Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
about Prerequisites
For a PowerPoint presentation providing information on making yourself a well-qualified candidate, please view our Successful Admission presentation. You must have PowerPoint or the free viewer to view it. We have provided the information below.
For information on pre-req courses, see the pre-requisite course page.
Q: I took Biology as advanced placement. Do I need to take it in college?
A: If you received a grade from an institution of higher learning (yes, even your local community college), then yes. It must appear as a grade on an institution of higher learning to be considered taken for graded credit.
Q: I received advanced placement for both semesters of English. Do I need to retake these?
A: At this moment (April 2005), yes, you will. However, please contact the Optometry Advisor (optometry@umsl.edu) to ask this particular question. We may be able to accept nonsciences as advanced placement shortly. This waiver will not be offered for sciences or mathematics.
Q: When do I apply?
A: We open our on-line application on August 1. We close it March 15 at 5 PM (all materials must be in the Office of Student Services on campus by that deadline; not in the mail or postmarked by). To be considered for merit scholarships or state "seats/contracts' please have all application materials in our office not later than 5 PM December 15th. (What happens when one of these two dates falls on a weekend? We move the deadline to the 16th or 17thÑwhichever is the date of the immediately following Monday.)
Q: What must be in the Office of Student Services to be considered "a complete application"?
A: Your application, your application fee ($50 US$), your academic record form, four letters of recommendation*, and all transcripts**. * If your college/university uses a professional committee letter process, we will accept this for all four letters. However, it is still advisable to ask the optometrist for whom you've worked or shadowed to write you a letter. **High school only if you are using Trig from high school. All colleges and universities attended must be submitted, including any professional programs.
It is the applicant's responsibility to insure that all pieces of the application get to our office. Please make sure all items when mailed to us are sent to:
Office of Student Services/317 MH
UMSL/Optometry
One University Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63121
Q: Do I have to retake Trigonometry in College?
A: No. We are happy to accept your high school trig coursework. You will need to submit your high school transcript to show this has been taken.
Q: I didn't take high school trig. What do I do?
A: You can either take Trig in college (many universities don't offer this course, please feel free to take this at a two year institution, we will need this transcript as well), or take it as part of Analytic and Geometric Calculus course.
Q: Which statistics course should I take?
A: Please feel free to take any statistics course that has the word "Statistics" in its title. There may be other courses that will be accepted. See the question below regarding checking a course to see if it is acceptable.
Q: Which Calculus course should I take?
A: At this time, any 3- to 5-credit hour (semester credit hours) is acceptable. The course must be Calculus, not Pre-Calculus, however.
Q: My college doesn't offer a course called "General Biology," what do I take?
A: The
OAT will test you on a full year of what it calls General Biology.
You will need to take for us a course that will transfer as a General
Biology course, see below for checking a course to ensure it is acceptable.
Currently, the biology concepts tested on the OAT are:
"Cell and Molecular Biology - origin of life; cell metabolism (including photosynthesis); enzymology; cellular processes; thermodynamics; organelle structure and function; mitosis/meiosis; Diversity of Life: Biological Organization and Relationship of Major Taxa monera, plantae, animalia, protista, fungi, etc.) using the five-kingdom system; Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology: Structure and function of Systems- integumentary, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, immunological, digestive, respiratory, urinary, nervous/senses, endocrine, and reproductive; Developmental Biology - fertilization, descriptive embryology, and developmental mechanics; Genetics Ð molecular genetics, human genetics, classical genetics, and chromosomal genetics; Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior - natural selection, population genetics/speciation, cladistics, population and community ecology, ecosystems, animal behavior (including social behavior)."
Q: How do I find out about the OAT and what is tested? Where to take it? When it is given? When I get test results?
A: OAT information is available from the American Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) on the website: www.opted.org. Please see the link provided on their home page.
Q: My college does not provide one year of General (or Intro) Chemistry. What do I do?
A: We require two semesters of General (Inorganic) Chemistry with lab for admission. You will need to take an upper level inorganic chemistry class with its lab.
Q: My college does not offer a lab for (pick any science). What do I do?
A: We require a lab for every science course for admission. If the course is not required for your graduation requirements, you are welcome to take a course at your local community college to meet this specific requirement. However, this is not the recommended way to meet the requirement. You might also wish to speak with your department chairperson to determine if a research lab course (independent study, research, etc. (but in that specific discipline for which the lab is missing) could be devised for you to meet at least a one-hour lab requirement. This would be the recommended method to meet this requirement.
Q: My college doesn't offer "English" courses. What courses do I take?
A: Please see below for determining if your college has courses that would transfer as an English course.
Q: Which psychology course should I take?
A: In addition to General Psych, we recommend something like Developmental, Methodology or Statistics, Abnormal, or Childhood Development. At this current time, we will allow you to count Psychological Statistics as both your Stats and second Psych requirements.
Q: How many hours do I have to have to get in? Do I need a degree? Which degree is preferred?
A: You will need to have 60 hours to take the OAT. You will need to have completed a minimum of 90 hours to be admitted; however a degree is preferred (not required). So, all things being equal, two identical candidates being considered, the one with a degree would be preferred. However, highly qualified applicants are considered and admitted without a degree. Please see below for our B.I.S. degree option (formerly a B.G.S.).
While we admit students from all disciplines, students with a strong science-based background perform the best in coursework and on national board exams (the exams one must take and pass in order to be a licensed optometrist).
Q: I heard that I could finish my degree while in optometry. Is that true?
A: Yes, and no. You might be able to complete your degree through one of the academic units on campus while in optometry school. However, most students who choose to come without a degree complete a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies through the Honors College while enrolled in optometry school. In addition to your normal optometry program, you will have just a couple of required courses to take which will also fulfill your elective requires for our program.
Q: How do I know if a course "transfers" to UMSL for consideration as a pre-req?
A: While the course doesn't actually transfer for credit, per se, the easiest way of knowing if the course you are considering taking to meet a requirement will actually meet a requirement, is to pretend you want to transfer here as a student and use the on-line transfer
From the UMSL Homepage (www.umsl.edu) . . .
| Click on the drop down search and select "Transfer Students" |  |
| Link to the “Course Equivalency Database” |  |
| You will follow the instructions on this page to check to see if your course will transfer. Click on the database to search for your institution and perform the course check. |  |
Q: What type of grades will I need to get into school? What about my OAT score?
A: To insure successful application, you will want to have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA, with your sciences being at least that good. You will want at least a 320 OAT score. That doesn't mean we won't accept under those, however, you may wait for an interview until the end of the interview "season'.