OD Admissions
Standardized Test Now Optional
A submission of standardized test scores is now optional. We hope this new change will provide applicants with the opportunity to submit materials that they believe best illustrates their candidacy.
For students 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, PCAT, 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.
Welcome!
The Admissions Committee of the School of Optometry strives to admit students who will be successful both in the academic program and in the practice of optometry. Our goal each year is to bring in a class of approximately 65 students. We welcome your application!
Selection Criteria
Selection is based on holistic review of the entire application, including previous college-level academic achievement, standardized test scores, and qualitative factors such as biographical information, assessment of suitability for performing clinical work, letters of recommendation, interview performance, and life experience.
Rolling Admissions
We conduct a rolling admission process based on rounds which runs from June 29, 2023 to December 1st, 2023 for Fall 2024 entrance. As completed applications are received, applicants will be contacted about invitations to interview. Applicants may expect to receive their admission decision within three weeks of completing the interview process (7 weeks total after a deadline as passed). Please note your application must be complete and received by a week after a Round Deadline, to be considered for admission.
Round Deadlines
Round 1 – August 25th, 2023
Round 2 – October 13th, 2023
Round 3 – December 1st, 2023
Invitations to Interview
Invitations to interview will be released on 1 week after a round deadline (see schedule below). The Admissions and Student Affairs Office will provide the applicant with available dates to participate in the interview process. All completed applications received by the deadlines indicated below will receive notification by the specified date. Applicants will have one week from the date of notification to accept the invitation to interview.
Due to the holiday season, interviews for the last cycle will be scheduled in early January.After You Receive an Offer of Admission
Students who have been admitted into an entering class are required to take certain steps to secure their seats in that class. The deadline to complete these steps will be provided by the Admissions and Student Affairs Office following their recommendation for admission.
- Accept the offer via email and return your signed award letter to the Assistant Director of Admissions.
- Pay your deposit. Berkeley Optometry requires a non-refundable $750 enrollment deposit to secure your seat in the CLass. This $750 will be applied to your first semester of tuition.
- Complete background check. Berkeley Optometry requires a criminal background check (CBC) for all newly-admitted applicants prior to matriculation into the program. All admitted applicants are “Provisionally Accepted” until CBC results are obtained and cleared through Certiphi.
- All students are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be fully considered for all financial aid and scholarship opportunities.
Transfer Students
The Faculty believes that differences in educational philosophy and practice among the schools and colleges of optometry make the completion of a single uninterrupted curriculum in the best interests of both students and the profession. Accordingly, it is the policy of the Faculty to discourage optometry students from other institutions from seeking to transfer to Berkeley Optometry.
Admission of students to Berkeley Optometry's professional program is the responsibility of the Academic Senate Faculty (Faculty). The Faculty appreciates and endorses the value of continuity in an optometric professional program expressed in the revised Recommended Guidelines and Practices for the Admission of Transfer Students approved by the Board of Directors of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) in 2015.
Disclosure
After a student has accepted admission, disclosure of information from his or her student records is governed by the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. While FERPA does not pertain to applicants who have not accepted admission, it is Berkeley Optometry’s policy to not release applicant information to third parties (e.g., parents, pre-health advisors, spouses) unless there has been prior written consent from the applicant.
The US Department of Education has issued regulations requiring higher education programs that are intended to meet professional licensure and certification requirements to disclose to students whether the program meets licensure and certification requirements in individual states. The required disclosure is posted on the website of the Institutional Research and Academic Planning (IRAP) department at UC Office of the President at this URL as of July 1, 2020.
UC Berkeley Supplemental Fee
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.
How to Apply
On this page we’ll go over the basic requirements for admission to the OD program. You can also visit our Applicant Profile page to see GPA and test scores for our previous applicants.
How to Apply Join Our Email List