Two Locations | One SUNY Optometry Experience

Study in one of two locations: in the heart of New York City on 42nd Street or, beginning Fall 2027, on the campus of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, a vibrant academic and healthcare community in Central New York.

Students at both the NYC and Syracuse campuses complete the same SUNY Optometry OD curriculum and graduate with the same degree while benefiting from two distinct learning environments. NYC is home to the full range of SUNY Optometry programs, including dual-degree options. Syracuse offers a close-knit learning environment with personalized, in-person instruction and technology that connects students to SUNY Optometry faculty and coursework in NYC.

Wherever you choose, you’ll join an inclusive, student-centered community built on SUNY Optometry’s tradition of academic excellence and strong student outcomes.

NYC: A City That Becomes Your Classroom

Study in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, steps from Bryant Park, Times Square, and other iconic New York landmarks. Our vertical campus brings classrooms, labs, clinics, and student spaces together under one roof, creating a connected learning experience. SUNY College of Optometry’s New York City campus offers:

• The full range of SUNY Optometry academic programs, including the OD program and dual-degree options (MS/OD, PhD/OD)
• A class of 100 OD students and a 1:6 faculty-to-student ratio
• Classes, labs, and clinics housed in a single vertical campus building
• Exposure to diverse patient populations
• More than 25 student clubs and organizations

Syracuse: Learn at the Center of Healthcare Innovation

Located on the campus of SUNY Upstate Medical University, our Syracuse campus* offers the OD program in a personalized learning environment. With an inaugural class of 16 students and a 1:4 faculty-to-student ratio, you’ll benefit from individualized support and meaningful connections with faculty and classmates in a newly renovated facility with advanced academic, laboratory, and clinical technology.

The Syracuse learning experience includes:

• Access to a major academic medical center and hospital-based clinical training environment, where you’ll collaborate across healthcare disciplines through an interprofessional model of patient care
• Synchronous lectures streamed from the NYC campus to Syracuse classrooms, connecting students and faculty across both campuses
• Hands-on laboratory and clinical training with on-site SUNY Optometry faculty
• Interprofessional collaboration with ophthalmology and other medical specialties
• Full integration into the Upstate Medical University community, including student clubs, events, and campus amenities, plus virtual connection to NYC campus clubs and activities
• State-of-the-art technology and equipment across academic, laboratory, and clinical spaces

Inaugural class anticipated Fall 2027, pending final MSCHE approval.

Learn more about our OD program

*SUNY College of Optometry’s Upstate program in Syracuse is an expansion of the existing SUNY College of Optometry Doctor of Optometry (OD) program in New York City. That program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The additional location in Syracuse is approved by ACOE to begin in Fall of 2027. The program is under review by MSCHE with approval expected in September 2026, nearly one year before the launch of the Syracuse campus in Fall 2027. Students enrolled at the Syracuse campus will be part of an established, fully accredited Doctor of Optometry program with a longstanding history of accreditation and educational excellence.