Course Title: Bachelor of Science (Honours) Optometry
2022 CAO Points: 555
Leaving Certificate Requirements:
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Minimum Number of |
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Subjects |
Higher |
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6 |
2H5's |
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Minimum Grade in |
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Maths |
English OR Irish |
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O3/H7 |
O6/H7 |
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Other Grade Requirements |
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At Least H4 in one of: Physics, Chemistry, Physics and Chemistry, or Biology. |
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Additional Requirements/Information: TU Dublin students of this programme must undergo Garda Vetting. They must complete the required documentation, including a full list of all previous addresses, in order for clearance checks to be made. Currently, Irish addresses are vetted by the Garda Vetting Bureau at no cost to the student. Additionally, as this course involves interaction with patients in the provision of healthcare/eyecare, students should have the capacity to perform key skills and tasks so as to be able to succeed in this programme and practise in the profession. All Optometry and Ophthalmic Dispensing undergraduates are required to insert drops, contact lenses and probes (with ocular anaesthetic) into fellow students’ eyes and allow fellow students to insert the same into their eyes during the course of their course. All procedures will be carried out in a safe, clean, clinical environment under the supervision of an optometry faculty member. |
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QQI/FET Requirements:
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QQI/FET Award Required |
Additional Requirements |
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Level 5: 1 OF THE FOLLOWING AWARDS:
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DISTINCTION(S) REQUIRED: 6 DISTINCTIONS WITH 5 DISTINCTIONS FROM THE FOLLOWING: 5N2751 Laboratory Skills AND TO INCLUDE A DISTINCTION IN: C20139 / 5N1833 Mathematics |
| Level 6: Full level 6 award in a relevant discipline | |
Further details at www.tudublin.ie/qqi
Mature Applicants:
Applications from mature students (23+) are welcome. Further details at www.tudublin.ie/mature
English Language Requirements:
If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency as detailed on our website. Applicants for this course should have a minimum IELTS (Academic Version) English Proficiency of 6.5 overall (or equivalent) with nothing less than 6 in each component.
Optometrists (Ophthalmic Opticians) are healthcare professionals who provide primary eye care services. They carry out eye examinations to diagnose vision defects, including myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia and prescribe spectacles.
The optometrist’s eye examination will detect eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, as well as ocular signs of systemic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure and diabetes. Patients are referred to doctors by optometrists if medical attention is required. Optometrists in Ireland do not treat eye disease, which is done by medical professionals.
The first year of this course focuses on science subjects necessary for optometric training. Clinical teaching begins in Year 1 with Vision Science, which will equip you with some of the core clinical skills necessary for a routine eye examination. The clinical training increases throughout the course.
In Years 3 and 4, you’ll learn how to apply your scientific knowledge in a modern, purpose-built clinic, the National Optometry Centre (NOC), using state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
You’ll learn to:
- Perform an eye examination to determine if spectacles are required
- Choose suitable spectacle frames and lenses
- Fit contact lenses
- Identify eye-related disease so that a patient may be managed and referred if necessary
- Carry out specialised clinics in Low Vision, Aged Vision, Paediatrics and Binocular Vision and use specialised ophthalmic diagnostic and imaging instrumentation.
Contact Hours: This is a full-time course. Students should expect to be on campus up to 5 days per week. The average number of contact hours per week is approximately 24.
Work Placement
At the end of Year 4, you’ll spend five months (Jan-May) working in an optometric practice under supervision which will give you workplace experience and skills and enhance your employment prospects.
Professional Accreditation
Upon successful completion of the programme you will be eligible to register as an Optometrist with CORU (the Health and Social Care Professionals Council). You may also apply for membership of the Association of Optometrists Ireland (Optometry Ireland).
Equipment Requirements
Students will be required to purchase diagnostic eye examination sets (retinoscope, ophthalmoscope, Volk lens) in Year 2.
After graduation you are eligible to take the Professional Qualifying Examinations of the Association of Optometrists, Ireland. The BSc in Optometry and success in these Qualifying Examinations are academic and professional requirements for registration with CORU (the Health and Social Care Professionals Council).
Most newly qualified optometrists work in established practices in Ireland or the UK. Registration in the UK is possible once you are registered in Ireland.
Graduate Job Titles
- Optometrist
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
- Cell Biology
- Chemistry
- Geometrical Optics
- Histology, Anatomy & Physiology
- Mathematics
- Ophthalmic Optics & Dispensing
- Physical Optics
- Physics for Health Science
- Vision Science
- Binocular Vision
- Clinical Optometry
- Contact Lens Practice
- Experimental Statistics
- Introduction to Diseases of the Eye and Pharmacology
- Medical Physiology
- Ocular Biochemistry
- Optical Dispensing
- Physiology of Vision
- Advanced Clinical Techniques
- Binocular Vision
- Contact Lens Practice
- Diseases of the Eye
- Intercultural Communications for Eyecare Practitioners and Professional Studies
- Ocular & General Pharmacology
- Physiology of Vision
- Primary Eye Care Clinic
- Contact Lens Clinic
- Environmental Optometry
- Optometric Practice Management
- Paediatric Optometry
- Primary Eye Care Clinic
- Project
- Supervised Practice
- Topics in Modern Optometry
- Vision Rehabilitation
Advanced Entry applications are accepted to this course. For further information on how to make an Advanced Entry application, please visit our CAO Hub. A full list of courses open for Advanced Entry are listed on the CAO website.
I chose Optometry as I was interested in science, wanted to work with people and make a difference, in their lives. TU Dublin was a great place to study; the class sizes are small so it was a friendly, close-knit community.
Lecturers are available to answer any questions, and the National Optometry Centre has amazing facilities for practical work. I was introduced to working in sustainable development in vision care. I spent some time in Mozambique, and then lectured for a year with the Malawi School of Optometry. Both were amazing opportunities. Now I work in private practice in the family business while pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Optometry.
On graduation from this level 8 programme, you may proceed to postgraduate studies leading to the award of MSc, MPhil or PhD at research institutes and universities worldwide.