Pre-Optometry
Offered by Health Science Programs
The requirements for admission to colleges of optometry vary. A suggested program of study is listed below, but the student should check with the college of optometry of his/her choice for its specific requirements. A minimum of three years (90 credit hours) of pre-optometric study is required. However, in most cases a baccalaureate degree1 should be completed before matriculating into a college of optometry, especially since admission to a optometry school is not guaranteed. The student is also expected to submit scores from the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A suggested program of study is as follows | ||
| BIOL 106 | Biology II | 4 |
| BIOL 225 & BIOL 226 | Anatomy and Physiology and Anatomy and Physiology | 8 |
| BIOL 211 | Human Microbiology | 4 |
| CHEM 160 & 160L | General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 161 & 161L | General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 351 | Biochemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 360 & 360L | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2 | 5 |
| CHEM 361 & 361L | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2 | 5 |
| ENG 101 | Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Special Topics in Academic Writing and Research | 3 |
| MATH 102 | College Algebra 3 | 3 |
| MATH 103 | Plane Trigonometry | 3 |
| MATH 115 | Calculus I with Analytic Geometry | 5 |
| PHYS 205 & 205L | General Physics I and Physics I Laboratory | 5 |
| PHYS 206 & 206L | General Physics II and Physics Laboratory II | 5 |
| PSY 203 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SPCH 100 | Fundamentals of Speech Communication | 3 |
| STAT 241 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| Strongly recommended | ||
| Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Nutrition | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 74 | |
Students should check with the specific school(s) to which they intend to apply to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled. Requirements vary among schools, especially in regard to mathematics, microbiology, and general biology. Some schools also require additional electives in the social and behavioral sciences.
- 1
Students pursuing a program of study in pre-optometry are expected to choose a major so that they can be working towards a baccalaureate degree concurrently with the pre-optometry program. This requires a major/minor combination or a comprehensive major as well as completion of the UNK general studies requirements and other degree requirements as set forth in the college catalog. (Students who are accepted into optometry school prior to completing a baccalaureate degree at UNK may be eligible to receive a BS Degree in Applied Health Sciences if they have completed all General Studies requirements and have at least 85 semester credit hours completed in pre-opt studies.)
- 2
Some colleges of optometry will accept CHEM 250 in lieu of CHEM 360 & CHEM 361.
- 3
Students with sufficient preparation may enter the mathematics program at a higher level; however some schools do require two courses in mathematics. Most schools require a course in calculus.