Optometry

Optometry is a healthcare profession concerned with the examination, diagnosis and treatment of the human eye and visual system. In our aging population, the demand for eye care is expected to increase, and optometrists are ideally placed to help meet this demand in both the NHS and private practice.

Our integrated 4-year Master of Optometry (MOptom) programme has been completely redesigned for 2024, modernising our course content and structure to enable you to proceed directly to registration as a fully-qualified optometrist with the General Optical Council (GOC) upon completion.

The course is clinically-focussed from the start. You will learn all the practical techniques, theoretical underpinnings, professionalism and communication skills required to qualify as an optometrist. You will be taught at one of the UK’s longest-established optometry schools by academics and tutors who are experts in their fields. Our world-class teaching facilities have recently been refurbished with £1.2 million of new state-of-the-art equipment and include an integrated eye clinic and our unique Directed Learning Suites.

Our course is renowned for its clinical emphasis and these skills are taught right from the start of the course. You will learn the essential skills required of an optometrist during years 1 and 2, before progressing to gain experience, under expert supervision, in the university’s own eye clinic in year 3. You will then proceed into a 44-week extended clinical placement delivered in partnership with the College of Optometrists in year 4.

The extended clinical placement is a period of paid employment within optometric practice, external to the university. Students will be responsible for applying for and securing this placement with the support of the College of Optometrists and the university’s Career and Employability service. Upon graduation, you will be a skilled, patient-focussed optometrist ready for modern optometric practice. You will be eligible to register with the GOC and practise independently as an optometrist in the UK. You will be highly employable, having developed excellent clinical and communication skills and will be well equipped for lifelong learning and ongoing professional development throughout your career.

A wide range of teaching and assessment methods are used throughout the course. These include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practicals, pre-clinical labs and a variety of primary care and speciality clinics examining real patients. Assessments include written examinations, presentations, practical and clinical performance assessments, reflections and clinical logbooks. All modules include formative (mock) as well as summative assessments, giving students the opportunity to obtain feedback on their performance and how it can be improved and/or maintained.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• General Optical Council