Optometry
Our MOptom programmes provide you with the scientific and clinical knowledge to become a registered optometrist with the General Optical Council and enjoy a rewarding career in optometry. We offer more than just an education, as you will contribute to cutting-edge research and give back to communities through outreach programmes and on-site eye clinics.
Why study with us?
Embedded higher professional qualifications
Included higher professional qualifications in our programmes let you to specialise in an area of interest.
96% employment
96% of our graduates were in highly skilled jobs 15 months after their course ended. (Graduate Outcomes 2020/21 survey)
£22 million optometry facility
Our school is housed in a dedicated £22 million optometry facility with an in-built eye clinic.
New MOptom Optometry programmes
Our new MOptom programmes are registerable degrees, meaning that no separate pre-registration year is needed and you will qualify as an optometrist when you graduate.
Research-active staff involved in course design and delivery
Most of our teaching staff are practicing researchers and leading experts in their fields.
Top 2
Learn at one of the leading Optometry Schools in the UK, ranked 2nd in the Complete University Guide 2024.
Studying optometry at Cardiff has been a great experience for me. Alongside using advanced optometric technologies and working with real patients, the stand-out aspect is the sense of community between students, lecturers and supervisors.
Courses
Entry year
Our videos
Hear what our students say
We're a friendly, innovative and welcoming school with a passion for optometry. We’re proud of our strong student community and both our students and graduates describe studying here as a ‘family like environment’. Hear what some of our students say about studying here.
International student studying optometry
2nd year international student, Douglas from Singapore tells his story of travelling to Wales to study optometry at Cardiff University.
UK student studying optometry
2nd year student Maia tells her story of studying optometry at Cardiff University, talking about the highlights of the course and student life in Cardiff.
What is an Optometrist?
The role of an optometrist is expanding – discover more about this exciting healthcare profession.
Our School
Our School is based in a £22 million purpose-built optometry facility and is situated at the Maindy Park Innovation Campus. We are conveniently located close to the other academic buildings, the Students’ Union, city centre shops, attractive parkland and several of the student residences.
Along with our outstanding research facilities, we also have dedicated undergraduate facilities to ensure you have the best experience possible, including our own eye clinic which is open to the public and provides in-house placements for students.
Cardiff School of Optometry and Vision Sciences
An undergraduate practical session
An undergraduate eye examination.
Undergraduate students in our teaching clinics.
An undergraduate clinic tutorial.
Students outside our School
An optometry tutorial
Our undergraduate students conducting an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) examination.
Undergraduate optometry students.
Undergraduate students practicing their examination techniques.
Your career
As a qualified optometrist, you will have a wide range of career options available to you with excellent progression opportunities. Private practice, the hospital eye service, teaching, and research are just some of the careers available for optometry graduates. Registration also opens possibilities to work abroad as an optometry qualification from the UK is highly regarded worldwide.
You may also wish to complete further study in order to specialise. We offer a wide range of postgraduate opportunities available for optometry graduates.
Discover more
The optometry course at Cardiff is second to none. The quality of research being conducted is outstanding, and that manifests itself in the quality of teaching; I always felt as though I was surrounded by professors, lecturers and supervisors that are truly passionate about what they do.
Explore Cardiff University
Next steps
How to apply
Everything you need to know about our application process.
View all optometry courses
Explore our courses.
Get in touch
If you have any questions - big or small - don't hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
Follow us on Twitter
For even more news and updates - follow us @SchoolOfOptom.
Undergraduate
Join a community of open-minded thinkers and doers, where everyone is empowered to reach their full potential. Together, we’ll work hard to build a better future—for you and the wider world.
Undergraduate prospectus 2025
Order or download a copy of our prospectus, subject brochures and other guides.
Contact us
Get in touch if you have a question about studying with us.