Optometry - Grangegorman
Optometry is a regulated primary healthcare profession. Optometrists are often the first professional to be consulted when an eye problem presents.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Technological University Dublin |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Technological University Dublin | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 Years.
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.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
Minimum No of Subjects: 6
Higher: 2 H5's
Minimum Grade in:
Maths: O3/H7
English or Irish: O6/H7
At least H4 in one of: Physics, Chemistry, Physics and Chemistry, or Biology.
Students must undergo Garda Vetting.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Entry/Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for consideration for a course an applicant must possess the minimum entry requirements for that course. Entry requirements are outlined above.
CAO offers are determined on the basis of examination score except in the case of courses which involve suitability tests, interviews and other assessment procedures. All suitability tests/interviews/auditions/portfolio reviews etc will generally be carried out during the period March - May each year.
Where a specific grade is required in a subject (H4, O3 etc) an applicant must achieve that grade or better in order to be eligible for consideration (H = Higher Level; O = Ordinary Level). Where a requirement is 2 or 3 honours, grade H5 or better on Higher Level
Leaving Certificate papers is needed to meet such a requirement.
In the case of both Higher and Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate results, grades lower than H7 (Higher) or 06 (Ordinary) are not acceptable for eligibility purposes or for points calculation.
For the purpose of meeting minimum entry requirements, results from any number of sittings of the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination may be combined.
An applicant’s examination score will be calculated by adding together the points scored in the best six subjects in a single sitting of the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination.
Matriculation Examinations will not be accepted either for the purpose of meeting minimum entry requirements or for calculating examination scores.
Demand usually exceeds the number of places available and therefore examination results better than the minimum entry requirement are likely to be required.
When a number of applicants have the same points score, a random number is attached to the score for each course preference. This will then determine the position of each applicant on the waiting lists for offers.
Bonus Points Maths (Irish Leaving Certificate)
25 bonus points will continue to be awarded for Higher Level Mathematics for H6 grades and above. Bonus points are only counted where that subject is scored as one of the applicant’s best six subjects for points purposes.
Foundation Level Mathematics
We accept Foundation Level Mathematics for the purposes of entry requirements the case of any course where Higher or Ordinary Level Mathematics is not a requirement. Please check above to ensure you are aware of the individual math requirement.
Points are awarded as follows:
F1 = 20 points
F2 = 12 points
Foundation Level Irish
For the most part the University will not consider Foundation Level Irish for the purposes of entry requirements or for points, however a grade F3 in Foundation level Irish is acceptable for meeting the minimum entry requirements for some Higher Certificate courses. Students with an F3 in Foundation level Irish must have passed five other subjects with a minimum grade of O6 including Math, students should check on individual course pages to determine if their foundation Irish grade is sufficient.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
The Link Modules can be used as one of the six subjects for overall points calculation and may also be considered as a subject for the purposes of minimum entry requirements, dependent on the programme for which you are applying.
Leaving Certificate Applied Programme LCAP
QQI FET Applicants General Information
How to Apply
You must apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO).
In order to apply, you must have obtained a full major award. A Component Certificate (minor award) is not sufficient.
The best 8 modules of your award are used for ranking purposes.
In addition to the QQI minimum entry requirements, QQI quotas and QQI points apply. The max QQI points awarded is 390.
If you’ve accumulated your major award over more than one academic year, you’ll need to apply to the QQI for a major award.
If you present full QQI Level 5/6 awards, you won’t be required to meet minimum entry requirements based on Leaving Certificate results. The QQI Level 5/6 award is accepted in its own right.
Careers / Further progression
What are my career opportunities?
The optometry programme is approved by CORU (the Health and Social Care Professionals Council), Ireland's multi-profession health regulator. Upon successful completion of the honours degree you will be eligible to register as an optometrist with CORU.
A qualification in optometry offers a diverse career pathway. Optometrists are autonomous healthcare practitioners who can work independently or collaboratively in a health care team. Optometrists work in high street practices, hospitals, primary health care teams, research, and teaching. There are opportunities to specialize and gain higher qualifications in areas such as paediatrics, contact lenses, glaucoma care, and low vision management.
Employment rates for newly qualified optometrists are typically 100%.
Progression
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.
Further information
Whatever your reason for coming back to education – to update your skills, gain a new qualification, achieve a personal goal or ambition, etc. TU Dublin welcomes applications from all mature students aged 23+.
It may be daunting but you’re not alone. TU Dublin has a range of supports in place to help you decide what course to take, get through the application process and get settled into college life.
For further information go to https://www.tudublin.ie/study/undergraduate/cao/entry-routes/mature-applicants/
EU Applicants
We welcome EU Applicants with high-school qualifications from a European Union or European Free Trade Association country.
A Level GCSE Applicants
We welcome students who have completed their GCSE or A Level exams.
TU Dublin Access Routes
We aim to ensure that students of all backgrounds and nationalities can find a pathway to higher education that suits their circumstances at different stages of their lives and careers. Please take some time to look at the various Access entry routes outlined below and feel free to contact us for further information. We are more than happy to give you advice on which entry route might be suitable for your individual needs and to support you in making your application.
For more information on these entry routes go to https://www.tudublin.ie/study/undergraduate/cao/entry-routes/
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Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
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What is Optometry?
Optometry is a regulated primary healthcare profession. Optometrists are often the first professional to be consulted when an eye problem presents.
Optometrists check vision and prescribe and fit spectacles and contact lenses as needed. For children or adults with problems coordinating their eyes, optometrists carry out patching and other forms of vision therapy to help people develop and maintain binocular vision. Optometrists examine the eyes to detect diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. Systemic diseases like diabetes or hypertension can also be detected during the eye examination.
What does the course involve?
The optometry course is a challenging and rewarding four-year honours bachelor degree.
The first year focuses on science subjects necessary for optometric training. Clinical teaching begins in year 1 and increases in year 2 so that students are equipped with the core clinical skills necessary for a routine eye examination.
In years 3 and 4, students have hands-on clinical experience working with patients in our purpose-built clinic, the National Optometry Centre (NOC). The NOC is a state-of-the-art centre for the advanced training of optometry students and is the only facility of its kind in Ireland.
Expert clinicians and researchers supervise the student clinics. During these sessions students learn to; perform eye examinations to determine if spectacles are required; choose suitable spectacle frames and lenses; fit contact lenses; identify and manage eye-related diseases; carry out specialised clinics in low vision, paediatrics, and binocular vision, and use specialised ophthalmic diagnostic and imaging instrumentation.
Work Placement
At the end of Year 4, there is a five-month practice placement where students work under supervision in a high street optometry practice.
Studying at TU Dublin will give you the theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, and patient experience necessary to be confident and competent starting a fulfilling career in optometry.
Equipment Requirements
Students will be required to purchase diagnostic eye examination sets (retinoscope, ophthalmoscope, Volk lens) in Year 2.
Year 1
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
Year 2
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
Year 3
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
Year 4
Contact Lens Clinic
Environmental Optometry
Optometric Practice Management
Paediatric Optometry
Primary Eye Care Clinic
Project
Supervised Practice
Topics in Modern Optometry
Vision Rehabilitation
Contact Us
Mr Declan Hovenden
declan.hovenden@tudublin.ie
+35312205708
Contact Us
School of Physics, Clinical and Optometric Sciences
admin.physics@TUDublin.ie
+35312205709