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Bachelor of Vision Science / Master of Clinical Optometry

The Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Clinical Optometry is a combined undergraduate/postgraduate degree that provides students with the clinical skills and training required to gain registration to practise optometry. This five-year full-time program combines the theoretical discipline of vision science with the clinical expertise of primary eye care.

Program Structure

The program consists of a three-year Bachelor of Vision Science and a two-year Master of Clinical Optometry. Students will learn about the optics of lenses and instruments, the anatomy and physiology of the eye, eye diseases, and the psychophysics of vision and neuroscience. Optometry components will give students clinical expertise in the diagnosis and management of ocular disease, the dispensing of spectacles and contact lenses, care of people with special needs, sports vision, and vision in the workplace.

Key Features

• Combined undergraduate/postgraduate degree
• Pathway to registration as an optometrist
• Wide range of career opportunities in optometry, ophthalmic industries, and research

Admission Requirements

• Lowest selection rank: 99.5
• Lowest ATAR: 92.25
• Assumed knowledge: Chemistry, English Advanced, Mathematics Advanced, Physics
• Student expectations: Students are expected to meet certain professional requirements, including completing a certain number of clinical hours and meeting specific academic standards

English Language Requirements

Students may be asked to provide evidence of their English proficiency to study at UNSW, depending on their educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments, and examinations.

Program Details

• Program code: 3182
• CRICOS code: A
• Campus: Kensington
• Total units of credit: 240
• Duration: 5 years full-time

What Will I Study?

The program structure includes:

• Year 1: Molecules, Cells and Genes, Chemistry 1A, Biological Chemistry for Optometry Students, Seeing the World, Geometrical and Physical Optics, Visual Optics, Mathematics for Life Sciences, and Fundamentals of Physics
• Year 2: Introductory Anatomy, The Clinical Environment, Optical Dispensing, Physiology 1A, Physiology 1B, Ocular Anatomy and Physiology, Organisation and Function of the Visual System, and a General Education Course
• Year 3: Diseases Processes of the Eye 1, Vision Science in the Consulting Room, Ocular Imaging & Applied Vision Science, Disease Processes of the Eye 2, Working in the Clinical Environment, Pharmacology for Optometry, Development and Aging of the Visual System, and a General Education Course
• Year 4: Optometric Preclinical Practice, Contact Lenses, Clinical Optometry 4A, Anterior Eye Therapeutics, Binocular Vision, Paediatrics and Low Vision, Clinical Optometry 4B, Therapeutics and the Posterior Eye, and Professional Optometry
• Year 5: Clinical Paediatrics, Low Vision and Colour Vision, Clinical Optometry 5A, Clinical Ocular Therapy 5A, Optometry Research Project, Clinical Contact Lenses, Clinical Optometry 5B, and Clinical Ocular Therapy 5B

Future Careers

Graduates can become optometrists, working in clinical settings, health promotion, laboratory-based eye research, and the ophthalmic industry. Other career opportunities are available in government, teaching, defence technology, and the development of health and occupational policy.

Accreditation

Upon completion of the Master of Clinical Optometry, students can apply to register with the Optometry Board of Australia, the Optometrists and Dispensing Board New Zealand, and other registration boards in Asia where the degree is recognised.

Fees and Scholarships

• 2026 Indicative First Year Full Fee: $9,000
• 2026 Indicative Full Fee to Complete Degree: $60,000
• 2026 Indicative First Year Fee (International): $63,000
• 2026 Indicative Fee to Complete Degree (International): $350,000 UNSW offers over $83 million in scholarships each year, with a range of scholarships available to support students' journeys.