Optometry

Restoring sight to people from all walks of life

We rely heavily on our five senses to navigate life: touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. Each of these senses play a vital role in our day-to-day lives. Problems with eyesight can have a profound impact on an individual’s life. Through optometry, many vision problems and eye diseases can be corrected or managed, restoring sight to people from all walks of life.

Join the largest school of optometry and vision science in Australia 

UNSW's School of Optometry and Vision Science is committed to forming partnerships within the ophthalmic industry and across the healthcare sector. The School is committed to translational research that will lead to significant improvements in ocular health. We’ll provide you with a varied education in optometry through the Centre for Eye Health and the Brien Holden Vision Institute.

Our students gain practical experience in the UNSW Optometry Clinic. The on-campus clinic is open to the public and uses state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment that provides the best in patient eye health management. The UNSW Optometry Clinic operates several internal clinics that, in conjunction with external placements, offer students a broad experience in many aspects of optometric and eye care including rural and remote optometry, paediatrics, ocular emergencies, contact lenses and myopia progression control.

Prepare for career success

Optometrists diagnose vision problems, eye diseases and other eye health issues. These highly skilled professionals correct poor vision and manage or slow degenerative eye diseases with corrective lenses, optical aids, therapy or medication. Upon completion of the Master of Clinical Optometry, you can apply to register with the Optometry Board of Australia (OBA), the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (ODOB) New Zealand and other registration boards in Asia where our degree is recognised. 

Optometrists may enter private practice on their own behalf, in partnership with a colleague or as an employee in an established practice. Specialties of clinical optometry include paediatrics, contact lenses, occupational optometry, public health optometry, co-management (shared care), low vision, sports vision, vision training and binocular vision.

In industry, optometrists are called upon to advise on the protection of vision. They also analyse the visual demands of a task and advise on vision standards to improve the comfort and efficiency of employees. Optometrists participate in industrial safety programs and advise on the visual capabilities needed for particular tasks. In addition, optometrists work closely with road safety organisations, applying visual science to problems such as visual standards for motorists, vehicle design and highway lighting.

The demand for qualified optometrists remains steady in Australia and globally, due to ageing and growing populations. Across the world, over 2.2 billion people experience vision impairment or blindness. Access to proper eye care can correct many of these cases through different clinical measures. However, for people living in communities with limited access to health care, treatment for vision problems is often inadequate. There are many opportunities for qualified optometrists to join programs and organisations that provide care to these populations on a short-term or long-term basis. 

Related areas

Vision science

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