Pre-Optometry
Learn to prevent, diagnose and manage visual conditions.
Optometrists perform eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses and provide treatment for illnesses related to the visual system. In our pre-optometry track, you’ll:
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- Develop leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills that optometry schools and employers highly value.
- Get practical laboratory and research experience.
- Work with our dedicated faculty and staff advisors to prepare for advanced optometric study.
At A Glance
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12:1Student-to-faculty ratio
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18Average class size
Possible Careers
Learn to prevent, diagnose and manage visual conditions.
Optometrists perform eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses and provide treatment for illnesses related to the visual system. In our pre-optometry track, you’ll:
-
- Develop leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills that optometry schools and employers highly value.
- Get practical laboratory and research experience.
- Work with our dedicated faculty and staff advisors to prepare for advanced optometric study.
Get to Know Pre-Optometry
Meet the Pre-Health Professions Committee (PHPC)
The Alma Venture
Dream it, learn it, do it. Through our Venture program, you can design a unique, hands-on learning experience at home or abroad. Find out more about the Alma Venture.
Explore the Curriculum
Learn more about the fundamental courses that will offer a roadmap for your academic growth and expertise development.
A rigorous, practical and well-rounded education.
Students in our pre-health programs choose a wide variety of majors — from science to history. Many of those in our pre-optometry track select a field such as biochemistry, biology or chemistry.
Alongside your coursework, you’ll get hands-on experience that positions you for advanced study and work in optometry. You’ll practice dissection in our human cadaver laboratory. And you’ll dive into subjects such as neurophysiology, psychopharmacology and microbiology.
We have resources to support your graduate school applications, too. Alma partners with Kaplan to offer free private test preparation to students who plan to enroll in medical school.
In addition, you’ll have access to our pre-health professions advisors, who provide workshops, mentorship and letters of evaluation to pre-health students.
What You Need to Know
To practice as an optometrist, you must have a four-year doctor of optometry (O.D.) degree. If you’d like to pursue a specialty — such as pediatric optometry or ocular disease — you may also need to complete an additional one-year residency.
Some of the schools our alumni have chosen are:
- Illinois College of Optometry
- Michigan College of Optometry, Ferris State University
- Nova Southeastern University
Get Connected
Student Organizations
Expand your professional network, connect with the local community or take up a new hobby. Whatever you love to do, there’s a place for you in one — or more — of our 100+ student clubs!
