Optometry

Becoming an optometrist means you make an impact in the lives of the patients you treat every day. From performing sight exams to treating all sorts of vision-related problems, optometry is a rewarding healthcare professional career path – and it all starts with a well-rounded education.

The Optometry MOptom degree aims to give you the knowledge and practical skills to kickstart your career in optometry. Our small clinic sizes, emphasis on learning clinical skills from the first year, and brand-new optometry laboratory are all meant to support you as you study this course. You’ll learn about the science of the eye and the integral principles in optometry and vision sciences. In your first year you’ll be introduced to fundamental clinical techniques that will be the base for developing required optometric skills.

Why Study Optometry MOptom at University of Huddersfield? Teaching staff at the University of Huddersfield rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates (HESA 2022) and have expertise in a range of geography subject areas.

This course is subject to approval by the General Optical Council and is fully aligned with the new outcomes for optometry. In your third year you’ll be able to see patients at our joint venture eye clinic, University Valli Opticians, right here on campus. Away from campus, you’ll take part in placements in local hospital eye departments alongside NHS colleagues. In the final year of the MOptom, in collaboration with the College of Optometrists, you’ll be offered a placement working in practice. There you’ll develop your skills to enable you to graduate with the MOptom and register directly with the General Optical Council as an optometrist. As a graduate of this course, you’ll be ready to work in a variety of Optometry careers.

You could go on to:

* Work in corporate or hospital optometry.

* Create your own private independent practice as an optometrist.

* Work in an optical industry (e.g., contact lens manufacturer, ophthalmic surgical equipment company).

* Conduct vital research in optometry and the vision sciences.

Not quite ready to start on the Optometry MOptom degree? Successful completion of our Science Extended Degree will equip you with the foundational knowledge to prepare you for the Optometry MOptom course, with modules in biology, chemistry, maths and physics, and scientific investigations and science skills.

Please note: Successful completion of the Science Extended Degree does not guarantee you a place on the Optometry MOptom course.

Professional Bodies

This course is subject to approval by the General Optical Council and is fully aligned with the new outcomes for optometry. This accreditation is reviewed on a regular basis.

Why Huddersfield?

Huddersfield’s vibrant and friendly campus is a great place from which to study, while the town itself offers lots to see and do, with good transport links in and around the area.