Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry

2017 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2017 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2017 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry
Course Map	This course map is for new students commencing from 2017. If you require a course map from a previous year, please contact a Student Adviser.
Campus	Offered at Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Cloud Campus	No
Duration	3.5 years accelerated full time program delivered over ten consecutive trimesters commencing in Trimester 1
CRICOS course code	083228D Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Deakin course code	D302
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Quality Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7/9.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

In this specialised combined degree, you will learn about visual health issues and their impact on communities. You will investigate the structure and function of the visual system, gain skills in clinical assessment, and gain an understanding of management approaches, and ethical, legal, and professional standards of practice. The course will train you in the detection, treatment, and management of eye and vision disorders, and you will graduate with a recognised qualification in optometry.

Optometrists are primary eye care practitioners who are involved in assessing the health and function of the eyes and visual system and the diagnosis and management of a wide range of ocular conditions. Deakin’s combined Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry aims to provide you with the discipline-specific knowledge required to practise as an optometrist throughout Australia and New Zealand.

As you learn about visual health issues and their local and international impact, emphasis is placed on the underlying social and environmental factors that contribute to the health gap between these regional communities and well-served urban population centres.

Clinical placements are an integral part of the program. You will undertake a variety of short-term industry placements and spend the final six months of the course as a ‘student resident’ in one of a range of clinical optometric and medical settings. These extensive rotations take place in both metropolitan and regional or rural settings, and will enable you to consolidate your knowledge and skills in supported environments under the supervision of qualified optometrists.

As a graduate of this course, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and to Medicare as a service provider. Related careers include ophthalmic practice business owner, spectacle retailer, not-for-profit campaigner, and visual simulator designer.

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals and on-line interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Professional recognition

Students who successfully complete D302 Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry can apply for registration to practise as an optometrist in Australia. Deakin Optometry has been awarded ‘accreditation with conditions’ by the Optometry Board of Australia, following assessment by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ). Graduates of D302 Bachelor of Vision Science/ Master of Optometry will therefore be eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and to Medicare as service providers, making them able to pursue employment opportunities throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Note: This course is currently accredited (with conditions) as at the date of publishing.

Career opportunities

Optometrists are primary eye care practitioners who are involved in assessing the health and function of the eyes and visual system and the diagnosis and management of a wide range of ocular conditions, Optometrists work in a variety of health care settings, with the great majority working in a private practice environment – which itself can be very diverse. On a given day, an Australian optometrist may perform a primary visual assessment, manage a newly identified eye disease, prescribe a prescription medicine, or prescribe, fit and dispense optical aids. At the same time, many optometrists are business owners and retailers.

Some optometrists use their qualification to engage in other employment opportunities, such as research, other para-medical practice and work within vision-related non-government organisations.

Following successful completion of the Deakin Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry, Deakin graduates are well prepared for employment in a diverse range of work settings including, but not limited to: hospitals, clinics, health services, state and local governments, non-government organisations, research institutes, tertiary education institutions, private practice, and corporate and community settings. Career and employment opportunities for qualified optometrists include private and public eye care, practice ownership, research and teaching, other ophthalmic practices, and recognised specialties within optometry such as low vision, paediatric vision, and behavioural optometry.

Alternative exits

Bachelor of Vision Science (H310)

Requirements for Clinical Placements and Registration

In accordance with Department of Human Services policy, all students are required to undertake a National Police Record Check prior to clinical placements in each calendar year of their course.

In accordance with the Department of Justice 2007, Working with Children Act 2005, amended 2017, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Police Record Check and a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of clinical placement will not be able to undertake clinical placement and this will impede progress in the course.

Students may also be required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.

Several clinical placement agencies require that students are vaccinated / blood tested before undertaking clinical placement and / or graduate employment. Deakin University Medical Centres provides detailed advice, blood testing and administer all necessary vaccinations prior to commencement of clinical placements and/or employment.

Additional costs associated with the course

Students will be expected to purchase some specialist equipment during their course, and there may be some additional costs associated with your clinical placements. Further details will be provided during your enrolment. Students should expect to spend around $5,000 ($1,500 and $4,000) on equipment. Life expectancy of the equipment is around 15 years.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline Specific knowledge and capabilities	Apply advanced integrated optometric knowledge to evaluate clinical information, utilising expert skills and judgement to independently perform optometric examinations, establish diagnoses and design appropriate management plans within a robust practice management system.
Communication	Employ a range of communication strategies to interpret theoretical positions, methodologies and conclusions, and explain and justify professional and clinical decisions to other health professionals, peers and colleagues (specialist and non-specialist audiences). Employ a range of communication strategies that take into account individual diversity to effectively communicate information regarding informed consent, diagnoses and management plans to patients, carers and other health-care professionals.
Digital Literacy	Choose appropriate technologies to effectively find, use and disseminate clinical and research findings; demonstrate skills in applying new technologies in clinical settings to implement examination plans and manage patient records.
Critical thinking	Apply expert knowledge to critically analyse and synthesise complex optometric information and theories to address research questions and new situations in professional practice.
Problem Solving	Apply an advanced body of knowledge in order to define and frame clinical optometric problems and apply evidence based strategies to solve such problems. Apply business and practice management skills to identify areas of optometric business in need of improvement and strategies to improve and maintain a safe and efficient/compliant optometric practice.
Self-management	Operate in a professional, reflective and ethical manner, being cognisant of the accountability and responsibilities that come with professional optometric practice, thereby employing a structured and efficient approach to professional practice.
Teamwork	Operate as an independent optometric professional, capable of demonstrating leadership in practice management and collaboration with other health professionals in providing high quality optometric care for patients.
Global Citizenship	Model behaviour consistent with professional and ethical standards of the profession, being sensitive to cultural and social diversity and the issues impacting on eye and vision care in regional and rural communities, adopting a global perspective to evidence-based practice and advocacy.

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry students must attain 40 credit points. This is an accelerated three and a half year course delivered over ten consecutive trimesters commencing in Trimester 1. All the units in the course are core (these are compulsory).

Students must pass all first year units, or be granted credit for prior learning for these units, before proceeding to second year.

Due to the integrated nature of the curriculum and assessment, and the requirements of the external accrediting body, from Year 2 onwards, students must pass all units in a given trimester prior to proceeding to the next trimester. Any student who fails to meet this requirement will need to intermit until the next offering of the unit, which will usually be in a period of two trimesters.

To support student reintegration to the course after a period of intermission, students will be required to demonstrate that they have maintained skills and knowledge at a level required to practice safely. To support students in doing this, non-award units will be offered in the trimester preceding re-entry to the course. Please contact your course advisor for assistance.

Course structure

Units

Course structure applies to students who commenced in 2015 onwards. Students who commenced prior to 2015 should refer to previous online Handbooks or consult your course enrolment officer.

Students must enrol in the Waurn Ponds (Geelong) offering of all units