17 August 2023

First optometry students on new route to qualification

The new MOptom is now being offered by eight universities across the UK, with the College working in partnership to deliver Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP).

This September, the first students will embark on the new Master of Optometry (MOptom) programme, developed to meet the GOC’s Education and Training Requirements – the new route to qualification. The MOptom is now being offered by eight universities across the UK, with the College working in partnership to deliver Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP). CLiP is an extended work-based placement which students will complete in the third or fourth year of the programme.

The new GOC Education and Training Requirements were developed following the GOC’s extensive Education Strategic Review, launched in March 2016. The review looked at changes to the optometry profession and also sought to benchmark it against other similar professions. One of the outcomes was a recommendation for optometrists to be qualified at level 7 (equivalent to a master’s degree) to equip graduates with the higher critical and analytical skills required.

There are currently eight universities in England and Wales offering the MOptom: 

  • Anglia Ruskin University
  • Aston University
  • Cardiff University
  • City, University of London
  • Ulster University
  • University of Central Lancashire
  • University of Hertfordshire
  • University of Plymouth

Four more universities will offer the College CLiP placement from 2024:

  • University of Bradford
  • University of Huddersfield
  • Teesside University

The BSc Optometry plus Scheme for Registration route to registration will continue, but will be phased out over time.

Further information

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