The pre-optometry program is an undergraduate educational track that prepares you to be a competitive candidate for admission to the optometry school of your choice after completing your bachelor's degree.
Optometrists are doctors who specialize in the human eye and related components of our visual systems. They diagnose and treat visual problems and manage diseases, injuries, and eye disorders. They perform annual eye examinations and prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, medications, and treatments.
Being an optometrist is a rewarding career that requires extensive knowledge, training, and experience. You'll help your patients care for and maintain one of our most important human senses—vision and sight.
The American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) reports that over half of the U.S. population wears glasses or content lenses and, as our population ages, the demand for optometric care will increase. As technologies continue to advance, you must have an interest in being a lifelong learner who stays current on the latest trends, treatments, and developments in the field.
To become an optometrist, you will complete several years of education and training. You'll start, of course, by going to college and working toward earning a bachelor's degree. During your junior and senior years, you will:
According to the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), there are 23 optometry schools in the United States, including the Indiana University School of Optometry. These schools offer a four-year doctoral level Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.
Admission to optometry schools is competitive, with about 70 percent of those who apply for admission being accepted. Having a good GPA and related academic accomplishments combined with applying to multiple schools is the best way to ensure you'll be accepted.
After completing the OD degree requirements, you may complete a one-year residency program to get advanced clinical training if you want to specialize in fields like:
If the benefits of being able to help people see and improve the quality of their lives is important to you, optometry is an excellent career.
Marian University's pre-optometry track is intentionally and specifically structured to increase your chances of gaining admission to the optometry schools of your choice. We've taken the guesswork out of preparing to apply to optometry school—which means you can focus on your academic success.
Some universities weigh their admission decisions on certain areas of your application and your academic preparation more heavily than others.
1. Completion of prerequisite coursework
2. Optometry Admissions Test (OAT)
3. Grade Point Average (GPA)
4. Research experience
5. Clinical experience
6. Letters of recommendation
For information about internships at places like the Indiana Eye Clinic or Cornea Research Foundation, you can talk with your faculty advisor as well as staff at The Exchange.
© 2021 Marian University
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Marian University does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, age or disabilities in the selection
of administrative personnel, faculty and staff, and students.
*Placement rates are gathered from data collected from graduates within six months of graduation.
Students may make a complaint to the Indiana Commission of Higher Education.
Marian University is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana.
Submit a Marketing Request
Website built with