Location: Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)
Institution Type: Public
Mission Statement : To graduate competent, ethical Doctors of Optometry by providing them with a comprehensive and contemporary optometric education.
Combined Degrees Offered: OD/PhD, OD/MSc

Year Opened: 1967
Number of Years to Earn Degree: 4
Campus Housing Available: Yes
Class Size: 91

Admission Statistics: (2024 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Acceptance Rates by Location*:

Number of Applicants

Number of Enrollees

Enrollment Rate

Overall

267

34.08%

In-State

Out-State

International

* According to data from https://uwaterloo.ca/

Academic Averages for Acceptance* :

OAT Academic Average

OAT Science Average

Cumulative GPA

366

88%

* According to data from https://uwaterloo.ca/

Prerequisites

Prerequisite Course Work:

Required Course

Credits (Semesters/Quarters)

Required Lab

General Biology

8 / 12

General Chemistry

4 / 6

Organic Chemistry

3 / 4

General Physics

8 / 12

Biochemistry

3 / 4

General Microbiology

3 / 4

Human Physiology

6 / 9

Calculus

3 / 4

Statistics

3 / 4

English

3 / 4

Psychology

3 / 4

Ethics

3 / 4

* There are some acceptable substitutions for specific courses. Go to https://uwaterloo.ca/optometry-vision-science/future-optometry-students/admission-requirements-0#prerequisites for more information.

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:

AP Credit Accepted?

The University of Waterloo recognizes IB courses as excellent academic preparation for success at the university level and will use them for required prerequisites. The University of Waterloo will use AP courses for required prerequisites. AP courses must have a minimum grade of 4. You will be required to provide us with an official transcript for the AP course indicating your grade when you apply.

Community College Coursework Accepted?

Minimum number of College Credit Hours required:

Applicants must complete a compulsory set of university-level courses while studying towards a Bachelor of Science.

Required Shadowing Hours:

A minimum of 8 hours working and/or volunteering within an optometrist's office required.

Supplemental Information:

Required Supplemental Application?

Supplemental Application Fee

CASPer Required?

N/A

Yes

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2025:

Year

In-State Tuition

Out-State Tuition

Additional Fees

Cost of Living Score*

First Year

$18,800

$20,300

$6,750

Second Year

$18,800

$20,300

$8,300

Third Year

$18,800

$20,300

$1,890

Fourth Year

$26,700

$28,900

$570

*All cost of living scores are according to areavibes.com and provide a rough estimate compared to the average of Canada (a score of 100 is considered average for Canada. Scores lower than 100 would indicate a cost of living lower than average. Scores above 100 indicate a cost of living higher than average).

Board Passage Rates for First Time Takers

Year

Part I Passage Rate

Part II Passage Rate

Part III Passage Rate

2024

100%

69.23%

2023

100%

75%

2022

92.3%

100%

69.6%

2021

100%

94.12%

82.35%

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