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Optometry with a Preliminary Year at Cardiff University - UCAS

Cardiff University

Degree level: Undergraduate
Awarded by: Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd)

Optometry with a Preliminary Year

Course options

Course summary

Our innovative, clinically focussed programme will provide you with scientific and clinical knowledge to register as an optometrist and deliver high quality patient-centred eye healthcare. We combine progressive healthcare education, high quality patient care, world class research, and exceptional clinical and teaching facilities to inspire you to become an outstanding optometrist. Today’s optometrists are autonomous eyecare clinicians who play a direct role in improving patients’ eyesight and eye health. Optometrists practise in diverse healthcare settings including community, hospital, and domiciliary environments. They work with patients and the public to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage problems with the eyes and visual system. They may help patients by prescribing optical appliances such as spectacles and contact lenses, by managing eye health problems including with therapeutic drug or laser treatments, as well as providing preventative, rehabilitative and other eye care management advice to members of the public. Eye healthcare is a rapidly evolving field, and registered optometrists can choose to train further in an expanding range of clinical sub-specialities. Many of today’s optometrists prescribe medicines for eye problems independently of a doctor and play a vital role in eye healthcare teams. Our programme will allow you to gain the knowledge and skills to register as an optometrist with the General Optical Council. You will learn to manage confidently and autonomously a wide range of optical and medical eye problems at qualification. You will have unique opportunities to observe and work in our in-house University specialist eye clinics led by our highly qualified multi-disciplinary eyecare team. Later, during your programme, you will take on more responsibility for patient care and hone your clinical skills whilst working both during your extended clinical learning in practice organised by the College of Optometrists and in our University specialist clinics. Embedded in our programme are opportunities to achieve selected higher qualifications from the College of Optometrists, preparing you for expanding roles and future changes in the optometric profession. You will establish an excellent foundation for further specialist postgraduate clinical or research career pathways, and you will be well prepared to address lifelong learning, leadership, and professional development challenges, allowing you to thrive in modern UK optometric practice. Distinctive features:

  • Ranked No 1: We are ranked 1st for Optometry in the Complete University Guide 2022.
  • £22 million self-contained optometry facility with on-site specialist ophthalmic teaching clinics: Equipped with advanced diagnostic technology, our School is unique in delivering innovative NHS specialist ophthalmology services as well as optometric community clinics, allowing early clinical exposure from Year 1.
  • College of Optometrists (COptom) accredited higher qualifications: Our programme offers a range of COptom professional certificates to allow an enhanced scope of clinical practice on registration, and to accelerate your progress if you choose to undertake further advanced postgraduate clinical training.
  • Accredited by the General Optical Council (GOC): This course is an integrated Masters programme, taught by internationally renowned researchers and clinicians, and meets the high-quality standards in education set out by the GOC. On completion of the MOptom, you will have undertaken at least 48 weeks of learning in clinical environments, and you will be eligible to register and practise independently as an optometrist in the UK.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • General Optical Council

How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
B514
Institution code:
C15
Campus name:
Main Site - Cardiff
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation

International applicants

Further information for International applicants can be found at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects. We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Interview

If we can’t make a decision based on the information you provided in your application, we may contact you for clarification or ask you to attend an interview.


English language requirements

All applicants are expected to have demonstrable English language skills. Most courses ask for GCSE English grade C/4 or equivalent, but some courses ask for GCSE English grade B/6 or equivalent.

To find out more, please go to:

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/english-language-requirements/undergraduate


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
80%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
100%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9000 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9000 Year 1
Scotland £9000 Year 1
Wales £9000 Year 1
Channel Islands £9000 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9000 Year 1
EU £28200 Year 1
International £28200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students from the UK and Islands: Fees stated are for the 2024/25 academic year. The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase. Fees for entry in subsequent years are subject to increase and will be confirmed by the end of October in the year preceding your start date of your programme. Tuition fees cover all reasonable costs required for you to complete to the degree programme stated. Please note that you may choose to participate in study trips, associated placements or purchase equipment while studying on your degree programme which will be at your own cost. Tuition fees do not include living costs such as accommodation, subsistence or travel. Students from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland: If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, unless you qualify for UK fee status, tuition fees for 2024/25 will be in line with the fees charged for international students. You can check whether you are eligible for UK (Home) fee status on the UKCISA website: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/Wales-fee-status#layer-6099 Students from the rest of the world (international): Fees stated are for 2024/25 entry and are fixed for the duration of the programme, excluding Medicine and Dentistry programmes. Please note that during the pre-clinical element of Medicine and Dentistry programmes the fee rate will be fixed, after which the clinical fee rate will be charged. Further details are available on the university website at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/funding-and-fees Fees for entry in subsequent years are subject to increase and will be confirmed by the end of October in the year preceding your start date of your programme. Tuition fees cover all reasonable costs required for you to complete the degree programme stated. Please note that you may choose to participate in study trips, associated placements or purchase equipment while studying on your degree programme which will be at your own cost. Tuition fees do not include living costs such as accommodation, subsistence or travel.

Sponsorship information

Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.

Optometry with a Preliminary Year at Cardiff University - UCAS