OVERVIEW
Graduate in just three and a half years with Australia’s only accelerated Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry course. Optometrists are in high demand with occupation growth expected to reach 15.1% by 2026,* you will gain the discipline-specific knowledge and skills to be work-ready and eligible to apply for registration as a practising optometrist in Australia and New Zealand.
You will undertake a variety of short-term industry placements throughout your course and spend the final six months as a student resident, empowering you to graduate confidently. You will develop crucial skills in the clinical assessment, treatment and management of eye and vision disorders, with strong foundations in evidence-based and reflective practice, inter-professional collaborative practice and practice management. Our course has a strong emphasis on understanding the visual health issues impacting regional and rural Australia and the rural health gap.
Want to graduate job ready as a qualified optometrist from Australia’s only accelerated combined Bachelor/Masters course?
Deakin offers Australia’s first accelerated Bachelor/Masters course, which means you can graduate and begin your career sooner. This is made possible due to Deakin’s trimester system whereby you will undertake ten consecutive trimesters starting from Trimester 1.
During the course you will investigate the structure and function of the visual system while learning about various visual health issues and their wider impact on the local and international community. Gain crucial skills in the clinical assessment, treatment and management of eye and vision disorders, as well as forming a strong understanding of the ethical, legal and professional standards of practice. You will cover a broad spectrum of industry-relevant study areas that prepare you for work as a professional optometrist, including:
- the key principles of optics
- clinical optics and treating eye and vision disorders
- ocular function and structure
- the science of vision
- the business of optometry.
Your clinical placement rotations take place in both metropolitan and regional or rural settings, where you will consolidate your knowledge and skills under the supervision of qualified optometrists. As a student resident you will learn in one of a range of clinical optometric and medical settings.
Our optometry students are able to work directly with real patients who attend the Deakin Collaborative Eye Care Clinic - located onsite at our Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus. Our students are supervised by experienced registered optometrists while providing ocular healthcare to the patients at the clinic. It's equipped with a fully fitted optometry practice for examination and a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose clinical skills laboratory.
As well as preparing you to diagnose and manage ocular conditions, this unique combined degree has a strong emphasis on the underlying social and environmental factors that contribute to the health gap between regional communities and urban populations, ensuring you graduate with a well-rounded understanding of the field of optometry. On successful completion of this accredited course, you can apply for registration to practise as an optometrist in Australia and New Zealand.
Deakin is deeply committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As part of this commitment, our Indigenous Entry Stream provides a specialised pathway for Indigenous students to become healthcare practitioners, improving cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the communities they serve. Our Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry is one of four courses available through this stream.
Are you a current Year 12 student? If you attend a school in a regional or remote area or within the Greater City of Geelong you may be eligible to apply for this course through our Regional and Remote Entry Scheme using our dedicated VTAC code. As an eligible applicant you may also receive up to a 10 aggregate point adjustment towards your entry score. Make the most of your ATAR.
*2021 Employment Projections – for the five years to November 2026, Australian Government, Jobs and Skills Australia.
COURSE STRUCTURE
To complete the Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry students must attain 40 credit points. This is an accelerated three and a half year course delivered over ten consecutive trimesters commencing in Trimester 1. All the units in the course are core (these are compulsory).
Students must pass all first year units, or be granted Recognition of Prior Learning for these units, before proceeding to second year.
Due to the integrated nature of the curriculum and assessment, and the requirements of the external accrediting body, from Year 2 onwards, students must pass all units in a given trimester prior to proceeding to the next trimester. Any student who fails to meet this requirement will need to intermit until the next offering of the unit, which will usually be in a period of two trimesters.
To support student reintegration to the course after a period of intermission, students will be required to demonstrate that they have maintained skills and knowledge at a level required to practice safely. To support students in doing this, non-award units will be offered in the trimester preceding re-entry to the course. Please contact your course advisor for assistance.
All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete
CAREER OUTCOMES
The healthcare and social assistance sector is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in Australia and the world. In Australia the sector is projected to grow by 15.8% over the five years to May 2026 – that is 301,000 new jobs.* Optometrists and Orthoptists are in high demand with occupation growth expected to reach 15.1% over the same time period*.
Deakin optometry graduates are well prepared for employment in a diverse range of work settings, including:
- clinics
- corporate and community settings
- health services
- hospitals
- non-government organisations
- private practice
- research institutes
- state and local governments
- tertiary education institutions.
Career opportunities for qualified optometrists include:
- practice ownership
- private and public eye care
- research and education
- recognised specialties within optometry such as:
- myopia control
- dry eye management
- low vision
- paediatric vision.
As well as pursuing a career in optometry, this course could lead you towards a number of other rewarding careers, including:
- ophthalmic practice business owner
- spectacle retailer
- not-for-profit campaigner
- visual simulator designer.
Deakin's graduate learning outcomes describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates can demonstrate at the completion of their course. These outcomes mean that regardless of the Deakin course you undertake, you can rest assured your degree will teach you the skills and professional attributes that employers value. They'll set you up to learn and work effectively in the future.
