NECO, MCPHS explore joining forces

Boston-New England College of Optometry (NECO) and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) have signed a letter of intent to explore a potential combination.

Officials from both colleges said a natural synergy exists between the institutions to support combining the two schools. The officials also said such a move would create an opportunity to expand NECO’s highly respected brand and expertise in optometry to Worcester.

Steven Manfredi, NECO’s board chairman said, “We are confident that our focus on a high-quality optometry educational experience will be affirmed and that there will be continuity for current students, faculty, and staff.”

Charles F. Monahan, Jr., MCPHS president, said, “We see a bright and growing future for NECO and the continuation of its position as a leader in optometric education, and an opportunity for MCPHS University to continue to expand its depth and breadth in global health care education.”

NECO’s campus is located in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. The college provides a 4-year post-baccalaureate curriculum in optometry to about 475 students. MCPHS has campuses in Boston and Worcester, MA, and Manchester, NH. More than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students are pursuing degrees in approximately 50 academic programs, including optometry, on MCPHS’s three campuses. MCPHS founded its School of Optometry on its Worcester campus on 2011.