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General Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree

Students are required to meet the general requirements for a baccalaureate degree, including the completion of university core curriculum requirements. See the Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements section of this catalog for details.

Students Who Have Not Earned a Baccalaureate Degree

Students who have not earned a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation in the College of Optometry must complete university course requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree before beginning the third year in optometry. Optometry courses completed subsequent to admission to the professional program fulfill requirements for total credit hours for a Bachelor of Science degree in optometry. University requirements, including core curriculum requirements, must also be met. Because the first two years in optometry entail full course loads, students are strongly urged to earn bachelor's degrees and complete the specific baccalaureate degree requirements before entering the professional program (see the section titled Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements).

Core Curriculum Requirements		Hours
Level 1	ENGL 1303, 1304. Freshman Composition	6
	Six hours in approved 2000-level writing/literature courses	6
	MATH 1310. College Algebra	3
	Three hours in approved math, logic, statistics, computer science, or music theory courses	3
Level 2	Approved courses in natural sciences	6
	Approved courses in social and behavioral sciences	6
	Approved courses in cultural heritage	6
Level 3	Six hours in approved Level 3 core courses or completion of an approved minor (The minor must be outside the department or program of the student's major.)	6-21
Additional Requirements	American History: HIST 1376 or 1377 Requirements and 1378 or 1379 or equivalent	6
	American Government: POLS 1336 and 1337 or equivalent	6
	Physical education or approved substitutions	2

Note: All 3000- and 4000-level courses at the university have as a prerequisite the successful completion of ENGL 1304 and MATH 1310 or equivalents. This pre-requisite will be strictly enforced. Students admitted to the optometry college prior to completing a baccalaureate degree satisfy University of Houston Level 3 core requirements by successfully completing the first year of professional study.

Suggested Pre-Optometry Program

Courses that fulfill optometry prerequisites and the University of Houston core curriculum requirements are included in the four-year pre-optometry curriculum model that follows. Other courses shown have been selected from those listed in the section on elective courses. Courses required for admission are described in the following section entitled Prerequisite Courses. Both lists are provided so that students can plan a pre-optometry curriculum at another institution and select courses equivalent to University of Houston courses. Completion of the first three years fulfills minimum course requirements for admission. Pre-optometry students are encouraged to engage in full-time study (15 or more semester credit hours per semester) and to generate an academic history which demonstrates the ability to handle the rigor of the professional curriculum offered by the College of Optometry. Moreover, students pursuing a given degree plan may substitute courses required in their majors.

First Year

Fall Semester	Hours
BIOL 1431. Introduction to Biological Science2	4
CHEM 1331. Fundamentals of Chemistry2	3
CHEM 1111. Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory2	1
MATH 1330. Elementary Functions2	3
ENGL 1303. Freshman Composition I3	3
PHIL 1321. Logic I (Approved Math/Reasoning Core Course)3	3
Physical Education or approved substitution3	1
Total	18
Spring Semester
BIOL 1432. Introduction to Biological Science 2 (Approved Level 1 Core Course)	4
CHEM 1332. Fundamentals of Chemistry2 (Approved Level 1 Core Course)	3
CHEM 1112. Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory2	1
MATH 1431. Calculus I (Approved Math/Reasoning Core Course)2	4
PSYC 1300. Introduction to Psychology (Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Course)	3
ENGL 1304. Freshman Composition II3	3
Physical Education or approved substitution3	1
Total	19

Second Year

Fall Semester	Hours
BIOL 1334. Human Anatomy and Physiology	3
BIOL 1134. Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory	1
PHYS 1301. Introductory General Physics2 (Approved Level 1 Core Course)	3
PHYS 1101. General Physics Laboratory I2	1
BIOL 2333. Elementary Microbiology	3
BIOL 2133. Elementary Microbiology Lab	1
HIST 1376 or 1377. The United States to 1877 or equivalent3	3
POLS 1336. U.S. and Texas Constitutions and Politics3	3
Total	18

Spring Semester

BIOL 1344. Human Anatomy and Physiology	3
BIOL 1144. Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory	1
PHYS 1302. Introductory General Physics2 (Approved Level 2 Core Course)	3
PHYS 1102. General Physics Laboratory II2	1
ENGL 2301. Western World Literature3	3
HIST 1378 or 1379. The United States since1877 or equivalent3	3
POLS 1337. U.S. Government: Congress, President and Courts	3
Total	17

Third Year

Fall Semester	Hours
BIOL 3324. Human Physiology2	4
CHEM 3331. Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry2	3
CHEM 3221. Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory2	2
COSC 1410. Introduction to Computer Science	4
PHIL 1301. Introduction to Philosophy (Approved Cultural Heritage Core Course)	3
PSYC 2301. Introduction to Methods in Psychology (Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Course)	3
Total	19
Spring Semester
BCHS 3304. General Biochemistry2	3
PSYC 4372. Interviewing	3
ENGL 2302. Western World Literature3	3
PHIL 1305. Introduction to Ethics (Approved Cultural Heritage Core Course)	3
PSYC 3341. Physiological Psychology (Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Course)	3
ANTH 2302. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	3
Total	18

Fourth Year

Fall Semester	Hours
BIOL 4315. Neurobiology	3
PSYC 3360. Child Development (Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Course)	3
OCTE 4369. Entrepreneurship	3
PSYC 4343. Perception	3
PSYC 3361. Psychology of Adolescence (Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Course)	3
OPTO 3367. Biomedical Sciences—a Case-Based Approach	3
Total	18
Spring Semester
BIOL 3401. Genetics	4
BIOL 4323. Immunology	3
BIOL 3454. Histology	4
OCTE 2360. Business Law	3
ANTH 3361. Human Origins (Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Course)	3
HDCS 2332. Normal Nutrition	3
Total	20