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182 weeks
Full-time only
Trimester 1 - March (Start date: March)
Course 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 16.4% by 2029
, 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. With Deakin ranked #1 in Victoria for graduate employment, you'll graduate with a well-rounded understanding of the field of optometry and the practical skills to make a meaningful impact from day one. 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. Discover our health and community services courses.
2024 Employment Projections - for the five years to 2029, Australian Government, Jobs and Skills Australia.
Where You Can Study
Melbourne
1 Gheringhap St, GEELONG, VIC 3220
Eligibility
Career & Study Pathways
Quality & Recognition
Academic Regulator
TEQSA
Professional Body
Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ)
Accreditation Status
AccreditedSkills Assessor
OCANZ
Course Content
Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin
0 credit point compulsory unit, completed in first study period
Laboratory and Fieldwork Safety Induction Program
0 credit point compulsory unit, completed in first study period
Understanding Health
Year 1 - Trimester 1
Health Information and Data
Year 1 - Trimester 1
Principles of Optics
Year 1 - Trimester 1
Cells and Genes
Year 1 - Trimester 1
Science of Vision 1
Year 1 - Trimester 2
Clinical Optics
Year 1 - Trimester 2
Ocular Structure
Year 1 - Trimester 2
Chemistry for the Professional Sciences
Year 1 - Trimester 2; for students who completed Unit 3 and 4 (or Year 12 equivalent) Chemistry
Chemistry in Our World
Year 1 - Trimester 2; for students who did not do Chemistry in VCE units 3 and 4 (or Year 12 equivalent)
The Business of Optometry
Year 1 - Trimester 3
Science of Vision 2
Year 1 - Trimester 3
Ocular Function
Year 1 - Trimester 3
Accounting for Decision Making
Year 1 - Trimester 3
Health and Vision Sciences 1
Year 2 - Trimester 1
Principles and Practice of Optometry 1
Year 2 - Trimester 1
Health and Vision Sciences 2
Year 2 - Trimester 2
Principles and Practice of Optometry 2
Year 2 - Trimester 2
Health and Vision Sciences 3
Year 2 - Trimester 3
Principles and Practice of Optometry 3
Year 2 - Trimester 3
Advanced Optometric Studies 1
Year 3 - Trimester 1
Advanced Optometric Studies 2
Year 3 - Trimester 2
Community Optometry 1
Year 3 - Trimester 3
Community Optometry 2
Year 4 - Trimester 1
Common Questions
The Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry at Deakin is Australia's only accelerated combined Bachelor/Masters optometry course. It is delivered as a 3.5-year full-time program over ten consecutive trimesters, made possible by Deakin's trimester system. This means you can graduate and begin your career sooner than in a standard program.
The course includes an extensive practical placement component (costs incurred by the student), including a Clinical Residential Placement in the last six months of the course. Clinical placement rotations take place in both metropolitan and regional or rural settings, where students consolidate their knowledge and skills under the supervision of qualified optometrists. Students will also spend at least three months of their extended placement in rural eyecare delivery settings, in keeping with Deakin Optometry's commitment to improving rural eyecare.
Students must hold a valid Victorian Working with Children Check (WWCC) and may also need state/territory-specific checks for interstate placements. A valid Police Record Check is required every calendar year for professional placements. Prior to commencing clinical placements, students are expected to have a current immunisation status including three COVID-19 vaccinations. Students must also agree to and sign the Student Code of Conduct on commencement of the course.
In addition to the cost of practical placements, students will need to purchase personal optometric diagnostic equipment costing approximately $6,500–$7,000 in Year 2 of the program.
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 after a period of intermission, non-award units will be offered in the trimester preceding re-entry to the course.
Application
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Step 01
Enquire
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Step 02
Submit Documents
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Step 03
Get Enrolled
Receive your offer letter and confirm your enrolment. Welcome to the course!
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India
Master of Nursing · Griffith University
