Our Master of Optometry (MOptom) programme is designed to equip you with a comprehensive understanding of optometry and vision science and the practical skills necessary to excel professionally. In our course, you will learn to become a professional clinician responsible for multiple aspects of vision care, specialising in preserving sight by diagnosing and treating visual problems and trained to examine the eyes and detect disorders originating in the eye, brain or other parts of the body.
With clinical experience integrated throughout every year, this programme stands out as a premier pathway for aspiring optometrists. Benefit from a full learning experience combined with hands-on learning through our extensive network of industry partners; develop your skills in our dedicated specialist facilities and learn from the experience and insight of our expert teaching staff.
Year 1
Develop knowledge of the scientific principles that underpin optometry while acquiring a range of core clinical skills and begin to demonstrate professional skills and behaviours that are required for registration as an optometrist, and complete a one-week period of external clinical learning at a local practice.
Year 2
Further your knowledge of the scientific foundations of the profession, and extend your skills in clinical assessment and interpretation. A range of person-centred care themes are explored in readiness for increasing patient exposure. By the end of the year, you’ll be able to complete a full eye examination, fit a variety of contact lenses, advise on spectacles and perform a range of techniques to investigate binocular vision.
Year 3
You will see a wide range of patients in our public service clinic and gain experience in specialist optometry services, develop further knowledge in areas such as ocular disease and abnormality and specialist practice, and refine professional skills required for a career in optometry.
Final Year
You will work under supervision as a student optometrist during your 44-week paid clinical placement. Once you have successfully completed stage 4 and achieved the Optometry MOptom, you’ll be able to apply to join the GOC register as a qualified optometrist.
Key course benefits:
• Excellent student experience: 94.2% of students felt positive about teaching on their course (NSS 2024)
• Professionally accredited: Our programme is regulated by the General Optical Council (GOC)
• Gold standard teaching: Aston University was awarded Triple Gold - the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF, 2023)
• Extensive patient contact: Benefit from extensive patient contact throughout the course
• Excellent student experience: 94.2% of students felt positive about teaching on their course (NSS 2024)
• Top ranking: ranked in top 5 in the UK (Health Professions, Guardian 2025)
Facilities
Students have access to a range of specialist facilities and industry-level equipment, including an onsite public-facing clinic where students experience patient eye care support under close supervision of our expert staff, and a UK-first dedicated ophthalmic simulation suite equipped with the latest. instruments and simulators, designed to develop your clinical skills. See our website for more details of our cutting edge equipment.
Career prospects:
Our Optometry programme is valued by some of the best-known companies in the world. Recent graduates have successfully secured careers with employers such as Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, The Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Boots, Vision Express, Optical Express, Essilor, Neil Gordon Opticians, NHS hospitals, Specsavers, and Tesco.
No Foundation Programme available Your UCAS Application: Explain any gaps in your education, list full qualification names, provide an academic reference, and include predicted grades (even if sitting privately). More tips: https://shorturl.at/cNR2e
For a full list of modules and course objectives, visit the course page on Aston University's website: https://www.aston.ac.uk/study/courses/optometry-moptom/
Our Master of Optometry (MOptom) utilises a range of different assessment types and the assessment strategy reflects both the national educational requirements in the FHEQ and the professional educational standards and learning outcomes from the General Optical Council. Assessments are varied and include examinations, written reports, presentations, and assessment of practical and clinical performance, which includes regulations that are part of the Fitness to Practise scheme.
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
This course is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact the provider to find out more.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Aston University, Birmingham has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
This course is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact the provider to find out more.
The following entry points are available for this course:
Please visit our helpful webpage for International Applicants: https://www.aston.ac.uk/international
Age of qualifications: Applicants must normally have achieved their eligible academic qualifications for entry onto this course within the last two years, to ensure their subject knowledge and study skills are current. Qualifications achieved more than two years ago will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Admissions Lead. Meeting this requirement does not guarantee an offer.
Dispensing Opticians / FBDO Entry - To be considered, you must also have:
• at least five GCSEs, including Mathematics at grade B/5, English Language at grade C/4, and three further subjects at grade C/4 or above.
• BBC from three A Levels, including at least one science subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics.
• achieved a BSc in Dispensing at 2:1 or above (or are in their final year of study) OR already achieved FBDO (Fellowship Diploma of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians) status prior to application.
• applications must be made through UCAS as we do not accept direct applications.
• provide a satisfactory academic reference must be provided from the institution you have studied/been studying your degree.
• any gaps in your education history must be explained within your application form.
Please note: We do not accept direct entry into Year 2, Year 3, or Final Year of this programme under any circumstances.
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 7 | 6.5 in each test |
Aston Ready is our contextual offer scheme that could reduce your undergraduate offer by one or two grades. Assessed at the point of application, there are no additional forms to fill in. Details of eligibility criteria can be found on our website.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
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Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
The duration of your programme is set out above and you will be responsible for the payment of an annual tuition fee in each of these years. The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually in accordance with its Terms and Conditions (aston.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-12/Terms_and_Conditions_of_Enrolment_2025-6.pdf) and subject at all times to the maximum tuition fee caps set by Government from time to time. This means that your total tuition fee may be higher than stated above, but your total tuition fee will never increase by more than 6% year on year. An increase in fees will allow the University to cover the increased costs of delivering the course and ensure it is able to maintain high standards of education and facilities.
Please visit our helpful webpage for applicants: https://www.aston.ac.uk/undergraduate/your-application/funding
Email:ugadmissions@aston.ac.uk
Phone:08009175923
Email:ugadmissions@aston.ac.uk
Phone:0121 204 3030
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At Aston University, Birmingham
