Optometry schools welcome 2024 intake

This autumn, undergraduate students have begun their courses at optometry schools across the country.

For some universities, this will mark their first intake on new Master’s courses, refreshed to meet the General Optical Council’s (GOC) updated education and training requirements.

For others, this will be the second year of running MOptom courses, with students from 2023 progressing into the next year of their education, which sees a greater emphasis on clinical experience.

Demand for places across optometry courses appears to be high, with many universities seeing levels of applications several times higher than the number of available places.

OTasked universities across the country to describe the level of applications received for their optometry courses and how many students will be starting this autumn.

Universities also shared what it means to be launching the new MOptom courses or moving into the second year of these programmes.

The launch of new MOptom courses

Several universities mark the beginning of their Master’s of optometry programmes this autumn, including Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), the first to be approved to integrate independent prescribing into the course.

Dr Andrew Logan, programme leader for the Master’s of optometry with independent prescribing course, told OT that application numbers have been “buoyant,” attracting a large number of applications in line with numbers seen with the BSc(Hons) optometry programme in previous years.

Logan described welcoming the first cohort of students onto the newly-developed course as a “milestone,” commenting: “As the first of its kind in the UK, the programme will support students to undertake independent prescribing training alongside their training as an optometrist.”

The project was supported by the Scottish Government and NHS Education for Scotland.

Logan said that the partners share the view that the new programme is an “important development for the profession.”

“The programme will provide an outstanding student experience and equip graduates with the skills that will allow them to provide the best possible eye care for patients across all communities in Scotland,” he added.

As the first of its kind in the UK, the programme will support students to undertake independent prescribing training alongside their training as an optometrist

The University of Bradford is also among the group of institutions that has introduced the new course this year.

Claire Pryke, associate director outreach, recruitment and admissions for the university, shared that more than 550 applications were received for the MOptom programme, with a “significant improvement in the quality of applicants.”

The university predicts 120 students will enrol on the programme.

Commenting on the new course, Pryke told OT: “We are delighted to welcome students to the first year of our MOptom programme and feel that the new format of the programme with the introduction of the placement year, will better equip students with the knowledge and skills to enter the workplace as a qualified optometrist.”

The new format of the programme with the introduction of the placement year, will better equip students with the knowledge and skills to enter the workplace as a qualified optometrist

The University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, has introduced its new Master’s programme, sharing in a statement: “We are excited to welcome the students to our new course, which features even more placement and professional skills opportunities than our BSc course from year one onwards.”

The course has seen a “strong interest” from applicants, with levels of applications consistent with the previous years of the BSc course.

UWE Bristol admits 60 students onto the course each year and has confirmed that this will remain the case for the course in 2024.

Discussing applications with OT, the university shared: “Interestingly, the number of male applicants has dropped to roughly a quarter of all applications; in previous years it has been at least a third.”

The University of Huddersfield is preparing to welcome students onto the first year of the new Master’s degree.

The optometry course has seen a “steady rise” in applications since it began in 2019, with approximately 400 applications through UCAS for each of the last two years, the university shared.

Dr Niall Hynes, senior lecturer in optometry, commented: “This year’s intake has increased from 68 to 100 and we look forward to welcoming them as they start the first iteration of the new MOptom course.”

Similarly, a Master’s of optometry course has launched at Teesside University this year and is fully subscribed.

Dr Ann French, acting Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences, shared: “We are delighted to see our optometry courses firmly established as part of our portfolio of qualifications and attracting strong interest from applicants.”

“We are particularly pleased with the successful launch of our Master’s of optometry course which will support us in our mission to transform the health of our regional economy by training the next generation of health professionals,” French added.

Progressing through the programmes

Last year, eight universities were confirmed to begin providing updated optometry qualifications from September 2023. This year, the original cohort of students will move into their second year as a new intake of first-years arrive.

The University of Central Lancashire saw a 50% increase in the number of applications to its MOptom course this year, up to 62, and will welcome 20 students this autumn.

The course team shared that it worked hard to align the previous course to the General Optical Council’s education and training requirements and continually reviews feedback from students and stakeholders.

“The course team is excited to welcome the second intake of students, and we hope that they enjoy the first year as well as the previous cohort, who have moved to seeing patients in the clinic as part of their second year,” the department shared.

The university also met the GOC’s new education and training requirements to offer its BSc in ophthalmic dispensing, which started in September 2023.

Ulster University shared that applications to the integrated MOptom course have grown year-on-year, with an overall growth rate of 38% in the last three years and at least four applications submitted for every place available on the course.

In the Complete University Guide 2024, Ulster University was ranked No 1 UK University for optometry, ophthalmics and optics.

A spokesperson for the university said: “The first group of students into the Master’s in optometry at Ulster University successfully completed their academic studies this summer and the feedback from the students has been excellent. The Master’s course has focused on developing clinical skills, but still retains the important core knowledge that optometrists need in a rapidly changing work environment.”

“We are looking forward to building on the students’ clinical and core knowledge in their second year with an increasing emphasis on the use of real-life case studies to illustrate the relevance of the teaching,” the spokesperson added.

The Master’s course has focused on developing clinical skills, but still retains the important core knowledge that optometrists need in a rapidly changing work environment

Aston University shared that admissions data remains similar to previous years.

Dr Samantha Strong, year one lead at the Aston School of Optometry, discussed the success of the course since its launch last year, telling OT: “We started the new MOptom programme in 2023, and we’re pleased to say that we’re really happy with how it’s going.”

The course has moved away from small modules in order to integrate content more holistically across the programme, embedded new professional skills, and complete a week of clinical learning in practice in their first term of the first year.

“Following the success of last year, we’re very excited to continue that trend by helping our incoming cohort of year one students achieve their career goals with our innovative new programme,” Strong said.

Following the success of last year, we’re very excited to continue that trend by helping our incoming cohort of year one students achieve their career goals with our innovative new programme

Students on the course will benefit from access to the Aston Eye Clinic, testing in a real clinical setting, rather than using actors, the university shared.

Discussing the new programme, and how the education and training will look in future, Amy Sheppard, deputy head (education) in the School of Optometry and Aston research explorer, shared: “As we approach the delivery of our new stage 2, we are looking forward to supporting our students as they apply for their long Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) opportunities, which they will complete in stage 4 – their final year.”

The university is working in collaboration with the College of Optometrists to deliver stage 4, where students will work away from the university to gain 44 weeks of clinical experience, with a College-approved supervisor.

“As students progress further through their Aston University degrees, they will spend more time examining patients and working in the Aston Eye Clinic, which includes our state-of-the-art virtual reality ophthalmic suite which opened in 2022,” Sheppard said.

The clinic, which Sheppard described as “at the interface of teaching and research,” serves several thousand patients each year, providing both specialist eye care services, as well as eye examinations, contact lenses, and spectacle dispensing.

Cardiff University was another optometry school to begin its Master’s course in 2023.

The university received 830 applications to its programmes of optometry and optometry with a preliminary year, representing a 10% increase on last year’s applications. This autumn, 129 new students will join the undergraduate programmes.

A spokesperson for the university, said: “The new first year curriculum of the MOptom programme has been very well received by the students.”

Looking ahead, the spokesperson added: “Cardiff University has embraced the opportunity to develop the second and later year modules and we are looking forward to supporting the second-year students throughout their learning of the new curriculum this year.

The University of Plymouth shared that it had seen high demand for the MOptom programme, during the application cycle and for the “few remaining spaces during clearing.”

The university has introduced a foundation level course for 2024, sharing in a statement with OT that that has “enabled us to widen access and support more students to study optometry.”

Anglia Ruskin University introduced its refreshed course in 2023 and will welcome its second cohort this autumn. The university confirmed that the course has fully recruited to its GOC cap this year.

City St George’s, University of London, was not able to contribute, while the universities of Manchester, and Hertfordshire, could not be reached for comment at this time.