Optometrists examine our eyes and the visual system for defects and disease and prescribe medicine and lenses to correct what is wrong. Optometrists work with patients all across the life span: they track the visual development of children and assist aging people with common visual impairments in old age.
Admission requirements for the IU School of Optometry
Time to degree: Four years, then one year of residency
Licensure requirements: Completion of the three-part National Board of Examiners of Optometry exam
Median Indiana salary (2017): $96,480
Projected job growth 2016–2018: 18% (much faster than average)
Degree requirements: 90 college credits (but a bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred)
Minimum GPA: 3.0 (3.6 for those without a bachelor’s degree)
Entrance exam required: OAT
Tuition: Around $200,000 for in-state residents
Application deadline: January 15 (application opens June 28)
| Concepts of Biology I | BIOL-K 101 | |
| Concepts of Biology II | BIOL-K 103 | Prerequisite: BIOL-K 101 |
| Microbiology w/ Lab | BIOL-K 356 and BIOL-K 357 | Prerequisites: BIOL-K 103 or BIOL-K 104 and CHEM-C 341 |
| Biochemistry | BIOL-K 384 | Prerequisite: BIOL-K 322 or BIOL-K 324 or equivalent and CHEM-C 341 or equivalent |
| Advanced Biology | BIOL-K 322 or BIOL-K 324 or BIOL-N 217 | |
| Human Anatomy | BIOL-N 261 | |
| Principles of Chemistry I w/ Lab | CHEM-C 105 and CHEM-C 125 | Prerequisite: CHEM-C 101 or placement in CHEM-C 105 |
| Principles of Chemistry II w/ Lab | CHEM-C 106 and CHEM-C 126 | Prerequisite: CHEM-C 105 |
| Organic Chemistry I w/ Lab | CHEM-C 341 and CHEM-C 343 | Prerequisite: CHEM-C 106 or CHM 11600 or CHM 11700 |
| Advanced Writing | ENG-W 270 or ENG-W 231 | Prerequisite: ENG-W 131 |
| Math | MATH-I 231 or MATH-I 221 or MATH-I 165 or MATH-M 119 | |
| General Physics I | PHYS-P 201 | Prerequisite: MATH-I 154 or MATH-I 159 or MATH-I 165 or MATH-S 165 or MATH-I 221 or MATH-I 231 (each course with a C– or higher taken within last three years) or ALEKS placement score greater or equal to 61.00. |
| General Physics II | PHYS-P 202 | Prerequisite: PHYS-P 202 |
| Introductory Psychology | PSY-B 110 | |
| Elementary Statistical Methods | STAT-I 301 |
If the student does NOT have a bachelor's degree, additional courses are required:
- Arts and humanities (6 credits)
- Foreign language (6 credits) (students having completed two or more years in high school with C or better are exempt)
- Social and historical studies (6 credits)
- Additional credit hours to reach 90 credit hour