Revised: February 2003
REQUIREMENTS FOR
ADMISSION TO OPTOMETRY PROGRAMS
Premedical
Professions and Zoology Advising Office, 209 Richards Hall
Ms. Nancy Blass,
(405) 325-2457 and Ms. Dawna Nelson, (405) 325-5661
Dr.
Regina Sullivan and Dr. James Thompson, Co-Directors
University
of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019
The requirements for
admission to the seventeen schools of optometry vary; however, most students
accepted have completed an undergraduate degree. On a 4.0 scale, the grade point average of recent optometry
school enrollees nationwide ranged from a high of 4.0 to a low of 2.20, with an
average of 3.33. Most students (89%) had completed a bachelor’s degree. Females comprised 59.2% of the approximately
1,355 first year students accepted nationally. The age of incoming students
ranged from 20-47, with an average of 24.
Northeastern State
University College of Optometry (NSUCO) in Tahlequah, OK accepts 26 students
each year from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. Other
schools may have similar residency policies.
In 2002, there were 121 applicants to NSUCO. The students accepted had
an average GPA of 3.54, and averaged 323 on the Optometry Admission Test. 89%
had completed an undergraduate degree. Applicants must have completed 90 hours
of undergraduate work with an overall grade point average of 2.7 or better on a
4.0 scale. Completion of a Bachelor’s
degree is strongly recommended. All grades earned, including those for repeated
courses, will be used in computing the overall grade point average. Currently, students admitted who have not
yet completed a bachelor's degree must meet the NSU general education
requirements and must complete these requirements at the time of, or prior to,
completion of the requirements for the Doctor of Optometry degree.
Potential optometry
students at Northeastern (and other schools) may be evaluated on academic
performance, OAT scores, knowledge of optometry, motivation, extracurricular
activities and interests, work experience, personal achievements,
autobiography, and letters of reference, as well as results of the personal
on-campus interviews with the Admissions Committee.
Please
note other schools may have slightly different requirements.
1. Mathematics--6 semester
hours minimum from:
Math 1503 (Intro. to Elem. Functions)
Math 1523 (Elementary Functions) CAUTION: Most colleges require Calculus
2. General Chemistry--8
semester hours minimum, with labs
Chemistry 1315a and Chemistry 1415
3. Physics--8 semester
hours minimum with labs
Physics 1311, 1321, 2414b and
2424, or Physics 1311, 1321, 2514d and 2524 or
Physics 1205 and 1215
4. General Biology/Zoology
including lab--4 semester hours minimum
Zoology 1114 and 1121
5. Organic Chemistry--4
semester hours minimum with lab
Chemistry
3012c and 3013 (Caution:
Some schools may require 2 semesters).or
Chemistry 3053c, 3153 and
3152
6. Intro level Microbiology
including lab--3 hours minimum
Microbiology 3813 and 3812
7. Biochemistry--3
semester hours minimum Caution: This
requirement is variable.
Chemistry 3653e
8. English and
Communications - 2 semesters minimum
English
1113 and 1213
Communications or Public Speaking is also
recommended
9. Statistics--3 semester
hours
Psychology 2003
10. Psychology--3 semester hours
Psychology
1113; more is recommended such as Experimental Psychology
OTHER STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED COURSES:
Intro. to Human Anatomy,
Principles of Physiology, Social Sciences, Humanities, Computer Science
(especially data and word processing), Basic Bookkeeping and Accounting, Analytic Geometry
Additional Note: Anatomy may be
recommended or required at some schools.
a. COMPAS test or
Math 1503 (Intro. to Elem. Functions)
b. Math 1523 or
1643
c. Chemistry 1415
d. Enrollment in
Math 1743 or 1823 (Calculus I)
e. Chemistry 3013
or 3053
The Optometry
Admission Test (OAT) is required of all applicants to all schools and colleges
of optometry in the United States. The
OAT test includes Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Physics,
Biology, General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Scores range from 200 to 400.
While there are no strict passing or failing scores, the standard score
of 300 signifies average performance on a national basis. Northeastern's average OAT score was
323.
The test is given in
October and February of each year. The
2002 test dates are February 8 and October 25.
Applications must be filed about five weeks in advance of the test. Application or request cards are available
in the PreMedical Professions Advisory Office. The test is given on the Norman
Campus. The examination fee is $200 for the 2003 tests. This fee includes the submission of scores
to a maximum of five optometry colleges, a personal copy and a copy of your
scores for your premed advisor.
Each institution has its
own admission requirements and policies.
Since there is not a national application for all the optometry schools,
you will need to contact the individual schools for an application. Application
deadlines vary from November 30 to March 31. Northeastern State University is February 1 of each year; applicants are
notified of acceptance by April 1. Applications may be obtained by writing to:
College of Optometry
Admissions Office
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK 74464-2399
Telephone: (918) 456-5511, ext. 4000
http://www.nsuok.edu/catalog/opt/opt.html
Applicants are encouraged
to attend an Applicant Workshop in the spring each year and schedule a
Premedical Committee Interview during the summer. Letters of Evaluation
are available to those applicants who
do Committee Interviews. Information on other schools is available in the
PreMed Advising Office, 209 Richards H