Program Overview

Glaucoma Professional Certificate

The Glaucoma Professional Certificate is a professional short course designed to develop expertise in glaucoma detection and management. It is ideal for clinicians seeking to enhance their skills in advanced monitoring and stay at the cutting edge of optometry and ophthalmology.

Location and Delivery

The course is delivered via blended learning, with online and face-to-face sessions, and is located online via distance learning, with some face-to-face sessions at Aston University, Birmingham.

Course Details

• Duration: Four months
• Start Date: March 2026
• Course Type: Professional short courses/CPD
• Entry Requirements: Students must be registered optometrists with the UK General Optical Council (GOC) to undertake the Professional Certificate.
• Fees: ｣1400 plus ｣149 practical workshop (｣1549 for full module) for UK students (2025/26)

Module Overview

The module provides an in-depth examination of glaucoma, focusing on detection, investigation, and advanced management techniques used in both optometry and ophthalmology. It covers glaucoma epidemiology, terminology, risk factors, and classification, as well as the assessment of the optic nerve head and the interpretation of visual field results.

Objectives and Outcomes

The objectives of the course include enhancing knowledge and understanding of glaucoma, including its detection, advanced management, and monitoring. Upon successful completion, students will be able to recognize the principles of glaucoma screening, demonstrate knowledge of differential diagnosis, detect and monitor glaucoma, and understand the limitations of standard clinical diagnostic tests.

Assessment

The assessment for this professional certificate comprises multiple choice questions, a class test featuring visual recognition tasks, coursework, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OCSEs).

Career Prospects

The course offers the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills, develop specialist knowledge in advanced optometric topics, and widen and specialize the mode of practice.

Related Courses

Related courses include the Ageing Eye Management course.

Why Glaucoma at Aston University?

Aston University is ranked 2nd in the UK for graduate prospects on track (Optometry, Ophthalmics and Orthoptics; Complete University Guide, 2025). The university offers access to cutting-edge equipment in its ophthalmic simulation suite and learning from passionate research-active academics in specialist areas of optometry, ophthalmics, and orthoptics.