Individuals who have received a BOptom or an equivalent degree from an institution outside of the United States may apply for “admission with advanced standing” to the Michigan College of Optometry (MCO).
All students admitted with advanced standing will commence the optometry program at the Michigan College of Optometry beginning in the first semester (Summer) of the third academic year.
Admission will be contingent upon successfully completing all of the requirements outlined below and will occur only if space is available in the class due to attrition of previously admitted students. Successful applicants will be placed on a “wait list” [if necessary] for available space in any given class.
In order to initiate the advanced standing admission process, an individual must send the following three items to the office of the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs at MCO:
The address is:
Office of the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs
Michigan College of Optometry
1124 S. State Street, MCO 231
Big Rapids, MI. 49307
askmco@ferris.edu
Once an applicant has received confirmation from the Associate Dean that his/her request for admission has been received, he/she must fulfill the following requirements for successful admission.
Admission Requirements
1. Transcripts of prior post-secondary course work leading to the BOptom or equivalent degree must be submitted to the Admissions Committee of the Michigan College of Optometry for consideration after a “course by course” evaluation by the following agency:
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 92970
Milwaukee, WI. 53202-0970
Phone (414) 289-3400
Inform the above agency that you want the results of the
evaluation sent to the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris
State University. The institutional code for Ferris State
University is 002260.
In addition, information from the
institution granting the BOptom regarding specific course content
of all of the courses must be sent to the Office of the Associate
Dean for Student and Academic Affairs at MCO.
The transcripts will be reviewed
by the Associate Dean and the Admissions Committee. The
applicant will be notified after a decision is made relative to the
suitability of the transcripts for advanced standing admission.
2. All applicants for admission to the Michigan College of
Optometry, including those applying for advanced standing, are
required to take the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT). This
test is designed to evaluate the general academic ability and the
acquired scientific knowledge necessary for success in optometry
school. The OAT examination must be taken on-line and is
available on an individual, continuous basis. Applicants
should request that the test scores be sent to the Associate
Dean’s office at MCO. Additional information is
available at the following address.
Optometry Admission Test Program
211 East Chicago Avenue, Suite 1846
Chicago, IL. 60611-2678
www.opted.org
The MCO Admissions Committee prefers scores of 300 or higher in
each of the categories on the OAT examination but will review each
result and each applicant on an individual basis.
3. Three letters of recommendation are required for
admission. These letters should be from professional
individuals who have known the applicant for a considerable period
of time. One must be from a practicing optometrist and one
must be from an optometry college professor who has had the
applicant as a student.
4. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is
required for all students for whom English is not a native
language. A minimum passing score is considered to be
550. The TOEFL is not required for applicants who have taken
and passed an intensive English language course. TOEFL can be
contacted at the following telephone number:(609) 771-7100
Applicants who have completed an intensive English language
course should have their transcripts sent to the Associate Dean at
MCO along with a letter from one of their instructors in this
course confirming their competence in the English language.
5. All applicants for advanced standing must have
completed at least 2 years of optometric practice within the past 4
years and/or completed an advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in a
related discipline.
6. If the above requirements are completed and meet or
exceed the expectations of the Associate Dean and the Admissions
Committee, applicants for advanced standing must then complete
either an on-campus interview or phone interview with the faculty
and the MCO admissions committee prior to any offer of admission.
An on-campus interview may include clinical skill proficiency
demonstrations.
7. After an offer of admission, the applicant must sign a
letter of understanding which will detail the requirements
necessary to complete the O.D. degree at MCO.
