Optometry

The courses required for admission to optometry school are listed below, along with their ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ equivalents. With the exception of the English, Psychology, and Mathematics, the remaining coursework is covered on the OAT. Therefore, you need to complete Biology, Chemistry, and Physics prior to taking the OAT. There are several ways in which you can create a course schedule in order to complete the course requirements in a timely manner. These, as well as other information, are discussed in the

Online courses: Some ​professional​ schools do not accept online science courses, especially those with online labs. It is the student's responsibility to check the requirements for each school to which they are applying.

Links to individual schools can be found on the .

Optometry School Curriculum Requirements
Subject
Course Rubric & Number
Biology (1 year) BIOL 113, BIOL 114, and BIOL 115*
Chemistry (1 year)

Option A: CHEM 104, 105, & 106*

Option B CHEM 107-108

Option C: CHEM 111 and 341 

You must choose among options A, B, and C. You may not switch between sequences.  Be sure to check with your intended major to learn if there is a preferred sequence for that major.
Organic Chemistry (1 year) CHEM 231, CHEM 332 & CHEM 335 (lab)
Physics (1 year) PHYS 121 & PHYS 122 (or PHYS 131 & PHYS 132)
Microbiology (1 semester)

BIOL 314 (lecture) & BIOL 421 (lab) - Offered in Fall
or
BIOL 319 (lecture) & BIOL 329 (lab) - Offered in Spring
or
BIOL 314 (lecture) - Offered in Fall & BIOL 329 (lab) - Offered in Spring 
or
BIOL 319 (lecture) & BIOL 421 (lab)
English (1 year) Any course in English (ENG), Rhetoric (RHET), Writing (WRIT), Creative Writing (CW) or Comparative Literature (COLI) departments.
Calculus (1 semester) MATH 224 & 225
Occasionally, optometry schools require two semesters of calculus (MATH 224 & 225 and MATH 226 & 227). Students should verify admission requirements with each optometry school before applying.
Psychology (1 semester) PSYC 111
Statistics (1 semester) MATH 147 or PSYC 243 or BME 340 (only available to students in the Biomedical Engineering Program)

*Notes:

  1. BIOL 115 or its FRI equivalent.
  2. CHEM 106 or its FRI equivalent.
  3. Several optometry schools are now requiring biochemistry (BIOL 304 or BCHM 403) for admission.
Additional requirements/recommendations may include:
SUBJECT
COURSE RUBRIC AND NUMBER
Biochemistry (1 semester)

BIOL 304 or BCHM 403 or BIOL 403*
*You must select either BIOL 304 or BIOL/BCHM 403. Do not take both.