The University of Detroit Mercy has launched its School of Optometry, welcoming an inaugural class of 35 students and opening a companion clinic, the Detroit Mercy Eye Institute, to expand eye care access in southeast Michigan.
“Very exciting. These are the first batch of optometry students that we’ve seen, and we’re really excited to get them through these four years of the curriculum so that they can graduate to become doctors of optometry and go out and serve the communities that they’re from,” said Dr. Sulman Hans, chief executive officer and interim dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Optometry.
Hans said the program was created to meet growing regional demand. “Michigan is a place where there’s a huge need for eye care services,” he said. “That’s why it makes sense to set up a School of Optometry here and then also with its own clinical extension.”
That clinical extension, the Detroit Mercy Eye Institute, is located on the lower level of the Optometry School building in Novi, where students receive hands-on training alongside clinical staff who see patients.
“Offering routine eye care for the community - if you need glasses or contact lenses - we also offer specialty services like pediatrics, low vision services and vision therapy,” said Krysta Martoia, clinical manager of the Detroit Mercy Eye Institute. “We can manage care for cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye, anything that you need. Basic eye care we can definitely take care of.”
As part of a new-patient campaign, the institute is offering routine eye exams for $35, along with significant discounts on frames, lenses and contact lens exams. “We want to give back to the community and offer low-cost care,” Martoia said.
The School of Optometry is accepting applications for fall 2026. Applicants must have completed at least 90 credits; a bachelor’s degree is preferred, but students finishing their junior year with required prerequisites will be considered. Shadowing an optometrist is also required.
To watch the segment, click on the video above.
For more information on patient services and admissions, visit optometry.udmercy.edu.