Optometry

The Pennsylvania College of Optometry has an unparalleled legacy in the education of competent and compassionate Doctors of Optometry. We offer both 4-year and 3-year program options:

The Traditional Doctor of Optometry (OD) Program offers Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) students a cohort curriculum and includes the early clinical experience and extensive externships for which the College is recognized. Other features of this program include small group learning experiences, traditional semester breaks, and a learning environment in which what you learn in the classroom is practiced in the labs and applied to actual patients under the guidance and supervision of faculty.

The Traditional Program can be enhanced with advanced studies and electives courses and/or a residency program. Qualified students gain additional expertise in expanding areas of patient care provided by optometric leadership in the healthcare system.

Innovation continues to drive PCO's Traditional Program. This is most recently reflected in exciting renovations recently made to the core curriculum. By anticipating how optometry's role in the 21st century healthcare arena will continue to evolve, the curriculum is carefully crafted in a dynamic way to utilize cutting edge educational approaches and incorporate key competencies to provide you with the skills needed for contemporary practice.

The Accelerated Scholars Program at Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) is an opportunity for highly motivated and well-qualified applicants to earn a Doctor of Optometry degree designed specifically with them in mind. This program provides students the opportunity to complete all of the same traditional program optometry degree requirements in an accredited 36-month, year-round, campus-based program.

Each year, an entering class begins in July, and students enrolled in the Accelerated Scholars Program earn the same credit equivalency as that of students in the Traditional Program.

Drawn from key features of our Traditional Program and consistent with PCO’s reputation for innovation and commitment to excellence, this unique curriculum emphasizes:

• Guided independent learning
• Lecture and laboratory instruction
• Small group learning
• Case-based learning
• Online and web enhanced instruction

Merger pending approval by the United States Department of Education, specialized accreditors, and additional third parties.