The BSVS is for highly motivated, well qualified students who want to fast-track their optometry education. Students pursuing this option would be able to complete both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree in a total of seven years, reducing both the time to career entry and total cost of education by one year. Candidates would complete the general education requirements for a Bachelor of Science and the OD prerequisites in the first three years of their undergraduate career. Then, if admitted to the Ohio State College of Optometry, the courses taken in the first year of the OD program would be applied to the BSVS and the degree would be awarded in the spring of that year, thus allowing students to graduate with their undergraduate cohort. Students would then complete the remaining three years of the OD program.

Students interested in pursuing this option should work with the pre-health advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences on the following steps:

• Declare a major of their choice for the first three years
• Make a plan to complete all Bachelor of Science general education requirements and the Doctor of Optometry prerequisites in three years
• Apply for the Ohio State Doctor of Optometry (OD) program in the second year of undergraduate education. (See all admissions requirements)
• Once admitted to the OD program, declare BSVS major

Please note:

• Admission to the Ohio State Doctor of Optometry program is not guaranteed and students must follow all standard admissions requirements and procedures.
• This option is only available for Ohio State students in the College of Arts and Sciences and admitted to the Ohio State College of Optometry.
• Students who are not admitted to the Doctor of Optometry program in their third year can continue in the College of Arts and Sciences to earn a bachelor degree and are welcome to re-apply to the OD program the following year under the traditional track.

*Only open to students enrolled in the College of Optometry