Kentucky Wesleyan College offers a program which prepares students for admission to any college of optometry. Although requirements vary slightly among colleges of optometry, most of the basic science and mathematics requirements are the same. The pre-optometry advisor for Kentucky Wesleyan provides the student with information and entrance requirements for all colleges of optometry accredited by the Council on Optometry Education of the American Optometric Association. Once the student selects a specific college of optometry, the advisor designs the student’s curriculum to fulfill admission requirements for that college.

Kentucky Wesleyan College’s pre-optometry program consists of a minimum of three academic years of course work in which the student must accumulate a minimum of 96 semester hours. The science-mathematics courses include two years of chemistry and biology, one year of physics and two semesters of calculus. The remainder of the curriculum consists of electives chosen to fulfill general education requirements of recommended courses of the college of optometry.

In the third year of the program, the pre-optometry student must take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). A good academic record and an acceptable performance on the OAT are necessary for admission into an optometry program. Because a large percentage of students accepted by a college of optometry complete a bachelor'’ degree before enrolling, the suggested three-year pre-optometry curriculum is consistent with other programs leading to a four-year bachelor'’ degree in one of the basic sciences at Kentucky Wesleyan College. The pre-optometry advisor will assist in planning the curriculum for the fourth year if the student decides to complete the B.A. or B.S. degree.

Kentucky Wesleyan students have been accepted by several colleges of optometry including Ohio State University, Indiana University, the University of Houston, Southern College of Optometry and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Graduates of these programs are currently associated with a number of optometry practices throughout the country.

A strong college preparatory program, with emphasis on mathematics and the sciences, is expected, as are above-average college entrance test scores. Most students pursuing the pre-optometry program at Kentucky Wesleyan College are eligible for the college’s extensive financial aid and scholarship program. Applicants are encouraged to seek additional scholarship and financial aid information from the Admission Office and to compete in the college’s academic scholarship program if eligible.