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Find your fearless

Explore your career in

Optometry.

Find your fearless

Explore your career in

Optometry.

Help people protect and care for one of our most precious gifts: eyesight.

Study Options

Why Flinders?

Get inspired

Enquire now

What does a career in Optometry look like?

Optometrists provide a wide range of services including testing vision, prescribing glasses and contact lenses, assessing and treating vision problems and managing complex eye conditions.

As an accredited optometrist, you’ll work with patients young and old, undertaking routine eye tests, diagnosing conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma, treating eye and vision health issues such as acute infections and inflammation, and diagnosing and referring conditions that need ophthalmological care such as retinal tears, detachments, and the effects of diabetes.

⬆︎
15.2%

Employment Growth, Optometrists and Orthoptists.

(National Skills Commission, 2021 Employment projections for the five years to 2026).

No.1 in SA
in Health Services & Support for full-time employment and median salary.

(The Good Universities Guide 2022 (undergraduate), public SA-founded universities only.)

No. 1 SA university
for overall educational experience and full-time employment.

(The Good Universities Guide 2022 (postgraduate), public SA-founded universities only)

Health Care and Social Assistance is Australia’s largest industry and is projected to have strong employment growth through to November 2026.

(National Skills Commission 2022).

Study Options

Bachelor of Health Sciences (Vision Science) / Master of Optometry

Your potential occupations

  • Ophthalmic industry consultant
  • Pharmaceutical industry consultant
  • Clinical optometrist
  • Outreach optometry coordinator
  • Paediatric optometrist
  • Public health optometrist
  • Research optometrist

 

Your potential employers

  • Independent optometry practice
  • Corporate optometry companies
  • Vision rehabilitation/low vision clinics
  • Hospitals
  • Government organisations
  • Community health centres
  • Outreach services or programs
  • Universities
  • Research centres
  • Optical companies
  • Pharmaceutical companies

Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand.

Why study at Flinders?

Connect with industry leaders
  • Flinders enjoys placement partnerships with many exceptional organisations such as Luxottica, Specsavers, Royal Society for the Blind, Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Primary Health Care Service, Baptist Care SA, Migrant and Refugee Service in SA, Australian College of Optometry, and many independent optometrists and ophthalmologists.
  • More than 400 hours of work placement are built into the Master of Optometry course with at least one rural or remote placement, providing valuable practical experience and connection to industry.
  • Opportunities for unique learning experiences with overseas placements in vulnerable communities in Nepal, Southern India and China.
Enjoy a supportive, student-centred learning environment
  • Our academics have a personal approach to learning and the relationships we have with our students and graduates are highly supportive and long-lasting.
  • Our teaching specialists in the Master of Optometry are all working clinicians and we have dedicated experts in the field of electrophysiology, myopia, ocular biomarkers and imaging, public health, contact lenses and paediatrics.
Become a sought after, multi-skilled and career-ready graduate
  • Students will build a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical understanding to ensure they are career-ready at graduation.
  • Our Optometry program features unique learning topics including ophthalmology, communication for the consulting room, and a business intensive module.
Learn in state-of-the-art facilities
  • Flinders offers a state-of-the-art optometry laboratory and equipment such as optical coherence tomography angiography, Pentacam, Optos, VR Magic, a virtual reality training suite for clinical skills that are embedded throughout the degrees.
  • Health2Go is a purpose-built facility providing the community access to a range of affordable, high quality health services including student-led optometry services. We give you the opportunity to work with clients alongside professional clinicians to gain real-life experience.
Be equipped with the knowledge of the latest evidence-based practice
  • Many of our teaching staff are also active researchers and members of the Caring Futures Institute, publishing in leading eye research journals.
  • We ensure our programs always have the latest evidence-based learning outcomes.

Hear from our students

“

For me, the highlight of studying Optometry was the placement opportunities. I felt they were crucial to my development becoming a practice-ready optometrist.

Luke Higgins, Optometry graduate

”

Get inspired

Optometry.

Learn about Optometry at Flinders with Senior Lecturer Dr Jeremiah Lim.

optometry-article-remote-australia.png

Optometry placement inspires career clarity

For fifth year Optometry student Aliza Benchmo, a work placement in remote South Australia provided clarity on what she wanted her career to look like. 

Read more

State-of-the-art facilities at Flinders Health2Go

Explore our Health2Go clinic, where our students receive hands-on training.

Gain industry experience

Build practical skills and valuable industry connections.

Teaching staff

Our incredible teaching and research staff are experts in their professions and well-connected to industry.

nicola-anstice-720px.png

Academic Lead: Professor Nicola Anstice

Nicola completed her PhD in Optometry from the University of Auckland in 2010. Her research interests focus on myopia control with soft contact lenses and children’s vision screening. Nicola holds registration as a therapeutically endorsed optometrist in both Australia and New Zealand. 

JasonBooth_720px.jpg

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Jason Booth

Jason joined Flinders in 2014 and has helped maintain the authenticity of the work integrated learning experiences for students both on and off campus to ensure they are taught clinical diagnostic thinking skills.

Jason’s first role as an optometry graduate was in Broken Hill. He has since worked in community practice in many locations over the years.

JeremiahLim_IMG_1044_720px.jpg

Placement Education Coordinator: Dr Jeremiah Lim

Jeremiah was an Optometrist in Singapore in 2005 where he worked in private and public practice. He graduated from Melbourne University in 2009 with distinction and has since practised across more than 50 locations across Victoria. Under a strategic plan by the Melbourne Neuroscience Institute, Jeremiah was offered the prestigious STRAPA award aimed at attracting clinicians into research. At the Melbourne brain centre, he undertook pioneering work in the field of ocular biomarkers during his PhD candidature. His research attracted international attention and he was awarded the Eberhard Dodt Award in 2016 for his contribution to retinal electrophysiology in Alzheimer’s disease. His doctoral thesis was accepted in 2018 by the University of Melbourne. While there, Jeremiah was also teaching in the Doctor of Optometry program.

MallikaPremsenthill_720px.jpg

Student Experience Coordinator: Dr Mallika Prem Senthil

Mallika is an ophthalmologist with extensive clinical, teaching and research experience in both universities and health sectors. She worked as a consultant ophthalmologist in India between 2000 and 2004 and then moved to Malaysia, joining the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Malaysia Sarawak as a Senior Lecturer as well as a Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Sarawak General Hospital.

Over nine years in Malaysia, Mallika achieved numerous academic and professional service excellence awards. She also embarked on various clinical and academic research projects.

In 2014, she was invited to undertake a doctoral study at Flinders and was offered two prestigious Australian scholarships.

Frequently asked questions

Are there jobs in Optometry?

Yes. According to the National Skills Commission (2021 employment growth projections for the five years to 2026), employment growth for optometrists and orthoptists is 15.10%.

Will I be able to register with the relevant registering body for my profession/group at the end of the course?

This degree is accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand. Graduates will be eligible to register as optometrists.

Can this course be studied online?

The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Vision Science)/Master of Optometry requires full-time study and is not offered externally or on a part-time basis.

Will I attend optometry placements during my course?

Yes, students are required to complete clinical placements in year 5 of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Vision Science)/Master of Optometry. The final year is considered an internship designed to transition our graduates into the workforce.

What if I don’t meet the GPA requirements to progress through to the Master of Optometry?

If you are unable to maintain the Grade Point Average (GPA) requirements to progress to the Master of Optometry, you will be awarded a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Vision Science).

How will COVID-19 restrictions affect my study at Flinders University?

The current pandemic situation (COVID-19) will affect many aspects of your study, from topic availability on campus to how your classes are delivered. For detailed information about the impact of COVID-19 on your study please refer to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page.

How do I apply?
  • Applications are completed via SATAC
  • Visit: satac.edu.au
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Want more information about studying at Flinders University? Contact us to find out more – we’d love to help you decide if Flinders University is the right choice for you.

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