Why Choose SCCO?

Why attend SCCO? Southern California College of Optometry – our name tells you where we are geographically, but that's only part of our story. Great year-round weather and fantastic natural resources create a wonderful environment for learning and personal growth. Add to the mix a world-renown didactic and clinical optometric education program, a faculty of leading optometric practitioners, educators and researchers; and a supportive academic atmosphere, and the choice is clear – the Southern California College of Optometry is right for you!

		Optometry and SCCO Today the profession of Optometry involves much more than just prescribing and fitting glasses and contact lenses. Doctors of Optometry are primary care providers for patients seeking ocular or visual care. Optometrists are educated to evaluate a patient's visual condition and to determine the best treatment for that condition. Optometry is a wonderful profession and an outstanding career choice.

Curriculum for the Future The four-year Doctor of Optometry curriculum at the Southern California College of Optometry is designed to prepare you as a primary health-care professional for the practice of optometry in the twenty-first century. The program includes a strong basic science component that stresses human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and therapeutic pharmacology, as well as clinical patient care and practice administration and management.

		Clinical Experience for the Future SCCO's Clinical Education Department is composed of two components – the Eye Care Center (ECC), located on the Fullerton campus, and the Outreach Clinical Programs. SCCO operates the most extensive off-campus optometric clinical program in the world. You may select from more than 85 clinical programs in 22 states, Canada, Guam and Japan. Outreach facilities are located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Fourth-year students spend three quarters of their final year assigned to external outreach clinical sites, and one quarter at the College's Eye Care Center.
SCCO's extensive clinical programs offer students tremendous opportunities to develop their clinical people skills in many different health-care delivery systems while serving patients from diverse socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. SCCO's clinical programs provide a unique and progressive variety of clinical settings and patient encounters for the professional degree student. This outstanding program is unmatched in optometric education.

		Faculty Involvement in Your Future SCCO is proud of its faculty – a diverse group of basic science and clinical educators. They represent nearly all of the schools and colleges of optometry in the nation, and most have completed either a residency or other postdoctoral education program. This blend of talent and clinical experience provides each student with an excellent theoretical background and the finest clinical education available in optometry. SCCO faculty are genuinely interested in your future success. It's the personal contact and exchange of ideas and philosophies that make the difference. You will not work for your instructors, but rather, they will work with you. Professionalism is strong.

Our Location is Right for You The College is conveniently close to all of Southern California's natural, cultural and recreational attractions. In 30 minutes, you can be at the Pacific Ocean or in an hour, you can be in the mountains or desert. Within minutes you can visit Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm, or be at Anaheim Stadium enjoying major league baseball with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, or at the Honda Center watching professional hockey with the Stanley Cup Champs, Anaheim Ducks. In less than an hour, you can be at Dodger Stadium, at a Los Angeles Kings hockey game, Lakers or Clippers basketball game, or in downtown Los Angeles enjoying plays, music, various cultural events, and fine food.

		Student Life SCCO students are a highly select and specialized group. Each class is chosen from a wide variety of geographical, educational, and cultural backgrounds, enabling every student the opportunity to individually broaden his or her social knowledge and acquaintances. Traditionally, students have strongly supported each other in the pursuit of the doctoral degree. Through class notes, study groups, and review sessions, students challenge and encourage one another to be their best. Students are encouraged to participate in intercollegiate, community, and service activities. Community vision screenings and lectures, social functions, and fraternal activities are among the highlights of a diverse student calendar.
The College has a strong and active Student Association, of which all students are members. The Board of Directors of the Student Association consists of 22 elected officers who supervise and coordinate extracurricular activities, student publications, and student involvement in administration and faculty committees. The College is within walking distance of numerous apartment complexes. To assist students in their search for accommodations, the Office of Student Affairs maintains a list of housing opportunities, as well as a list of student's seeking roommates.