Pennsylvania College of Optometry
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| Latin: Universitas Salusiensis | |
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Former name
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Pennsylvania College of Optometry (1919-2008) |
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| Type | Private graduate school |
| Established | 1919 (PCO) July 1, 2008 (Salus) |
| President | Michael H. Mittelman |
| Provost | Janice E. Scharre |
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Academic staff
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377 |
| Postgraduates | 1,200+ |
| Location |
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 19027 40°5′10.8204″N 75°7′44.7924″W / 40.086339000°N 75.129109000°WCoordinates: 40°5′10.8204″N 75°7′44.7924″W / 40.086339000°N 75.129109000°W |
| Campus |
Suburban 11.5-acre main campus |
| Colors | Red, Orange, and Gray |
| Mascot | Sal the Salamander |
| Website | https://www.salus.edu/ |
Salus University is a private university in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, specializing in degree programs for the health care professions. It was founded as the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PCO) in 1919. Salus offers degree programs in the professions of optometry, audiology, speech-language pathology, physician assistant, blindness and low vision, occupational therapy, public health, and biomedicine.
The University’s founding college – Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) – was established in 1919, and is one of the oldest optometry colleges in North America. The decision to found the college was reached at an annual conference of the Pennsylvania Optical Society in 1918. PCO was the first school in the United States to confer the legislature-approved Doctor of Optometry degree after its four-year educational program.
In 1975, PCO was the first college of optometry to develop a comprehensive, off-campus externship program. Later that year the college began construction on its main clinical facility, The Eye Institute (TEI), which opened in 1978 to serve as a training site for optometry students and as a community vision care center for the public. At the time of its opening this was the first interdisciplinary clinical facility at an optometry school which centered around patient care with graduate students. Presently TEI has three clinics: the main clinic in West Oak Lane, plus two satellite clinics in Mt Airy and East Falls.
In 2000 PCO became the first school of optometry in the county to offer a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D) degree when it received accreditation by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. By 2003 the college had created a distance education program for licensed and practicing audiologists called AuDonline and was finalizing construction of a new building to be used by students in the AuD curriculum by their commencement. The new building, known as the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) was opened on November 19, 2004 shortly before the college's first AuD students would begin their four-year curriculum. As of 2017 Salus alumni comprise more than 23% of all Doctors of Audiology in the United States.
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