Amazing faculty, innovative technology, and clinical education that’s second to none. Be part of something special at MBKU's SCCO and experience all this and more.
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Amazing faculty, innovative technology, and clinical education that’s second to none. Be part of something special at MBKU's SCCO and experience all this and more.
Amazing faculty, innovative technology, and clinical education that’s second to none. Be part of something special at MBKU's SCCO and experience all this and more.
When you attend the Southern California School of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University, you’ll step into a legacy of clinical and educational excellence that started back in 1904 by our founder and namesake.
You’ll also become part of a tightly knit academic family, including an alumni group that’s among your chosen profession’s most accomplished researchers, clinicians and teachers.
We had a different name when Dr. Ketchum first opened our doors. But today, more than 100 years later, you’ll find the same high standards for academics, clinical skills and professional development alive and flourishing here on our beautiful Southern California campus.
Learn more about our admissions process and requirements or about what it’s like to be a student at MBKU.
Applications for Fall 2025 are open! See the How to Apply page for details and important deadlines.
View the SCCO Admissions BrochureGet a brief overview of the Doctor of Optometry program at Marshall B. Ketchum University. Prospective applicants can find helpful insight into various aspects of the program and admissions process, such as prerequisite requirements and what the admissions team looks for in a competitive applicant.
Watch the Virtual Campus Tour VideoJoin SCCO Admissions and our students for a virtual campus tour and get a glimpse into what life is like on the main campus. Check out the Student Union, pre-clinic labs, lecture halls, library, and more. Note that this video was filmed with safety operations in place during the height of the COVID pandemic. As of Summer 2021 and with safety measures still in place, the campus has opened up with all lecture halls, lab classrooms, and student activities once again in-person.
SCCO Highlights Interprofessional Education
We are the first health care university in Southern California to bring three primary care disciplines together to learn and work as a team to provide collaborative, effective patient care. Together, our optometry students, our PA students as well as our pharmacy students are able to connect first-hand in an interprofessional learning and clinical environment.
Clinical Rotations
SCCO’s fourth-year rotation program allows students to customize their final year of education to their personal interests and professional goals. We offer over 80 outreach sites all over the country, each with its own patient demographic providing students with a unique fourth-year experience. Student interns complete four 3-month rotations, one at the new University Eye Center at Ketchum Health Anaheim and three other locations of their choice.
MS in Vision Science
The OD degree granted from Marshall B. Ketchum University is a professional doctorate degree. There are academic degrees offered as well. The academic degree offered at MBKU is the master's degree in vision science. It may be completed concurrently with the doctor of optometry degree. With the growing number of optometry programs in the U.S. over recent years, there has been an increase in demand for qualified academics in the field.
Enhancing Optometry Careers Nationwide
Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry boasts an impressive network of residency sites. The depth and breadth of its program, which focuses on exceptional resident training, is highly regarded throughout the country.
The size, depth and breadth of SCCO’s residencies is only a small part of what makes it remarkable. The individual residency programs themselves are unique in that they are designed to train residents in the latest evidence-based theories and advanced clinical procedures embraced by SCCO and American Optometric Association’s guidelines while focusing on training in interprofessional education and collaborative teamwork. Program settings range from Indian reservations to private practices to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
