All graduate students applying to Berkeley need to pay a supplemental fee. Once you submit your OptomCas application, you will receive an email from UC Berkeley's Graduate Division prompting you how to pay the fee. The fee is $66 for both domestic and international students.

Please note: Access to your supplemental fee portal will begin September 15th. If you submit your application before this date, you may still be extended an invitation to interview; however, you will be required to complete the supplemental fee before receiving notification of Berkeley Optometry’s admissions decision. After September 15th, the supplemental fee will be required for a completed application. Any other notifications from the supplemental fee portal should be disregarded. All application materials are processed through OptomCAS, not our Graduate Division Application.

All transcripts need to be submitted to OptomCAS; do not send any transcripts to Berkeley Optometry directly. An official transcript submitted needs to be signed and sealed by your institution's Registrar.

Tip: Request transcripts to be sent to OptomCAS early in the application process to ensure timely completion. Your OptomCAS application does not need to be complete prior to sending transcripts. Submitting them late can potentially delay your application past our deadline.

Applicants offered admissions to Berkeley Optometry must earn satisfactory final grades (i.e. a grad of C or better) in all ongoing and any subsequent courses that are completed prior to matriculation. Berkeley Optometry reserves the right to rescind offers of admissions if this condition is not met.

We require three letters of recommendation. All Letters of Recommendation need to be submitted to OptomCAS; do not send any Letters of Recommendation to Berkeley Optometry directly. The Letters of Recommendation are critical to your application. We strongly encourage you to find at least 1 practicing optometrist to write you a letter. Please note: We do not accept committee/composite letters in lieu of 3 different recommenders.

Suggested sources include:

• An optometrist who can state through documented experience that you have an understanding of the profession of optometry.
• A professor with whom you have done personal work (such as assisted on a specific project), or from whom you took a prerequisite course.
• An employer who can comment about your maturity, diligence, and conscientiousness.

For students applying in the 25' - 26' Admissions Cycle, we are test optional. Those who do choose to submit test scores as a component of the application we do prefer the OAT although we will also gladly accept the MCAT, DAT or GRE general exam. You will be able to indicate this within your OptomCAS application. Additionally, it is important to note that if you complete either an OAT or GRE exam that it will be visible to us for review once the scores are processed.

For the '26 - '27 Admissions Cycle and beyond, we are requiring a standardized test. We have a strong preference for the OAT, but students can submit an MCAT or DAT as well. We no longer will accept the GRE.

We accept scores (no older than 3 years old) from:

OAT: Exams taken on or after June 26, 2022.

GRE: Use GRE Designated Institution (DI) Code 4563 for Berkeley Optometry. Exams taken on or after June 26, 2022.

MCAT: Save your verification code sheet from the MCAT reporting system and email it to optometry-admissions@berkeley.edu. Exams taken on or after June 26, 2022.

DAT: Request official score reports be sent to optometry-admissions@berkeley.edu. Exams taken on or after June 26, 2022.

All essays need to be submitted to OptomCAS; do not send any essays to Berkeley Optometry directly. Applicants are asked to provide responses to three essay topics.

Essay Topic 1
Please describe what inspires your decision for becoming an optometrist, including your preparation for training in this profession, your motivation, and your future career goals. (maximum 4500 characters)

Essay Topic 2
With which one of these core values do you identify most? Accountability - Curiosity - Excellence - Humility - Integrity. Provide an example when that value was challenged and exercised. How will that core value help you persevere through your optometric studies and beyond? (maximum 3000 characters)

Essay Topic 3
Tell us about the community/communities you grew up in and how these experiences have inspired your goals and aspirations as a future health care provider? (maximum 3000 characters)

Interviews of applicants are by invitation only. Applicants will be contacted by our Admissions Office to set up an interview time with a current student and faculty. As part of the assessment, you will have the opportunity to speak with current students. These interviews will currently be held in a virtual format to increase accessibility for applicants. All interviews are conducted in a semi-blind format and is a 2-on-1 style. The interviewers only see qualitative aspects of your application. These aspects are your essays, letters of recommendation and experience section of your application.

In addition to academic preparation, the admissions committee considers the experience you bring when conducting the holistic application review.

Shadowing and optometric experience are very beneficial – helping applicants to better understand their own fit within the profession, communicate that understanding with real-world examples, and demonstrate their commitment to the field of optometry. While there is no specific number of hours required for shadowing or optometric experience, applicants are encouraged to obtain as much as possible prior to applying.

The admissions committee also considers experience beyond optometry related activities, recognizing that relevant and useful skills sets develop at the varied jobs, internships, and volunteer positions that applicants may have held over the years. Again, no set amount, minimum or maximum, of additional experience is required.

Essential abilities and characteristics required for completion of the OD degree consist of certain minimum physical and cognitive abilities and sufficient mental and emotional stability to assure that candidates for admission, promotion, and graduation are able to complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of optometric training.

Technical standards are applied in several broad categories, including behavioral and social attributes; communication; intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; motor function; and observation. These abilities and characteristics, in conjunction with academic standards established by the faculty, are requirements for admission, promotion, and graduation in optometry.