Preparing for a Career in Optometry
Learn what it means to be a Doctor of Optometry from this link
Academic Requirements for Optometry programs
Optometry School Prerequisites (Requirements Vary by School So Check Each School): Prerequisites listed by school at the OptomCAS website.
| Requirement | General Description | U of A Course Numbers |
| Biology | 8 Semester Hours Biology |
MCB 181R & 181L ECOL 182 R & 182L |
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry | 8 Semester Hours Chemisty |
CHEM 151 or 141/143 CHEM 152 or 142/144 |
| Organic Chemistry | 4 Semester Hours Organic Chemisty |
CHEM 241A & 243A CHEM 241B & 243B also recommended |
| Physics | 8 Semester Hours Physics |
PHYS 102&181 and PHYS 103&182 (other levels of Physics may fulfill the requirement as well) |
| English | 6 Semester Hours |
English 101& 102 or English 109H & additional English class, usually composition |
| Mathematics | 6 Semester Hours |
Math 113 or 122b (Calculus) and Math 163 or 263 (statistics/biostats) |
Additional Requirements or Recommendations
| Discipline | Required/Recommended | General Description | U of A Course Numbers |
| Statistics | Required for some | 3 semester hours |
Suggested: Biostatistics = Math 263 Other stats courses may meet requirement |
| Anatomy/Physiology | Required for some | 3 semester hours | PSIO 201 or PSIO 380 |
| Psychology | Strongly recommended | 3 semester hours | PSY 150A1 or PSY 101 |
| Biochemistry | Required for some | 3 semester hours |
One of the Following: BIOC 384, 385 or 462A
|
| Microbiology | Required for most | 4 semester hours (includes lab) | MIC 205A & 205L |
Application Pathway
The standardized test for Optometry Schools is the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). The test is comprised of four subtests:
- Survey of the Natural Sciences (Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry)
- Reading Comprehension
- Physics
- Quantitative Reasoning
The OAT is administered at testing centers on computer and you may take the OAT an unlimited number of times. However, you must wait at least 90 days between tests. One additional requirement for taking the OAT is one year of college but we advise you not to take the exam until you have two years of college credit earned including biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics. The fee for the OAT includes sending your scores to five optometry schools and there is an additional fee per school beyond your allowed five.
Register online to take the OAT test through the ASCO website then click “OAT – Optometry Admission Test.”
The Centralized Application Service for Optometry Schools is OptomCAS