferred bachelor’s degree 
  Official transcripts from SUNY Optometry
• Resume

Start Terms

This program admits new students to the:

• Fall
• Spring
• Summer

Deadlines 

Application deadlines do change from term to term. For specific deadlines, please see the Graduate Admissions Deadline page. 

How to Apply 

To apply, visit the SUNY Empire application portal and select Graduate: https://www.sunyempire.edu/application.html

Students may begin this 18-credit certificate in the fall, spring or summer terms. The required courses and suggested enrollment sequence are as follows:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
SUNY College of Optometry Courses
Optometric Practice in a Changing Health Care Environment		3
Public Health I: Public Health Practice		1.5
Public Health II: Health Care Policy		1.5
SUNY Empire Courses
MGMT 6040	High Performance Management	3
HCLM 6030	Quantitative Methods & Healthcare Operations Management	3
HCLM 6025	Healthcare Financial Management	3
HCLM 7005	Healthcare Strategic Communication	3
Total Credits		18

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Understand the allocation of healthcare resources based on principles of economics and healthcare financial management.
• Identify critical abilities, knowledge areas, and skills required for successful leadership in a healthcare organization.
• Apply strategies and methods to inform decisions about the efficiency and allocation of resources to improve service delivery.
• Identify concepts and practices of professional accountability, patients' rights, and code of conduct and relate these concepts to ethical challenges.
• Identify key trends with significant impact on healthcare industry that may influence organizational decision-making.
• Apply business skills through the translation of strategic goals into operational plans for effective organizational management.
• Display critical thinking that requires decision making and problem-solving communication.
• Identify effective communication practices that help improve the patient experience and overall quality of care.
• Promote interprofessional collaboration that improves patient and system outcomes.
• Recognize the significance of provider-patient communication to patient satisfaction scores, willingness to recommend, and value-based reimbursement.