Pre-Optometry
General Information
| Bachelor’s Degree Required | Yes |
| Entrance Exam | OAT (Optometry Admission Test) |
| Entrance Exam Resources | What is on the OAT (Princeton Review) Seeing Through the OAT (Princeton Review) What is Tested on the OAT (Kaplan) |
| Patient Care Experience &/or Shadowing Hours | 30+ Hours |
| Application Systems | OptomCAS |
| Application Timeline & Checklist | Program Application Deadlines (OptomCAS) |
| Program Directory | ASCO Member Schools & Colleges AOSA Schools |
| “Pre-Professional Resource Library” | Coming Soon! |
| Professional Associations & Accreditations | Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) National Optometric Association (NOA) American Academy of Optometry (AAOPT) American Optometric Association (AOA) |
| Additional Resources | Applicant & Prerequisite Information (ASCO) |
Recommended Coursework (PDF)
| Biology Courses | BIOL231 Human Anatomy & Physiology I w/ Lab (4) BIOL232 Human Anatomy & Physiology II w/ Lab (4) BIOL233 Human Anatomy & Physiology III w/ Lab (4) BIOL323 General Microbiology w/ Lab (5) |
| Chemistry Courses | CHEM221Z General Chemistry w/ Lab (5) CHEM222Z General Chemistry w/ Lab (5) CHEM223Z General Chemistry w/ Lab (5) CHEM334 Organic Chemistry I (4) CHEM335 Organic Chemistry II (4) CHEM338 Organic Chemistry I Lab (1) CHEM336 Organic Chemistry III (4) CHEM339 Organic Chemistry II Lab (1) CHEM450 Structural Biochemistry (4) CHEM451 Metabolic Chemistry (4) CHEM454 Biochemistry Lab (2) |
| Physics Courses | PHYS201 General Physics w/ Lab (4) PHYS202 General Physics w/ Lab (4) PHYS203 General Physics w/ Lab (4) |
| Math/Statistics Courses | MATH241 Survey of Calculus (4) or MATH251Z Calculus (4) STAT327 Statistics & Experimental Design (5) or STAT352 Statistics (4) |
| Social Science Courses | PSY201Z General Psychology (4 |
| English/Writing Courses | WR122Z Argumentative Writing (4) |
| Strongly Suggested Electives/Additional Courses | N/A |
| Notes | The curriculum of the Pre-Optometry pathway is for those seeking admission to a school of Optometry to complete a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree. Typically, students will complete a Bachelor’s degree in one of the science programs, but other degrees are accepted by professional optometry schools. Prerequisite coursework serves as preparation for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) required for applicants seeking admission to optometry schools. Some optometry schools require observation experience under the supervision of an optometrist. Students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their advisor when selecting appropriate coursework. |