Doctor of Optometry

The Doctor of Optometry (OD) at the University of Melbourne is a master’s-level professional entry degree. The OD program is the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, creating a new benchmark in optometric education.The course has full accreditation from the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ).

The OD degree is a four-year full-time program consisting of a combination of on-campus teaching and clinical placements. Clinical studies commence in first year and gradually increase to full-time in the final year. The course covers the basic and applied optical, visual, and biomedical sciences that underpin optometry.
A research project, with clinical relevance, is conducted as a required component of the degree. Students will also be given the opportunity to undertake clinical training at metropolitan, rural and overseas sites as part of their final year of study.
The Doctor of Optometry is the pathway to an exciting and rewarding career in optometry. Specific graduate attributes have been carefully defined, developed and mapped to every component of the course. Graduates of the program will achieve:

Understanding of the normal human visual system and its physical, chemical and biological foundations
Expertise to quantitatively describe light and its passage through optical systems (including ophthalmic instruments, ophthalmic lenses and the eye), the design of optical systems to meet required specifications, and quantitatively assess the nature and quality of optical images

As a graduate of the Doctor of Optometry, you can take advantage of high employment rates, no matter the pathway you choose to pursue.
Most graduates of this course find employment through their final year of clinical placement. With an outstanding reputation for excellence in the field of optometry, the University of Melbourne has a vibrant placement relationship with private and corporate practices alike.

An undergraduate degree in any discipline, with studies to have been completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Optometry
Or
For applicants whose most recently completed undergraduate degree was completed 10 or more years before January 1st of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Optometry, a Graduate Diploma, Master or PhD degree, or equivalent, completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Optometry
And
Three subjects at level 2 or level 3 (or equivalent) from one or more relevant biological science disciplines with subjects to have been completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Optometry.
One of either the GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test), the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) or the OAT (Optometry Admission Test (USA)), no more than two years before the date of commencement of the Doctor of Optometry.

English language requirements:

IELTS (academic English Only): 6.5 (no band less than 6.0)
TOEFL Internet-based test: 79 + ; Writing 21; Speaking 18; Reading 13; Listening 13;
Pearson Test of English Academic: 58 + no communicative skill below 50
Cambridge English: Advanced/ Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): 176 + no skill below 169.