BSc Advanced Ophthalmic Dispensing
Taking Dispensing a stage further
Background
Dispensing Opticians are increasingly called upon to use knowledge and to exercise skills that go beyond those learned on existing Diploma and Foundation Degree programmes. This is particularly true in areas such as delegated functions, contact lenses, visual impairment, and management. This one year full-time course has been designed to meet the needs of Dispensing Opticians keen to expand their range of activities into these topics.
Aims
The BSc (Hons) in Advanced Ophthalmic Dispensing is a one-year Honours programme of 120 credits. It has two main aims. The first is to provide graduates of the Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing (FDOD) with a route to an Honours degree. The second is to offer suitably qualified UK Registered Dispensing Opticians the opportunity to achieve an honours degree in dispensing.
Objectives
As an integral part of their BSc (Hons) degree, students will spend two days each week in term time in work placement. For students not already registered with the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), each day spent in practice counts towards the pre-registration year which students must undertake before achieving registration. Students need to complete 200 days in practice before they can register as dispensing opticians.
The Contact Lens and Visual Impairment (Low Vision) modules provide much of the theoretical background and some of the practical experience required to sit the ABDO examinations in these subjects.
A feature of the AOD programme is the teaching of delegated functions, such as tonometry and visual fields, which can be carried out by a dispensing optician under the supervision of a registered optometrist. This programme provides more training in delegated functions than that currently provided in the college/university training of dispensing opticians to entry level.
Programme Content
Students attend City University (CU) during the regular university terms. They take six compulsory modules during this period. Details of the modules and their credits are given in the table below. City and Islington College (CIC) contribute to the teaching of Contact Lenses and students attend the college for these classes. Students complete 40% of their learning in supervised dispensing practice and 60% at CU/CIC. The practice work placement is a course requirement for the programme, and students must have employment in dispensing practice before they begin the AOD.
|
Module Title |
Credit Value
|
|
Contact lenses
|
30 credits |
|
Advanced Dispensing and Delegated Functions
|
30 credits |
|
Research methods
|
15 credits |
|
Project/Dissertation
|
15 credits |
|
IT in Optics
|
15 credits |
|
Visual Impairment (Low Vision)
|
15 credits |
Assessment
Assessment is by end-of-year examinations, submission of a project or dissertation, and by coursework. The coursework takes many forms, including report writing, vivas, continuous assessment of work in clinics, and presentations.
Access to BSc Optometry programme
Students who achieve at least a lower second class Honours degree in the AOD may be admitted to the first year of the BSc Optometry programme. Students who achieve at least an upper second class Honours degree may be admitted to the second year of the BSc Optometry programme.
Entry requirements
Registered Dispensing Opticians and Diploma students who wish to take the BSc (Hons) AOD should initially contact the programme director – Prof. Dave Edgar, (d.f.edgar@city.ac.uk ).
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