Phone: (501) 450-5085
Email kknaylor@uca.edu
Optometry is a profession of specialists who diagnose and correct defects in vision. The Doctor of Optometry degree requires a four-year program of study in an optometry school, preceded by at least 90 hours of college courses. The majority of the required courses are common to most optometry programs. However, some optometry schools require more mathematics and anatomy/physiology than others.A few optometry schools require only college algebra and trigonometry, but most require analytical geometry, differential calculus, integral calculus, and statistics. Students entering optometry school before having completed a UCA bachelor’s degree might be able to complete the requirements for a UCA degree with their optometry school course work, provided they have completed 96 credit hours of prescribed course work at UCA. However, most optometry schools prefer applicants who acquire a bachelor’s degree before entry.
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry provides information about the OAT, schools of optometry, contact information, and information on what it means to be an optometrist with specific information about 2020 student profiles and prerequisites.
The Pre-Optometry Learning Outcomes for the curriculum will allow you to plan and understand the academic path needed to be a successful applicant to an optometry program.
Students are encouraged to carefully review the matriculation requirements of the optometry schools for which they plan to apply. The course of study at UCA should be adjusted to suit the admissions requirements of the optometry school(s) of the students choosing. For more information about the UCA Pre-optometry program please communicate directly with Dr. Kari Naylor, UCA Department of Biology.
For Additional Information:Optometry Admissions Test – OAT Information
American Optometric Association
Links to College & Universities:
NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry
Indiana University, School of Optometry