Students can graduate with a professional qualification in optometry in just three and a half years with Deakin University's Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry. They can gain the discipline-specific knowledge and skills to be work-ready and eligible to apply for registration as a practicing optometrist in Australia and New Zealand. This program has a strong emphasis on understanding the visual health issues that impact regional and rural Australia, particularly those contributing to the health gap between members of these communities and those living in urban centers.
Students will develop crucial skills in the clinical assessment, treatment and management of eye and vision disorders, with strong foundations in evidence-based and reflective practice, inter-professional collaborative practice and practice management. Clinical placements are also a big focus – they will complete a variety of short-term industry placements and spend the final six months of the course as a student resident.
Deakin University offers Australia’s first accelerated optometry course, which means students can graduate and begin their career sooner.
Students will investigate the structure and function of the visual system while learning about various visual health issues and their wider impact on the local and international community. They will gain crucial skills in the clinical assessment, treatment and management of eye and vision disorders, as well as forming a strong understanding of the ethical, legal and professional standards of practice. Students will cover a broad spectrum of industry-relevant study areas that prepare them for work as a professional optometrist, including:
- the key principles of optics
- clinical optics and treating eye and vision disorders
- ocular function and structure
- the science of vision
- the business of optometry
Students' clinical placement rotations take place in both metropolitan and regional or rural settings, where they will consolidate their knowledge and skills under the supervision of qualified optometrists. As a student resident they will learn in one of a range of clinical optometric and medical settings.
As well as preparing students to diagnose and manage ocular conditions, this unique combined degree has a strong emphasis on the underlying social and environmental factors that contribute to the health gap between regional communities and urban populations, ensuring they graduate with a well-rounded understanding of the field of optometry. On successful completion of this accredited course, students can apply for registration to practice as an optometrist in Australia and New Zealand.
