Pre-Optometry Path
Optometrists (O.D.) examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases of the eye and vision. For more information, see the Optometry section at this link.
Information about Oswego's cooperative program with SUNY Optometry can be found here.
Starting with your first semester of college, you are accumulating the credentials to apply to optometry schools. Applicants are expected to have:
- Completed a bachelor's degree in any major
- Completed medical school course requirements (see below)
- Earn excellent grades; overall and science GPAs should be at least a 3.5
- Earn a good score on the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT), at least a score of 290
- Obtain a HPAC Recommendation Letter
- Involve yourself in health-related shadowing, volunteering, and research experience
Course Requirements
These are the courses at SUNY Oswego that are recommended you complete to prepare for the OAT and meet optometry school requirements (note, there is some variation in course requirements for optometry programs, so be sure to check the requirements of the programs you plan on applying to):
| Course Requirements | SUNY Oswego Course | Notes |
| One Year of Biology | Bio 120 and either Bio 340 or Bio 370 |
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| One year of General (Inorganic) Chemistry | Che 111 (113 lab) and Che 212 (214 lab) |
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| One year of Organic Chemistry | Che 331 (333 lab) and Che 332 (334 lab) |
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| One year of Physics | Phy 111 and 212 or Phy 112 and 213 |
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| One Year of English | Eng 102 and either Eng 203, 204, 302, or 304 |
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| One semester of Microbiology | Bio 310 |
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| One semester of Psychology | Psy 100 | |
| One year of Math | Mat 158 or Mat 179, and Mat 210 | |
| One year of Social Sciences |
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