Course numbers are for UC Berkeley courses (see General Catalog). Please review the descriptions carefully and note that these are minimum prerequisite course requirements. Completed courses must have been taken for letter grades, although courses for which AP credit was given are acceptable if listed on an official college transcript. Students who have completed a more difficult course are not required to enroll in the basic course. Alternative courses may be substituted at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

For information on course equivalencies at University of California and other campuses, please refer to the downloadable lists of courses: Articulations (Course Equivalencies).

For information on course equivalencies at California's community colleges, please consult Assist.Org.

If your community college and/or institution is not listed on assist.org (California community colleges only) or in our downloadable Articulations, you can refer to our Prerequisite Checklist to assist you in organizing your prerequisite courses according to your institution. UC Berkeley course descriptions are included in the checklist. Compare UC Berkeley's descriptions to your community college and/or four-year institution to find equivalencies. If there are questionable courses after you have closely read through descriptions, please contact us.

Online Courses

It is the policy of Berkeley Optometry's Admissions Committee to consider on-line prerequisite courses only from the following subject areas: Calculus/Advanced Mathematics, Psychology, Reading/ Composition, and Statistics. Prerequisite courses that are fulfilled through on-line courses must be from an accredited college or university and must include a final examination that is taken in person with proof of identity.

Prerequisite science courses with a corresponding lab requirement (mandatory and/or suggested) must be taken in a traditional in-class format.

Questions regarding our prerequisite courses can be sent to:
admissions@optometry.berkeley.edu

Please note that while all prerequisite courses do not have to be completed at the point of application, the probability of admission may be reduced if more than four prerequisite courses are outstanding.

Basic Science Courses (Laboratories Required )*
General Chemistry	Chem 1A = 1 semester or 2 quarters
Organic Chemistry	Chem 3A, 3AL, 3B, 3BL = 2 semesters or 3 quarters
Biochemistry	MCB 100B or 102 = 1 semester or 1 quarter ( lab is optional)*
General Biology or Zoology	Biology 1A, 1AL, 1B = 2 semesters or 3 quarters
General Physics	Physics 8A, 8B = 2 semesters or 3 quarters
*Advanced Science Courses (Laboratories Required)*
Human (or Comparative) Anatomy	IB 131, 131L = 1 semester or 1 quarter
Human (or Mammalian) Physiology	IB 132 and 132L (IB 132 / 132L preferred) or MCB 32 and 32L = 1 semester or 1 quarter.
Microbiology	MCB C112, C112L or Public Health 162A, 162L (4 units) = 1 semester or 1 quarter
General Courses
Calculus / Advanced Mathematics	Math16A, 16B or 1A, 1B = 2 semesters or 3 quarters
Reading and Composition	English 1A, 1B or equivalent = 2 semesters or 3 quarters
Statistics	Statistics 2 or Public Health 142A = 1 semester or 1 quarter
Psychology	Psychology 1 or 2 = 1 semester or 1 quarter
Recommended Courses (not required)
Additional Recommended Courses	MCB 140 or 142: Genetics; MCB 130, 130L: Cell Biology, MCB 135K OR 135M: Physiology of the Aging Process, MCB 135V: Cell Biology of the Eye and Mechanisms of Ocular Disease. (MCB = Molecular and Cell Biology, IB = Integrative Biology)