Program Overview

Orthoptics BMedSci

The University of Sheffield offers a BMedSci in Orthoptics, a course that prepares students for a career in orthoptics, working directly with children and adults to assess and manage a range of eye conditions. This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Course Description

The course provides hands-on clinical experience through placements in orthoptic departments across the UK and Ireland, allowing students to gain valuable personal and professional experience. Students will delve into research, completing a project or literature review on a topic of interest, with the opportunity to present their findings at a conference or have their work published in a medical journal. The course also includes an annual NHS training grant of £6,000+ for eligible UK home students.

Clinical Placements

Students will spend 30 weeks on placement throughout their degree, working in specialist clinics across the UK and Ireland. Placement blocks will gradually increase in length, up to a maximum of four weeks. As students' knowledge and confidence grow, they will transition from observing to actively participating in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients.

Modules

The course includes a range of modules, such as:

• Participation and Society
• Clinical Orthoptics
• Optics
• Strabismus and Ocular Motility I
• Anatomy and Physiology (Orthoptics) In the second and third years, students will build upon their knowledge of core orthoptics, expanding their understanding of strabismus and ocular motility, developing their clinical orthoptic skills, and applying their theoretical knowledge to practice while on placement.

Learning and Assessment

The course is a full-time, in-person program, with learning through a combination of lectures, seminars, small group tutorials, and practical classes, as well as hands-on clinical placements. Assessment will be through a combination of coursework, exams, and practical tasks, including poster and case presentations, assignments, group work, written exams, case and reflective reports, practice skills assessment, clinical patient exams, and Observed Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs).

Entry Requirements

The standard offer for this course is BBB at A Level, including a science subject. Alternative qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate, BTEC Extended Diploma, and Access to HE Diploma, are also accepted. Applicants must also meet the English language requirements, with a GCSE English Language at grade 4/C or an IELTS grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component.

Graduate Careers

Graduates of the BMedSci in Orthoptics have a range of career opportunities, including working in eye departments in the NHS, private hospitals, health centers, or schools for children with special needs. The course also provides an excellent foundation for future postgraduate research in orthoptics and related fields.

School of Allied Health Professions, Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery

The School of Allied Health Professions, Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery brings together expertise from across human communication sciences, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, and orthoptics. The school aims to train compassionate, resilient, and highly skilled healthcare professionals and support them throughout their working lives.

University Rankings

The University of Sheffield is a world top-100 university, ranked 92nd in the QS World University Rankings 2026. The university is also number one in the Russell Group for student experience, based on aggregate responses in the National Student Survey 2025.

Fees and Funding

The tuition fees for the BMedSci in Orthoptics are £9,535 for home students and £30,570 for overseas students. Additional costs, such as travel and accommodation for clinical placements, will be incurred. However, UK students can apply for reimbursement for excess travel expenses and dual accommodation costs for placements. International students will need to self-fund these costs. The university also offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to help fund study, including a £2,500 per year scholarship for international students.