Optometry
Pre-requisite Requirements
Optometry Four Year Plan
Requirements for professional schools vary from school to school and can change year by year, students must carefully examine the pre-requisite requirements of the schools they are interested in to be current and accurate when registering for courses at Gustavus.
Consult the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry guide for requirements and admission statistics to 20+ Optometry Schools for the most accurate information.
First Year: Fall
BIO 110 Principles of Biology & BIO 111 Lab
*CHE 110 General Chemistry & CHE 111 General Chemistry Lab OR CHE 105 Foundations of Chemistry I & CHE 106 Foundations of Chemistry I Lab
*Before you can register for CHE110, you are required to take the Chemistry placement exam. (CHE 105/106 offered Fall only and CHE 107/108 offered Spring only) taking both are equivalent to CHE 110. Find out more about the CHE placement exam, click HERE.
FTS 100 First Term Seminar (Writing Intensive course- WRITI)
First Year: Spring
BIO 120 Organismal Biology & BIO 121 Lab
CHE 120 Organic Chemistry I & CHE 121 Organic Chemistry I Lab (offered Fall and Spring)
*CHE 107 Foundations of Chemistry II & CHE 108 Foundations of Chemistry II Lab *(CHE 105/106 offered Fall only and CHE 107/108 offered Spring only) taking both are equivalent to CHE 110)
MCS 121 Calculus I
Second Year: Fall
CHE 220 Organic Chemistry II & CHE 221 Organic Chemistry II Lab (offered Fall only)
MCS 142 Introduction to Statistical Methods (or equivalent)
Second Year: Spring
CHE 230 Inorganic Chemistry I & CHE 231 Inorganic Chemistry I Lab (offered Spring only)
BIO 218 Fundamentals of Microbiology and BIO 219 Lab OR if biology major, BIO 360 Microbiology and BIO 361 Lab BIO 201 and BIO 202 required if planning to take BIO 360)
PSY 100 Introductory Psychology
Third Year: Fall
PHY 120 General Physics I (MCAT) & PSY 121 General Physics I Lab (offered Fall only)
HES 230 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & HES 231 Human Anatomy & Physiology I Lab (offered Fall only)
Third Year: Spring
PHY 170 General Physics II (some content on MCAT) & PHY 171 General Physics II Lab (offered Spring only)
HES 240 Anatomy & Physiology II & HES 241 Anatomy & Physiology II Lab (offered Spring only)
Recommended: Additional Social Science course (Southern College, Illinois College, Nova Southeastern)
Fourth Year: Fall
CHE 270 Biochemistry & CHE 271 Biochemistry Lab (offered Fall or Spring)
Recommended: English course recommended (writing intensive)
Recommended: Additional Social Science course (Southern College, Illinois College, Nova Southeastern)
Fourth Year: Spring
Recommended: Additional Social Science course (Southern College, Illinois College, Nova Southeastern)
Recommended: Additional course based on specific optometry program pre-requisite requirements
Examples of Pre-requisites at Optometry Programs
ALL Optometry program prerequisite requirements
Michigan College of Optometry, at Ferris State University
Southern College of Optometry, Tennesse (Two courses in English composition or literature (FTS 100 counts as one), Two courses in Social Science (PSY 100 counts as one), examples of acceptable subject areas include (but are not limited to) courses that carry an Institution designation in: Humanities, Religious Studies and Philosophy, or Human Behavior and Social.
Indiana University School of Optometry (One additional 200 level Biology course animal or developmental, must be taken in person)
Pacific University College of Optometry, Oregon (One course taken from the English Department or Writing is required. A course in writing composition, expository, technical or scientific writing is strongly recommended)
Western University of Health Sciences, California(One additional 200 level BIO course with lab, Two courses in English Composition, English Literature, Writing or Critical Thinking (FTS 100 counts as one) of the required writing courses.
Illinois College of Optometry (Two courses in Social Science (PSY 100 counts as one). Examples of acceptable subject areas include (but are not limited to) courses that carry an Institution designation in: Humanities, Religious Studies and Philosophy, or Human Behavior and Social.
Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, FloridaFour course total required Social/Behavioral Sciences/Humanities, (PSY 100 counts as one). Examples of acceptable subject areas include (but are not limited to) courses that carry an Institution designation in: Humanities, Religious Studies and Philosophy, or Human Behavior and Social.
Consult the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometryguide for requirements and admission statistics to 20+ Optometry Schools for the most accurate information.
Updated 7/15/2024 HB