GraduateNursing & Health Sciences
Doctor of Optometry
University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
About this program
The Doctor of Optometry is a three-year program that combines on-campus teaching and clinical placements. You will be trained in the early detection, diagnosis, treatment and management of eye diseases and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system. The course content and teaching is based on the competency standards for optometrists in Australia and New Zealand, which are: professional responsibilities; communication; patient examination; diagnosis and management; and health information management. In the first year, you'll gain a thorough foundation of the vision sciences and begin to develop patient care skills. This strong base will underpin the development of your skills for optometry practice in year two. In third year you'll benefit from extended clinical placements with industry partners in metro, regional and remote areas of WA, offering hands-on direct patient experience. UWA has partnered with Lions Eye Institute, Lions Outback Vision, SpecSavers, Luxottica and other optometry industry leaders to deliver the course and offer clinical placements across Western Australia.
Fees & duration
English test scores
Verified uwa.edu.au ↗
Course structure
- Year 1: OPTM4101 Principles of Optics 1
- OPTM4102Structure and Function of the Eye
- OPTM4103Research Fundamentals and Methodology 1
- OPTM4104Foundations of Optometry
- OPTM4105Principles of Optics 2
- OPTM4106Physiological Optics and Visual Perception
- OPTM4107Research Fundamentals and Methodology 2
- OPTM4108Foundations of Clinical Optometry Year 2: OPTM5101 Integrated Ophthalmic Science 1
- OPTM5102Optometric Practice 1
- OPTM5103Integrated Ophthalmic Science 2
- OPTM5104Optometric Practice 2
- OPTM5105Optometry Research Project
- OPTM5106Integrated Optometric Practice Year 3: OPTM5201 Community Optometry 1
- OPTM5202Community Optometry 2
- OPTM5203Community Optometry 3
Career & PR pathway
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Admissions
To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have- (a) a bachelor's degree in health science, vision science, biomedical science, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; and (b) a selection Weighted Average Mark (sWAM) of at least 65 per cent; and (c) demonstrated adequate knowledge of each of the following: chemistry (at year 12 or tertiary level), mathematics (year 12 or tertiary level mathematics or statistics), microbiology (at tertiary level) and pharmacology (at tertiary level); and (d) a current Australian National Police Certificate, or equivalent certification, indicating no criminal convictions. The currency of a National Police Certificate is 12 months.
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