Advising and Resources Center
Pre-Optometry Pre-requisites
Each optometry school has slightly different admission requirements and requirements can change. For courses in English and Psychology, there may be other courses that can substitute for the ones listed. Please check with the schools (see websites below) to get up-to-date information.
Also, if you are considering or planning a career in optometry, it is important to see a pre-optometry advisor as early as possible in your college career.
| Required Courses | Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) | U.C. Berkley | Western University of Health Sciences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Chem (with lab) |
CHEM 1A/AL + CHEM 1B/BL | CHEM 1A/AL + CHEM 1B/BL | CHEM 1A/AL + CHEM 1B/BL |
| Organic Chemistry | CHEM 8 or CHEM 128A | CHEM 128 A+B CHEM 129 A+B |
CHEM 128A + CHEM 129A or CHEM 8 + CHEM 129A |
| Biology (with lab) | BIOL 1A + 1B/BL | BIOL 1A + 1B/BL | General Biol or Zoology with Lab (Not introductory) 8 credits |
| Physics | PHYS 2A + 2B | PHYS 2A + 2B | PHYS 2A + 2B |
| Microbiology (with lab) |
BIOL 120 | BIOL 120 (preferred) or BIOL 20 |
BIOL 120 |
| Biochemistry | CHEM 150 or 155 | CHEM 150 or 155 | CHEM 150 or 155 |
| Statistics | MATH 11 or equivalent | MATH 11 or equivalent | MATH 11 or equivalent |
| Calculus | MATH 75 | MATH 75 + 76 | MATH 75 |
| Psychology | PSYCH 10 | PSYCH 10 | PSYCH 10 |
| English | ENGL 10+20 | ENGL 10+20 | ENGL 10+20 |
| Anatomy and Physiology | BIOL 67A + 67B | BIOL 67A + 67B | BIOL 67A + 67B (not required but highly recommended) |