Programmes
| Quick Links
BSc (Hons) Advanced Ophthalmic Dispensing Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing |
Why choose City?
The Department of Optometry and Visual Science at City University is one of the oldest of its type in the United Kingdom. The first full-time course in Ophthalmic Optics began at the antecedent institution to City University in 1927.
The Department has a proud history of excellence in teaching and research and has played an important role in the development of Optometric education in the UK and overseas.
The Department is based on the Northampton Square campus where students enjoy state-of-the-art facilities as a result of a recent £2 million refurbishment programme. Clinical training takes place in our superbly equipped Fight for Sight clinics close to Moorfields Eye Hospital.
The Department currently offers the following programmes:
BSc (Hons) in Optometry
City University has been training Optometrists (previously known as Ophthalmic Opticians since 1927. The current three year programme admits 112 students each year and fully meets the requirements of the General Optical Council (GOC). Graduates are required to work under supervision for a fourth year before taking the Final Assessment Examination organised by the College of Optometrists and qualifying as an Optometrist.
The City Optometry programme was awarded 23/24 in the last inspection carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency. The quality of our teaching, facilities and student support were singled out for particular praise
Students benefit from very well equipped laboratories and clinics, experienced academic staff and access to a wide range of patients through our links with Moofields Eye Hospital.
The current programme was revised in 2007 and has been high praised by internal audit and external examiners. Our students do very well in the professional qualifying exams and the programme is highly regarded by employers.
Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing
This programme is run in partnership with the Centre for Applied Optics at City and Islington College. The Foundation Degree may be completed over two-years full time or three years part time.
Graduates of the programme who wish to register as dispensing opticians are required to undertake a further year of work under supervision before sitting their final practical examinations, organised by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.
On completion of the Foundation degree, graduates may obtain an BSc (Honours) degree in Advanced Ophthalmic Dispensing by completing a further year of study.
Successful graduates may also be offered a place on the BSc Optometry programme. Students achieving a high agregate may be offered direct access to the second year of the programme.
BSc (Hons) in Advanced Ophthalmic Dispensing
Graduates of the Foundation Degree may complete a further year of study at City University to obtain a BSc (Hons) in Advanced Ophthalmic Dispensing. This programme shares some of the modules from the Optometry BSc (Hons) programme and prepares students for a advanced role as a Dispensing Optician.
Postgraduate programmes
The Department offers an innovative and flexible postgraduate programme for Optometrists. Students may gain credit by distance learning or by attending intensive three day modules (usally run on a Sunday to Tuesday). The modules aim to develop optometrists in key areas of interest and expand knowledge in primary care optometry. In particular ‘shared care/ co-management’ of patients with other medical disciplines and expansion of the optometrists role in ocular therapeutics and prescribing.
Accumulation of the requisite number of credits leads to the awards of a Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits), Diploma (120 credits) or MSc (180 credits).
The Department also offers a wide range of accredited CET and CPD courses for eye care professionals.
Pre-registration programme
Held over week-ends at the department's Fight for Sight Optometry Clinic, hosted by Clearview Training, we offer The Core Competency Course and The Mock Exam Course. These are held towards the start of the pre-registration year in time to prepare for the quarterly assessments.
Research degrees
The Department has a thriving research community operating in newly-refurbished laboratories. We offer PhD studentships in areas including the following:
- Advanced Vision and Optometric Assessment
- Visual Psychophysics, attention, visual search
- Electrodiagnostics / Chromatic Visual Assessment / Clinical Colour Vision Tests
- Scattered Light / Aberrations / Adaptive Optics
- Photometry / Radiometry / Ophthalmic Instruments
- Clinical Trials, occupational vision screening tests
- Instrumentation for fundamental vision research and vision related clinical applications based on psychophysical tests and the measurement of involuntary responses such as eye movements, visually evoked electrical signals and pupil responses
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Visual Pathway
Updated October 2008
Back to top