As an international applicant, you are required to fulfill all of the general admission requirements, including successful completion of the Required Pre-Optometry Curriculum, and the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). Because ICO offers only a graduate-level program, it is also required that you successfully complete a total of at least 90 semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework or earn a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent).
If you have completed college-level coursework at schools outside the United States or Canada or if your transcripts are not written in English, the transcripts must be submitted to an official evaluation service for a course-by-course analysis. ICO accepts transcript evaluations from World Education Services, Inc. (WES) and Educational Credential Evaluations (ECE). An official copy of the evaluation must be forwarded directly to the Office of Admissions from the evaluation board and not to OptomCAS.
In addition to the standard application process, applicants for whom English is a second language must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants for whom English is a second language. If you feel compelled to forego this examination, you may submit a written request that this requirement be waived.
The Admissions Committee will evaluate international applicants using the same criteria by which U.S. applicants are evaluated. We recommend that you begin to
assess your own strengths and weaknesses early in the application process. Check out ICO’s Entering Class Profile and tips to Strengthen Your Application.
