Looking into studying an Optometry degree at QUT?
A Bachelor of Vision Science at the Queensland University of Technology could be your first step in becoming an optometrist. Lucky for you, we’ve done the research so you’ve got everything you need to know about the degree in one spot.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive right in!
What is a Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into Optometry at QUT
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT?
A Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT is the first step in the optometry program, comprising three years of a Bachelor of Vision Science, followed by a two year Master of Optometry.
Optometrists are often the first point of contact for people seeking advice about their eyes and vision. More than just dispensing glasses, optometrists are important to preventative care and are responsible for detecting eye disease and conditions that may impact vision.
Students gain clinical experience during their undergraduate studies, preparing them to treat patients from a variety of social and cultural groups, ages and conditions. You will learn how to identify a range of eye diseases and conditions, including chronic conditions that may impact the eyes and vision.
Unlike other degrees, a Bachelor of Vision Science has no major and students must follow a timeline of units, with a full-time structure.
Honours and Masters
Following the completion of their Bachelor of Vision Science undergraduate course, students must complete the two years Master of Optometry to become a qualified optometrist.
Students may also choose not to complete the Master of Optometry and instead pursue a research career through a year of Honours.
The QUT Bachelor of Vision Science and Master of Optometry are accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand. Upon completion of both courses, students will be eligible to register as an optometrist with the Optometry Board of Australia.
Career Paths
While studying a Bachelor of Vision Science, many students will choose to work at or with an optometrist to gain an insight into what it’s like or to refine their practical skills. Some options include:
- Ophthalmic Assistant
- Optical Dispenser
- Ophthalmic Administrator
If you have completed a Master of Optometry at QUT, you may find yourself working in clinical practice, or teaching and research positions regarding vision and optometry. You may also enter into private practice or work alongside other health professionals in medical ophthalmology clinics.
Careers include:
- Optometrist
- Contact Lens Practice
- Paediatric Vision
- Occupational or Public Health Vision
- Low Vision
Core Units for this Degree
In the first year of Optometry at QUT, students will take general science courses like biology, chemistry and human anatomy. These can be quite general and a lot of information is condensed into one semester.
“They sort of stack all the knowledge and skills that you learn so you carry it through with you throughout the years.” — Hailey Tong, Bachelor of Vision Science Graduate & Master of Optometry I at QUT
In the second year, students will dive deeper into physics and statistics before being given a broad introduction to optometric practices and what they can expect when becoming an optometrist. As students progress through the three-year degree, the subjects become more specific.
“[When] you get to the end, you’ll have a lot of skills. So you can actually do tests, perform specific skills on patients.” — Hailey Tong
Students in a Bachelor of Vision Science follow a strict course structure during their three year degree. Due to the specificity of the degree, there are no options for electives and students have to follow the course plan.
What are the Core Units?
The first two years of a Bachelor of Vision Science are general, giving students an introduction and establishing their foundation in the sciences. These classes tend to be shared with students in different degrees like podiatry or medical science, providing a chance to meet and learn with people studying in different courses!
Foundations of Optometric Practice
This unit provides students with an overview of optometry introducing students to ocular anatomy and physiology, ophthalmic optics, visual science and considerations like ethics, law, communication and cultural awareness.
In this course, lecturers and professors that you meet in second and third year do two weeks of content on their subject, providing a broad introduction to optometry.
Ocular Anatomy and Physiology
“[This subject is] really interesting — it’s content heavy but you learn about everything that could possibly go wrong with the eye. And there’s a lot! I didn’t think that there could be that much that could go wrong with the eye but it turns out there’s a bunch.” — Hailey Tong
Diseases of the Eye
This course splits content according to the front and back of the eye. While it may feel like there’s a lot of content, the subject is clearly set out and easy to follow.
“There’s an entire semester on just the anatomy of the front of the eye, and then diseases of just the front. In the following semester, we will do the back of it.” — Hailey Tong
Assessment of Vision
This subject provides students in a Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT with an introduction to practical skills that will be needed for their fourth and fifth year when completing a Master of Optometry, where you’ll be doing tests on patients.
Internship Opportunities
Unfortunately, a Bachelor of Vision Science doesn’t have any inbuilt internships and students will have to wait until Masters to do placements. There are options to go on exchange for work-integrated learning, although it is rare for Vision Science students to take the opportunity due to the strict course structure.
Despite the limited internship opportunities, the labs tend to be hands-on and offer students a chance to apply their practical skills on each other.
“It’s fine sitting in front of a screen and trying to remember things, but when you actually do it, it’s more interactive and you really learn and remember things.” — Hailey Tong
How to Get into Optometry at QUT
To get into a Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT, a 99.00 ATAR is needed.
Additionally, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics, and English or Literature are assumed knowledge. However, if you did not take these courses for your QCE, QUT offers bridging programs to prepare you!
Additionally, if you did not make the ATAR there is no need to fret! QUT offers adjustment schemes for students who experienced difficult circumstances during their QCE, elite athletes and those who excelled in certain subjects at school.
While completing placements for a Bachelor of Vision Science, students may work with children and will need to undergo a criminal history check and be issued with a Blue Card.
Scholarships
QUT has a broad range of scholarships available to students of various skills and experience. These are available for academic excellence, women studying specified fields, athletes, financial hardship and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
A full list of QUT’s available scholarships may be found here.
What’s the Teaching Format?
QUT runs two semesters per year with students taking four courses in each semester — due to the rigidity of the Optometry degree.
Class Structure
Most units have two to three hours of lectures each week. Students are introduced to key concepts and case studies during a lecture.
Workshops have a more classroom setting, having smaller groups. These tend to run for about an hour and offer students a chance to ask questions as the tutor runs through practice questions.
Labs are where practical components of courses are done and are generally an hour and a half long.
“In the first couple of years for units like physics, you’re in labs performing experiments but towards the end of the three year degree, you’ll be in the clinic labs with all the optometry-specific equipment so that you can practise skills you learn throughout the semester.” — Hailey Tong
What are the assessments like?
Assessments for a Bachelor of Vision Science are designed to test both practical and theoretical knowledge. Most units contain hurdles, where students have to achieve 50% in the overall unit, but also 50% in each assessment.
Some common assessments are:
- Final Exams
- Mid-Semester Exams
- Weekly Science Reports following Practical Sessions
You may also need to record a video for an assignment in Communication for Health Professionals, where students have to interview a health professional.
“So there’s some assignments which are a bit more creative and do require a bit more work, like the interview or making infographics in groups or pairs.” — Hailey Tong
However, assessments in a Bachelor of Vision Science tend to be exam heavy.
Skills You Refine and Learn
While studying Optometry at QUT, students will learn about the anatomy of the eye, how to assess a patient’s vision and communicate with patients from a vast array of backgrounds.
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
Faculty
Being a highly specialised course, a Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT has a small cohort of about 60 to 80 students per year.
“It’s good when you’re with the same group of people so it’s quite comforting because it is similar to high school where you get to know everyone. And as long as they divvy up the groups in a way where you’re not always with the same people, it’s good.” — Hailey Tong
Professor David Atchison teaches Ophthalmic Practice and his research specialisation is on the optics of the eye and optical design of spectacle contact. He has been awarded the Glenn F. Fry Award, the top research award of the American Academy of Optometry for outstanding contributions in Optometry and vision science.
Furthermore he has received the top research award from Optometry Australia — the HB Collin Medal, due to his contributions to significant research advances in vision science.
On top of a tight-knit cohort, you’ll be guided by faculty members who truly care about your education.
“All the lecturers really care about us and you can feel it. Honestly, I love all the lecturers. Like there are a couple who are notoriously harsh markers but all of them are really great and they all respond really quickly to emails or hanging around their offices. So it’s really easy to reach out.” — Hailey Tong
Culture
“There’s a lot of societies that you can join. In the first year I joined so many societies because it’s just a really great way to meet people.” — Hailey Tong
The Queensland Optometry Student Society organises social events, provides students with academic support and organises networking opportunities for you to interact with peers, mentors and industry professionals.
Social events are organised throughout the year like their Boat Party or Sundowner providing many events for students to get to know their peers and unwind during the semester. Their annual EyeBall is another standout event for QUT Optometry students.
Support
In the centre of the QUT campus at the library, students can access support through HiQ, which is the first point of contact for students who have enquiries. They assist students with administrative enquiries and are also able to direct students to other resources if they are having problems with their studies.
The librarians at QUT Library are also able to assist students with research.
“Our lecturers would invite some of them to speak to us before we had a report, and they would run through the entire database and how to use Advanced Search.” — Hailey Tong
Furthermore, the Optometry Students have study groups every week where a few members of a year above will take time out to help out students in the year below. Thus, students are able to talk to seniors for advice and help about their academic work, but also more general advice regarding studying Vision Science or being at university.
There is also another peer group program where fourth years and third years buddy up with first years, meeting every few weeks for a coffee to chat.
“It’s not really academic based, it’s really just to reach out and meet people. With COVID, it was really hard to meet anyone as it’s quite a new program.” — Hailey Tong
Tiffany Fong is currently completing a double degree in Media and Communications with Law at Macquarie University. She currently contributes to the university zine, Grapeshot where she enjoys writing feature articles, commentary on current affairs or whatever weird interest that has taken over her mind during that month. During her spare time, Tiffany enjoys reading, writing, taking care of her plants or cuddling with her two dogs.
