Pre-Optometry
Essential Courses
| Course # | Title | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI 105 | Biological Diversity and Ecology | 3 | None |
| BI 121 | Biology Lab I | 1 | BI 105 (corequisite) |
| BI 106 | Structure and Function of Cells and Organisms | 3 | BI 105 and CH 105 |
| BI 122 | Biology Lab II | 1 | BI 105 and BI 121; CH 122 corequisite |
| CH 105 | Organic Chemical Concepts I | 3 | None |
| CH 121 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 1 | CH 105 (corequisite) |
| CH 106 | Organic Chemical Concepts II | 3 | CH 105 (with C or better) |
| CH 122 | Organic Chemistry Lab II | 1 | CH 121; CH 106 (corequisite) |
| CH 230 | Intro to Bioinorganic Chemistry | 3 | CH 105 |
| CH 250 | Analytical Chemistry | 5 | CH 115 or CH 230 |
| BI 207 | Dynamics Of Biological Processes | 4 | BI 106, CH 106, and CH 230 |
| PC 200 | General Physics I | 3 | PC 206 (corequisite) |
| or | |||
| PC 202 | Introductory Physics I | 3 | MA 130 and PC 206 (corequisite) |
| PC 206 | Physics Lab I | 1 | PC 200 or PC 202 (corequisite) |
| PC 201 | General Physics II | 3 | PC 200; PC 207 (corequisite) |
| or | |||
| PC 203 | Introductory Physics II | 3 | PC 202 and MA 130; PC 207 (corequisite) |
| PC 207 | Physics Lab II | 1 | PC 201 or PC 203 (corequisite) |
| MA 220 | Intro. to Probability & Statistics | 4 | MA 130 |
| or | |||
| BI 305 | Biostatistics | 4 | BI 106 or ES 100 |
| or | |||
| ND SS 214 | Statistics for Social Sciences | 4 | None |
| MA 130 | Calculus I | 4 | None |
| PY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | None |
| BI 331 | Microbiology | 3 | BI 210; BI 222; BI 332 (corequisite) |
| BI 332 | Microbiology Lab | 1 | BI 331 (corequisite) |
| EN ___ | English Course | 3 | Varies |
Important Notes:
- Strongly recommend Biochemistry and Neurobiology. Also recommend Calculus II, anatomy, physiology, molecular biology, genetics, experimental and physiological psychology, foreign language (especially Spanish), sociology, economics, business courses, communication courses, and ethics.
- These courses reflect program requirements for our affiliation the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University only. Although this course list will be sufficient for most other programs, make sure to check requirements of other schools in which you are interested no later than your sophomore year.
- This course list does NOT represent a POE, nor does it cover College requirements. Design a POE, preferably in an academic area, in consultation with your advisor. Note: If you are in a 3 +_ program, course work during the first year of professional school can count toward upper level POE requirements.
- Make sure to have an advisor on the Health Professions Committee, preferably Dr. Borgardt.
- In addition to your course work you are urged to gain some experience in optometry either during the school year or over the summer.
2008-09 REQUIREMENTS
Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University
Regular Progression (4 years at Juniata) OR 3 + 4 B.S./O.D Program
| Classes | Credits |
|---|---|
| General Biology with Lab | 1 year |
| General Chemistry with Lab | 1 year |
| Organic Chemistry with Lab | 1 year |
| or | |
| Organic Chemistry with Lab (1/2 year) and 1/2 year of either Biochemistry or Molecular Biology with Labs optional but recommended | 1 year |
| English composition or literature | 1 year |
| Calculus I* | 1/2 year |
| Microbiology with Lab | 1/2 year |
| General Physics with Lab | 1 year |
| Psychology | 1/2 year |
| Statistics (math, biology, or psychology) | 1/2 year |
*or one year of any other college level math (algebra, pre-calculus, etc.)
Require 90 credits minimum.
Recommend but do not require biochemistry, Calculus II, anatomy, physiology, histology, molecular biology, genetics, and experimental and physiological psychology.
Competitive credentials: Science and overall GPA of 3.1-3.3; OAT scores of at least 300 in each subsection.
Any prerequisite course receiving a grade of D+ or lower must be repeated.
3 + 4 students should take the OAT in early fall of their junior year but scores will be accepted until June 2 of the applicant year.
Note: In addition to requesting a paper application, students applying to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University may download an application or apply online by going to their website at www.salus.edu. There is also a link on the PCO website www.salus.edu.to access online registration for the OAT.
Helpful websites:
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry - http://www.opted.org
American Optometric Association - www.aoa.org
Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University- www.salus.edu.
SUGGESTED CORE PROGRESSIONS FOR
Pre-OPTOMETRY
Regular Start; No Acceleration and No Study Abroad Junior Year
Bolded courses are offered only in the indicated semester and/or require a specific sequence due to Juniata prerequisites. Non-bolded courses are either offered in both semesters or represent open-ended choices, making them more flexible in when they can be taken. Course progressions after the freshman year are not carved in stone. Your particular course sequence may be different, depending on your situation. Consult with your advisor.
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman Year | BI 105 | Biology Lab II |
| Biology Lab I | Organic Chemistry Concepts II (if C or better in OCC I) and Lab | |
| Organic Chemistry Concepts I and Lab | Calculus I |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Sophomore Year | BI 106 | Analytical Chemistry |
| Bioinorganic Chemistry | BI 207 | |
| Psychology | English |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year | Physics I and Lab | Physics II and Lab |
| Microbiology and Lab | Statistics |
Finish the Junior Year courses for either the regular start or delayed chemistry progression no later than the summer before the year you intend to apply OR during senior year (this latter plan may delay your application until after you graduate from Juniata).
If you delay the start of Organic Chemistry I to the spring of freshman year be aware that Organic Chem Lab I is offered ONLY in the fall and Organic Chem II lab is offered ONLY in the spring. Also consider whether or not it is wise in your particular situation to take Organic Chem II with Bioinorganic Chemistry your sophomore year.
If you do an accelerated program plan to finish most or all of the prerequisite courses the year before your final year at Juniata. If you have one or two courses to complete your final year at Juniata, you could be conditionally accepted to professional school based on your academic record up to that point and on successful completion of the remaining prerequisite courses.
If you study abroad the SAFEST strategy is to take ALL prerequisite courses for professional school in the U.S., which may require you to take courses in the U.S. over the summer, preferably at a 4 year institution. However, if this is extremely difficult for your situation, check with the professional schools you wish to attend to see if they will accept courses taken abroad and if so, get their response in writing. Also if you have a Biology POE and will not have BI 207 by the time you go abroad, check with the Biology Department to see if there is a Cell and Molecular course you can take abroad that will enable you to take upper level biology offerings at Juniata your senior year that require BI 207 (ex. Physiology, Immunology, and Microbiology)
Be mindful of your POE courses, which are NOT indicated here. For example, if you have a Biology POE, you will need to take Freshman seminar the fall of your freshman year, Frontiers of Biology either semester your sophomore year, and Biology 207 at your earliest opportunity after completing Bioinorganic Chemistry.