Course details

Summary

The University of Auckland offers New Zealand's only BOptom degree, which qualifies you to work as an optometrist.

Programme overview

The BOptom is accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand.

This programme enables you to develop communication, empathy and problem-solving skills, particularly working with children, the elderly and the partially sighted.

It will prepare you for registration as an Optometrist, and you’ll be equipped to diagnose visual problems or impairments, advise on the prevention of vision loss, prescribe and provide treatment.

This programme covers both theory and the clinical aspects of Optometry, preparing you for the workforce after graduation.

Entry into the BOptom is limited and competitive. You will be selected on the basis of academic merit and personal qualities exhibited during the selection interview. There are 60 places available each year.

Programme structure

The BOptom is a five year qualification (600 points) that includes year one, as the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science (or an equivalent programme of study such as the first year in Health Sciences from the University of Otago).

In the second and third years (Parts II-III), you will take a combination of core courses in applicable life sciences, vision and optometric sciences, anatomy and physiology of vision, mechanisms of disease and optics and visual science.

You will study general optometric practice and aspects of clinical optometry.

In your fourth and fifth years (Parts IV-V), you will study contact lenses, paediatric optometry and binocular vision, and continue to learn about eye diseases and treatments.

You will be required to take courses in advanced clinical optometry and undertake a research project.

You will gain practical experience in examining and treating patients in one of our public clinics and during external placements.

You must also include two General Education courses in your programme (30 points total). One will need to be completed prior to admission to the BOptom (during the first year of the BSc in Biomedical Science), and one the following year in Part Two of the BOptom. Your options are listed in the General Education Schedules that are approved for the BOptom programme.

Where could this programme take you?

On graduation you can be accredited as a registered optometrist, able to diagnose and treat eye diseases in New Zealand and Australia. The majority of optometrists enter private practice, which offers regular hours and the freedom to choose where to live and work. Optometrists can also practise in hospitals and clinics or work in the industry or research.

Jobs related to this programme

• Registered optometrist

Further study options

• Postgraduate Diploma in Science
• Master of Science
• Master of Health Sciences

Entry criteria

Secondary school qualifications

You need to have one of the following:

International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum total score of 24.

General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level. You must have completed a minimum of three A-Level subjects with at least a 'C' grade or higher. General Studies or similar general papers cannot be included.

GCE ‘A’ Level requirements apply to ‘A’ Level qualifications examined by bodies such as AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC, CCEA, Pearson Education Limited and CIE taken outside of New Zealand.

English language requirements:

IELTS 6.0; TOEFL (iBT) 80; TOEFL (paper-based) 550; CAE or CPE 169; PTE 50; MELAB 80.