Optometry

Optometry is the healthcare profession responsible for examining eyes, diagnosing conditions of the visual system, and providing clinical management of eye health. Optometrists conduct comprehensive eye examinations, assess visual acuity and binocular vision, detect signs of eye disease and systemic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, prescribe spectacles and contact lenses, and increasingly manage chronic eye conditions within primary care. It is a regulated profession requiring both rigorous scientific knowledge and the clinical skills to examine patients carefully and communicate findings clearly.

At the University of Plymouth, this four-year full-time programme develops the full range of knowledge and clinical competencies required to qualify as an optometrist. You will study the fundamentals of visual perception, visual pathways, and psychophysical methodology relevant to how the eye and brain work together to create sight. Alongside this foundational science, you will develop your clinical skills in optics, anatomy and physiology of the eye, ocular disease, contact lens practice, and pharmacology, building the ability to examine patients and manage their eye health safely and effectively.

Clinical placement is integrated throughout the programme, giving you direct patient contact under supervision and developing the professional confidence that examination and management skills require.

A typical entry tariff of 136 points reflects the academic standards expected of entry to a regulated healthcare profession. On completing the programme, graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the General Optical Council as qualified optometrists.

Optometry offers strong and stable employment prospects, a clear framework for continuing professional development, and increasingly clinical and autonomous roles in primary care, hospital eye services, and specialist optometry practices. Postgraduate specialisation in areas such as glaucoma, medical retina, contact lens practice, or paediatric optometry is available to graduates who wish to develop advanced clinical expertise.