3/4 Joint Degree Program

SUNY Optometry and 24 colleges and universities in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania offer an affiliation program to highly qualified students whereby students may complete a joint BS or BA degree and OD degree in just seven years instead of the usual eight.

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How Does It Work?

Selected academically talented high school seniors and college freshman are admitted to an approved joint degree track at one of the 24 affiliate colleges and, simultaneously, to candidacy for admission to the professional OD program at SUNY Optometry. After three years of undergraduate work at one of the affiliate colleges, upon maintaining the required academic standing, the qualified student is admitted to the SUNY College of Optometry. After the first year at SUNY Optometry, the student receives his or her baccalaureate degree from the undergraduate college. The OD degree is awarded after completing the four years at SUNY Optometry.

Benefits

A student saves one year in tuition, travel and books. In addition, students who are accepted into the program simultaneously establish a candidacy for admission to the professional program. The student also receives continuous guidance from both institutions throughout the seven-year program.

College Major

Most of the students in the 3/4 Joint Degree Program are biology, chemistry undergraduate majors. However, many different majors may be accepted as long as the prerequisites for the optometry program are met.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite Courses Update

Dated: July 5, 2022

As our requirements are subject to change from one application to the next, the following are modifications to our prerequisite course requirements:

Effective in Current Application Cycle (July 1, 2022 – March 1, 2023) and Future Application Cycles
- Pre-Calculus is accepted in lieu of Calculus.
- Cellular & Molecular Biology is a strongly recommended course.
Effective in Next Application Cycle (July 1, 2023 – March 1, 2024) and Future Application Cycles
- Microbiology (with lab) and Biochemistry (lecture only) are required courses.
- Organic Chemistry II (with lab) is no longer a required course
- Social Sciences and Humanities are no longer required courses.

Please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions Office to inquire how we can further assist you in successfully meeting our updated prerequisite course requirements at admissions@sunyopt.edu..

Prerequisites, to be met during the three years of undergraduate college, for the professional optometry program are:

General Biology: 1 year*
General Chemistry: 1 year*
General Physics: 1 year*
Organic Chemistry: 1 year*
Calculus I: 1 semester
English Composition and Literature: 1 year
Social Science: 1 year
General Psychology: 1 semester
Statistics: 1 semester
Optometry Admission Test (OAT)

*A laboratory course is required.

Affiliate Colleges

The 24 colleges and universities involved in the 3/4 Joint Degree Program are listed below (additional colleges are under consideration.) More details are available from the Admission Offices and advisors at these colleges or you may call the Office of Student Affairs at SUNY State College of Optometry at (212) 938-5500 or (800) 291-3937 for more details.

Adelphi University
Canisius College
CUNY Brooklyn College
CUNY College of Staten Island
Lehigh University (PA)
Muhlenberg College (PA)
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Pace University
Ramapo College of New Jersey
St. John’s University
Siena College
SUNY University Center at Albany
SUNY University Center at Binghamton
SUNY at Fredonia
SUNY at Geneseo
SUNY at New Paltz
SUNY at Oneonta
SUNY at Oswego
SUNY at Plattsburgh
SUNY at Potsdam
The College of New Jersey
Utica College of Syracuse University
Wagner College
Yeshiva University and Stern College

Requirements for the 3/4 Joint Degree Program with the SUNY College Of Optometry

All applicants must be interviewed when initially applying by a representative of the Office of Student Affairs of the SUNY College of Optometry.

To be considered when applying to undergraduate school directly from high school:

Must be accepted into one of the 24 undergraduate colleges/universities, with which we have this program affiliation, as a freshman
Must have total SATs of at least 1360 with the math score of at least 700, or 29 on the ACT
Must have a high school grade average of at least 93 out of a 100
Should be in the upper 10% of their high school class (depending on the reputation of the high school)
Must have a definite interest in the profession of optometry and have explored it
Must show evidence of community involvement
Must have reasonable communication and interpersonal skills
Must submit to an interview

To be considered once attending a college or university:

Must complete at least 24-30 undergraduate credits and apply no later than the fall of Sophomore year
Must have an overall GPA of at least 3.3
Same as numbers 5-8 above

If admitted into the 3/4 program, the following are required while attending the undergraduate college/university:

Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.3;
Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 in the science and math prerequisite courses of the SUNY College of Optometry, with no grade below a C;
Take and pass the Optometry Admission Test with all section scores of at least 330;
Have the Pre-professional Committee at your undergraduate institution submit a positive recommendation;
Become well-acquainted with the practice of optometry by shadowing at least two different optometrists;
Meet with the Admissions Committee at the SUNY College of Optometry during your last undergraduate year and demonstrate that you have satisfied all other regular admission requirements of the SUNY College of Optometry, including transcripts, an OptomCAS application and a final interview during which good interpersonal and communication skills are evident;
Meet at least once a year with a representative of the SUNY College of Optometry and make available undergraduate transcripts.