Salus University

What is the history of Salus University?

Salus University began as the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, founded in 1919 to educate optometrists. It adopted the Salus University name in 2008 as its academic offerings expanded beyond eye care into other health professions.

The institution developed programs in areas including audiology, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology, and education and rehabilitation for people with visual impairments. That history explains why its Elkins Park campus is organized around professional training and clinical practice rather than a broad selection of undergraduate majors.

Salus joined Drexel University in 2025. Applicants reading older Salus materials should distinguish the former university's policies and statistics from the current requirements for their intended Drexel program. The merger also matters when checking which institution will admit them, award their credential, and issue their financial aid offer.

What are the faculties and departments at Salus University?

Salus University's academic identity centered on graduate and professional health education. Its principal academic units included the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, the Osborne College of Audiology, the College of Education and Rehabilitation, and the College of Health Sciences.

Representative fields included the Doctor of Optometry, audiology, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology, and programs concerned with vision rehabilitation and education. Credentials, clinical placements, and entry requirements differ substantially by field: an optometry applicant, for example, should not assume that a physician assistant program uses the same application service or prerequisites.

Because Salus joined Drexel in 2025, prospective students should use the current Drexel program directory and catalog to identify their program's academic home, credential, curriculum, and clinical requirements. An older Salus college name may still appear on historical documents without describing the current administrative structure.

What is the location of Salus University?

The former Salus University campus is in Elkins Park, a suburb north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its location places students within reach of the Philadelphia region's health-care institutions while giving the campus a different setting from Drexel's urban University City campus.

Commuting and clinical travel are practical considerations. SEPTA regional rail serves the Elkins Park area, but a student's actual trip depends on the program's class schedule, the distance from the station, and the location of any clinical assignment. Applicants should check where their classes and placements will take place; affiliation with Drexel does not mean every activity occurs in University City.

What is the mission and vision of Salus University?

Salus University's stated purpose focused on education in the health professions, research, and service, particularly work connected to vision, hearing, rehabilitation, and patient care. Its development from an optometry college into a broader health-professions institution reflected that educational direction.

For applicants, the practical expression of that mission is a curriculum built around professional competencies and, in many programs, supervised clinical experience. A mission statement describes institutional aims; it should not be read as evidence that every graduate has the same clinical opportunities or career outcome. Following the merger, students should also consult Drexel's current institutional mission and their program's published learning outcomes.