Bachelor (Honours)
Join Australia's only undergraduate orthoptics program and learn to detect, diagnose and manage eye conditions in a range of patients, including children and adults.
With a strong focus on clinical experience, our Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours) will prepare you to launch a successful career as an orthoptist. You'll explore the anatomy and physiology of the eye to understand vision and visual function. Learn how to help people with eye disorders including strabismus (eye turns), eye diseases and low vision.
Clinical experiences start in your first year and will be a significant part of your degree. We work closely with industry to give you access to placements and hands-on experience in hospitals with dedicated eye clinics as well as private eye clinics. During these experiences, you'll learn how to use specialised technology, such as retinal cameras and ultrasonography machines.
You'll have the opportunity to complete a placement beyond Melbourne in your final year with one of our partner clinics in regional Victoria, interstate or overseas. You'll also have the opportunity to help where you're needed most - in a developing country.
Take advantage of an industry-based or research project, where you'll develop project management and research skills essential for a successful career in orthoptics.
You'll learn:
The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 8 - Bachelor Degree Honours.
Please note, the following course structure is indicative and subject to change depending on your course location, offer year or how you tailor your course with specialisations, majors, minors and electives. Structures for the following year are not normally finalised until October, so the sample provided is based on the most recently approved structure. For more information, please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.
To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours), students must complete a total of 480 credit points across 4 years.
Year 1 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:
Year 2 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:
Year 3 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:
Year 4 requires the completion of 120 credit points including:
Core subjects are required subjects in your course. You need to complete these subjects to attain your degree.
Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MODULE LTU0AIM 1 0 WOMINJEKA LA TROBE: INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LITERACY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ABS0WOM 1 0 EYE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY ORT1EAP 1 15 FOUNDATIONS OF ORTHOPTIC PRACTICE ORT1FOP 1 15 FOUNDATIONS OF PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION HLT1FPC 1 15 HUMAN BIOSCIENCES A HBS1HBA 1 15 HUMAN BIOSCIENCES B HBS1HBB 1 15 OPTICS AND REFRACTIVE STATE ORT1ORS 1 15 RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE IN PRACTICE HLT1RAE 1 15 UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND WELLBEING PHE1UHW 1 15 BINOCULAR VISION ORT2BIV 2 15 CLINICAL ANATOMY AND NEUROSCIENCES HBS2CAN 2 15 CONCOMITANT STRABISMUS ORT2COS 2 15 HUMAN PATHOPHYSIOLOGY HBS3001 2 15 INTEGRATING EVIDENCE INTO PRACTICE HLT2IEP 2 15 MICROBIOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY FOR ORTHOPTICS MIC2MCO 2 15 OCULAR PATHOLOGY A ORT2OPA 2 15 OCULAR PATHOLOGY B ORT2OPB 2 15 EYE MOVEMENT DISORDERS ORT3EMD 3 15 FOUNDATIONS IN PHARMACOLOGY HBS3PCY 3 15 INCOMITANT STRABISMUS ORT3INS 3 15 NEURO OPHTHALMOLOGY ORT3NEO 3 15 OCULAR MANAGEMENT AND THERAPEUTICS ORT3OMT 3 15 OCULAR PATHOLOGY C ORT3001 3 15 SPECIALIST LOW VISION CARE ORT3SLV 3 15 LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN ORTHOPTICS ORT4LMO 4 15 ORTHOPTIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE A ORT4PPA 4 30
Capstone subjects are required subjects in your course or major that help you integrate and apply the knowledge and skills you gain to solve real world problems. Capstone subjects are often taken towards the end of your course.
Subject name Subject code Year Credit points ORTHOPTIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE B ORT4PPB 4 30
Core choice subjects are one or more subject groups you need to select in your course. Core choice subjects may be specific to your course, major, minor, specialisation or other learning requirements.
Students to select one learning pathway from the list below.
Stream
For more information on these please refer to the La Trobe University Handbook.
The Handbook contains detailed course information designed for enrolled students, including course structures, electives and options. The delivery of this course can vary between campuses.
To view other campus handbook course details, please select relevant campus in the drop down.
Orthoptists are integral members of healthcare teams. Graduates will have the skills to perform clinical, technical, advisory and educational roles. You could pursue a career as an orthoptist in a range of settings, including:
Our new course, the Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours), will be seeking accreditation with the Australian Orthoptic Board (AOB). Pending the outcome of the processes, graduates of the Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours) may be eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Orthoptic Board. Please contact the relevant professional body for details.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Orthoptics (Honours) may be eligible to apply for membership with Orthoptics Australia, the International Orthoptic Association, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. Professional registration may be subject to additional or ongoing requirements beyond completion of the degree. Please contact the relevant professional body for details.