<p>I am a physics major with an interest in optics. I am well aware of the good graduate programs in optics offered by the University of Rochester and the University of Arizona. These graduate programs, however, place more of a focus on the engineering and physics side of optics. However, I am more interested in studying the human eye. Are there any schools that have solid programs that focus on the human eye? I do not want to be an optometrist- I would like to get a PhD and perhaps teach. </p>
<p>What you’re looking for are Bio-optics or Biomedical Optics programs. </p>
<p>You might take a look at the Harvard-MIT program:</p>
<p><a href=“https://hst.mit.edu/academics/summer-institute/biomedical-optics”>https://hst.mit.edu/academics/summer-institute/biomedical-optics</a></p>
<p>SPIE also has an entire division and a journal devoted to bio-optics.</p>
<p><a href=“http://spie.org/x866.xml”>http://spie.org/x866.xml</a></p>
<p>Here’s the most recent issue:</p>
<p><a href=“http://biomedicaloptics.spiedigitallibrary.org/issue.aspx”>http://biomedicaloptics.spiedigitallibrary.org/issue.aspx</a></p>
<p>The articles tend more toward the engineering side of vision. </p>
<p>If you’re more interested in the biological side of vision and the eye, then you may want to consider ophthalmology (MD degree specializing in vision, eye diseases/injuries, function of the eye, surgical treatment of the eye) or neuroscience PhD (there are subspecialties that deal with sensory perception as approached from the biomechanical, biochemical and neuro-psychological.)</p>