Requirements
We invite all hard-working, conscientious students to apply to SCCO’s renowned Doctor of Optometry (OD) program. To be considered for admission, you must first satisfy certain eligibility and academic requirements (prerequisites). SCCO’s requirements are based on the high standards set by California Optometry Law, as well as professional accrediting bodies, and by the Admissions Policy Committee.
Academic Requirements
To be considered for admission to SCCO's professional OD program, you must satisfy two academic components: 1) bachelor’s degree or minimum units, and 2) prerequisite coursework.
A four-year baccalaureate degree is recommended, however, applicants who complete a minimum of 90 semester/135 quarter units of undergraduate study will qualify for admission.
The minimum prerequisite coursework listed below is also required. These courses must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian institution with a grade of "C-" or better. Please see FAQs regarding prerequisites located further down the page.
Prerequisite Coursework
Course Content Should Cover:
- Introduction to transcendental functions
- Introduction to differential and integral calculus of functions of one variable with applications
Note:
- Analytic geometry/calculus is also acceptable
Course Content Should Cover:
- Functional anatomy of the human body as revealed by gross and microscopic examination
Notes:
- No lab required
- Combined Anatomy + Physiology classes are acceptable, however, you MUST take parts 1 and 2 at the same school.
- An A+P combination class that is only 1 course is not acceptable.
Course Content Should Cover:
- Neural and endocrine signaling in Humans
- Mechanisms by which key physiological priorities are maintained in healthy humans
- Develop an understanding of homeostasis of energy metabolism, cellular composition, and structure
- Develop key concepts of control and homeostasis in all major organ and multi-organ systems, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, metabolic, reproductive, and immune systems, growth and development, and sensory and motor systems
Notes:
- No lab required
- Combined Anatomy + Physiology classes are acceptable, however, you MUST take parts 1 and 2 at the same school.
- An A+P combination class that is only 1 course is not acceptable.
Course Content Should Cover:
- Introduction to organic chemical structures, bonding, and chemical reactivity
- Organic Chemistry of alkanes, alkyl halides, alcohols, alkenes, alkynes, and organometallics
Note:
Course Content Should Cover:
- Electrochemistry
- Stoichiometry of chemical reactions
- Quantum mechanical description of atoms
- Properties of the state of matter
- Chemical bonding
- Thermochemistry
- Thermodynamic efficiency and the direction of chemical change
- Introduction to thermodynamics and equilibrium
- Introduction to oxidation=reduction reactions
- Introduction to chemical kinetics
- Quantum mechanical description of bonding introduction to spectroscopy
Note:
Course Content Should Cover:
- Introduction to the principle areas, problems, and concepts of psychology
Notes:
- Any course offered by the psychology department is acceptable, however, courses with content relevant to future healthcare providers is recommended
Course Content Should Cover:
- Probability
- Probability distributions
- Ideas for estimation and hypothesis testing basic to applications
- Linear estimation and normal regression theory
- Correlation and regression with biomedical applications
Notes:
- Statistics courses offered by departments such as psychology or Biology are acceptable
- Biological Statistics is acceptable
Course Content Should Cover:
- Properties of microorganisms
- Metabolic capability
- Relationships with humans in causing infectious diseases and in maintaining health
- Molecular bases for physiological and biochemical diversity among members of Bacteria and Archaea
- Ecological significance and evolutionary origins of this diversity
- Molecular, genetics, and structure-function analyses of microbial cell cycles
- Adaptive responses
- Macromolecular synthesis
Notes
- Lab may be taken online if necessary
Course Content Should Cover:
- General introduction to cell structure and function
- Molecular and organismal genetics
- Animal development, form, and function
- General introduction to plant development, form, and function
- Population genetics, ecology, and evolution
Notes:
- No labs required
- Does not need to be a 1-year series as long as the material above is mainly covered
- Any course offered by the English or Literature department is acceptable.
- Writing intensive courses will also be accepted as long as a syllabus is submitted to show the course is writing intensive.
Course Content Should Cover:
- Mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity, magnetism and modern physics
- Must complete a 1 year sequence, preferably at the same school
- Labs must be taken in person, virtual not accepted unless taken during COVID accommodation period
- If taken at a semester-based school, must take 2 lectures and 2 labs
- If taken at a quarter-based school, must take 3 lectures and 3 labs
- If your school has an unconventional format (for example a complete "series" is 3 lectures and 2 labs), this will be accepted and there is no need to have it reviewed by admissions
Course Content Should Cover:
- Stoichiometry of chemical reactions
- Quantum mechanical description of atoms
- Electrochemistry
- Introduction to chemical kinetics
- Chemical bonding
- Thermochemistry
- Introduction to thermodynamics and equilibrium
- Introduction to oxidation=reduction reactions
- Quantum mechanical description of bonding introduction to spectroscopy
- Properties of the state of matter
- Thermodynamic efficiency and the direction of chemical change
- Must complete a 1 year sequence, preferably at the same school
- Labs must be taken in person, virtual not accepted unless taken during COVID accommodation period
- If taken at a semester-based school, must take 2 lectures and 2 labs
- If taken at a quarter-based school, must take 3 lectures and 3 labs
- If your school has an unconventional format (for example a complete "series" is 3 lectures and 2 labs), this will be accepted and there is no need to have it reviewed by admissions
How to Verify Prerequisite Coursework & Pre-Approved Coursework
We encourage prospective students to utilize our resources to review their prerequisite courses to determine if the course in question meets the necessary requirements. If you have utilized these resources and still have concerns about whether a course is acceptable, please email the following to ODadmissions@ketchum.edu and an Admissions Officer will be happy to review it for you: 1) Name of prerequisite course you are trying to fulfill, 2) link to course in school's online course catalog.
1) Review the descriptions for each of the prerequisites listed above. If the course you're considering taking or have already taken, covers a majority of the content listed and meets the criteria specified in the notes section, there is no need to have the course reviewed.
2) Review the Articulation Agreements. Posted below are lists of specific courses at a college or university that will fulfill SCCO's prerequisite requirements. You may think of them as 'pre-approved’ coursework. There are many other schools and courses that are accepted, these are just the most frequently requested ones. Course content and offerings continually change and therefore, we cannot guarantee this information is always up-to-date. Ultimately, the responsibility for meeting SCCO’s prerequisite requirements is up to you.
* Note: we are in the process of updating our Articulation Agreements. If you are looking for a school that was previously listed but is no longer, we still accept coursework from the school and we will have the updated pre-approved coursework available soon.
