The following prerequisites are required for admission into UMSL-College of Optometry. Prerequisites must be completed prior to entering optometry school. Prerequisites do not have to be completed to be considered for an interview.
All courses used to satisfy the admission requirements must have been taken at an institution accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the US Department of Education (international applicants must submit transcripts through one of the recognized transcript evaluation services).
Applicants must have completed 90 semester or 135 quarter hours prior to matriculation. The applicant cannot apply more than 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) earned at a two-year institution toward the credit hour requirement.
Applicant's holding a bachelor's degree will be given preference over applicants with similar academic credentials who do not have a degree.
All prerequisites must be completed with a "C-" or higher.
| Course | Semester(s) | Quarter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| English |
2
|
3
|
| General Biology with labs |
2
|
3
|
| Microbiology with lab |
1
|
1
|
| Physics with lab Algebra or calculus based accepted |
2
|
3
|
| General Chemistry with lab |
2
|
3
|
| Organic Chemistry with lab |
1
|
2
|
| Calculus |
1
|
1
|
| Statistics |
1
|
1
|
| Psychology |
1
|
1
|
| Liberal Arts/Humanities |
2
|
2
|
Strongly recommended courses: Anatomy & Physiology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Immunology, Neurosciences, Histology, Embryology, Business Courses
AP CREDIT POLICY: (Effective June 29, 2023)
The College of Optometry has adopted the following Advanced Placement (AP) credit policy:
Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credit is acceptable if the credits were accepted by your undergraduate institution and appear on your undergraduate transcript. We will accept prerequisite courses taken online provided they were offered by an accredited college or university. In-person laboratories are strongly preferred. The course name must appear on your transcript with the transfer credits. If not, you will have to contact https://www.collegeboard.org to request your AP scores and have those sent to UMSL Admissions.
Thank you for considering the College of Optometry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to call the Student Services Office at 888-EYE-UMSL (888-393-8675) or email Student Services.
