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Admissions Requirements
Requirements for Admission to the College of Optometry:
- Complete a minimum of 135 quarter hours of credit in prescribed pre-optometry coursework (exclusive of military science, naval science, air force aerospace studies, physical education, or health education) at The Ohio State University, or the equivalent at any other accredited university or college;
- Complete all stated prerequisite courses with a grade of C- or better;
- Above-average standing in the listed minimum pre-optometry course requirements. Applicants with cumulative point-hour ratios of 3.00 or higher (4.00=A) will be given first consideration. Performance in courses which are specifically required for admission is particularly important;
- Complete at least 10 hours of observation at a minimum of two different optometric practice settings;
- Submit OptomCAS application between July 15 and March 31.
- Complete the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) by March 31.
- Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, via OptomCAS
- Submit a minimum of three recommendation letters via OptomCAS. One must be from an optometrist and one from a professor.
- Complete a personal interview with the College of Optometry Admissions Committee
- To ensure that they have satisfactory functional skills to provide optometric care, all applicants must meet functional standards established by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).
- The ASCO functional standards statement is available on-line at http://optometry.osu.edu/pdf/ASCOFunctionalStandards.pdf (PDF - 25KB)
Required Pre-Optometry Courses
Admission to the College of Optometry requires completion of the prerequisites listed below or their equivalents from any accredited college or university. At least 45 hours of this preparatory work should be taken at a baccalaureate degree-granting institution. Applicants must have completed three or more years of undergraduate work, and preference will be given to those with an earned bachelor's degree.
| Preoptometry Requirements |
Quarter Hours1 |
Semester Hours1 |
Ohio State Course Numbers |
| English Composition |
5 |
3-4 |
110 |
| Chemistry | |||
| Inorganic, with laboratory |
15 |
8-10 |
121, 122 & 123 |
| Organic |
6-8 |
3-4 |
251 & 252 |
| *Biochemistry |
5 |
3-4 |
511 |
| +Physics, with laboratory |
15 |
8-10 |
111, 112 & 113 |
| Mathematics | |||
| Algebra and Trigonometry |
5 |
3-4 |
150 |
| Analytical Geometry and Calculus |
5 |
3-4 |
151 |
| Biology, with laboratory |
10 |
6-8 |
113 & 114 |
| **Intermediate Physiology |
10 |
6-8 |
311 & 312 |
| Microbiology, with laboratory |
5 |
3-4 |
509 |
| Introductory Psychology |
5 |
3-4 |
100 |
| Humanities |
10 |
6-8 |
|
| Social Sciences |
10 |
6-8 |
1 Number of hours provided as a guideline. In assessing course content for equivalency, actual hours may vary for your institution. In some cases a multiple course series may be needed to fulfill prerequisite coursework.
+ Physics course work should cover mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity, magnetism and modern physics.
* At some institutions, the prerequisite for biochemistry is two semesters/quarters of organic chemistry.
**Physiology course work must be a comprehensive, intermediate systems physiology series.
Additional courses
Additional courses in physiology and anatomy are highly recommended. Other beneficial electives may include: introductory statistics, ethics, histology, sociology, scientific terminology, and small business management.
Ten Year Rule
Due to continuous advances in the scientific field, the Admissions Committee requires applicants to demonstrate recent competence in science prerequisites. This is automatically demonstrated if all science prerequisites have been satisfactorily completed within ten calendar years immediately preceding the year of application. If any science prerequisites are older than ten years, the applicant must either repeat course work in that specific area or submit convincing evidence of current mastery in the appropriate science to the Admissions Committee.
