University of California, Berkeley Optometry

Contacts

Website: http://optometry.berkeley.edu/
Phone: 1-510-642-9537
Admissions e-mail: optometry-admissions@berkeley.edu

Program Information

• Doctor of Optometry (OD)
• 4 years in length
• Number of applications in 2012: 293
• Number of students enrolled in 2012: 67

Admission Requirements

Course and Degree Requirements

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (does not require a specific undergraduate major)
• Required Courses
  • General Chemistry with Lab (1 semester)
  • Organic Chemistry with Lab (2 semesters)
  • Biochemistry (1 semester)
  • General Biology with Lab (2 semesters)
  • General Physics with Lab (2 semesters)
  • Human (or Comparative) Anatomy with Lab (1 semester)
  • Human (or Mammalian) Physiology with Lab (1 semester)
  • Microbiology with Lab (1 semester)
  • Calculus/Advanced Mathematics (2 semesters)
  • Reading and Composition (2 semesters)
  • Statistics (1 semester)
  • Psychology (1 semester)
• Recommended Courses
  • Genetics

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GPA

• Minimum: 3.0 (4.0 scale)
• Average entering GPA 2010: 3.44

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OAT

• Average entering OAT score in 2010: 353
• For the 2010-2011 application cycle, only OAT scores from tests taken from July 15, 2008 until December 1, 2010 will be accepted

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Supporting Documents

• Three Letters of Recommendation:
  • an optometrist who can state through documented experience that you know what the profession of optometry entails.
  • a professor with whom you have done personal work or with whom you took a prerequisite course.
  • an employer or extracurricular activity advisor who can comment about your maturity, diligence, and conscientiousness.
• Three essay questions
• Official transcripts from universities attended

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Interview

• Held by the Admissions Committee by invitation only
• Held in February 2011

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Timeline

• December 1, 2010: deadline for application (note: no rolling admissions)
• December 1, 2010: deadline to take the OAT
• February 2011: Interviews are held

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Tuition 2010-2011

• Non-resident tuition fee (for one semester): $6,122.50
• Non-resident total fees (for one semester): $19,162.25

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