Bachelor
QUT offers the only optometry training in Queensland. The optometry program includes a three-year Bachelor of Vision Science followed by a two-year Master of Optometry.
Our course is embedded with clinical experience that prepares you to treat patients from a variety of social and cultural groups, a wide range of ages, and a diversity of eye conditions. You will work with a range of complex instruments and learn to use clinical judgement to treat patients.
At our on-campus optometry clinic you will practise clinical skills under the supervision of registered optometrists. You will treat patients and provide specialist services in ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses, children's vision, dry eye, glaucoma, and other eye diseases and chronic conditions with ocular effects, such as diabetes. This experience is extended with opportunities to participate in off-campus activities that focus on prevention and treatment within the wider community, and clinical placements in optometric practices, ophthalmology practices and other healthcare settings. You may also choose to travel and complete clinical training in rural and remote Australia, or overseas. In recent years our students have travelled to the UK, Mexico, India, Japan, Vanuatu, and Singapore.
You will receive individual attention from experienced lecturers and clinicians. All of our staff conduct vision research and our clinical supervisors are experienced optometrists. Our staff maintain relationships with the profession, and our guest lecturers are optometrists from private practice and other health disciplines such as the medical and pharmacy professions.
The Year 12 Subject Scheme adjustments do not apply to this course.
Any other adjustment you receive to your ATAR or selection rank will be applied to this course.
Find out if you're eligible for an adjustment to your ATAR or selection rank
Overseas qualificationsQUT will consider equivalent overseas qualifications for admissions purposes. If you have tertiary qualifications from countries where English is not the standard language of instruction you must provide evidence of English language proficiency.
English language proficiencyWe require students to demonstrate they can speak write read and comprehend academic English to a specified standard.
Our English proficiency requirements for this course are:
The test must have been completed within 2 years prior to the proposed course start month.
Optometrists are primary eye care practitioners and are often the first point of contact for people seeking advice about their eyes and vision. They provide regular preventative care through the early detection of eye disease and conditions that impact vision. They also provide treatment and advice about eye disease and vision problems and use ocular drugs to assist in the detection and therapeutic management of eye conditions.
Course requirements
There are requirements that you will need to meet as a student in this course. You will need to identify these requirements and ensure you allow sufficient time to meet them. Some of these requirements have associated costs.
Blue card: You must undergo a criminal history check for working with children and be issued with a suitability card (blue card) before commencing clinical placement/practicum in an organisation where you may work with children or young people.
The processing of your application may take several months so you must submit your blue card application to HiQ as early as possible to ensure you have your card before you begin any unit that requires contact with children. There is no charge for student blue cards. Students who already have a blue card must register it with QUT.
Information is available from the Additional course requirements and costs website.
Graduates may work in clinical practice in a range of optometric settings or in teaching and research positions in Australia and internationally. Many graduates enter private practice with a view to future partnership or the establishment of their own practice. An increasing number of graduates are working alongside other health professionals in medical ophthalmology clinics.
Graduates of the dual award program (Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry) are employed in areas that include contact lens practice paediatric vision occupational/public health vision or low vision.
Students may choose not to complete the Master of Optometry exiting with a three-year Bachelor of Vision Science to pursue a research career (following completion of an honours year) or find employment in the optical industry.
The Bachelor of Vision Science and Master of Optometry are accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand. On completion of both programs you are eligible for registration as an optometrist with the Optometry Board of Australia.
QUT automatically registers students enrolled in this course with the Optometry Board of Australia in accordance with the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009. Details about student registration are available from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.