MSc Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £15,800
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £36,200
• MSc (part-time)
  UK students (per annum): £7,900
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £18,100

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

The University permits applicants with comparable previous experience to submit an application for consideration of AP(E)L - Accreditation Prior (Experiential) Learning. The maximum AP(E)L is 15 credits to a Certificate, 45 credits to a Diploma and 60 credits to a Masters.

If an AP(E)L application is successful, the University charges £30 for every 15 credits of AP(E)L. The overall tuition fee is adjusted and then the administrative charge is applied.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

The unit aims to provide students with knowledge of common medical retina conditions including diagnosis and management. This will incorporate areas such as screening, referral and treatment pathways where appropriate.

Understanding of the role and importance of modern imaging and interpretation of these images and of clinical signs towards diagnosis will be a key aspect as well as subsequent formulation of a management plan. This will allow clinicians to understand how to manage patients or community and hospital based optometrists to make accurate and appropriate referral decisions for patients with medical retina conditions.

Finally, the course aims to provide students with critical appraisal skills to keep knowledge up to date.

Lectures (in the form of online podcasts), quizzes, discussion boards, case studies (all e-learning)

Setting of individual papers for critique and interactive assessment online.

Students should be able to:

• Explain the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of the retina and retinal disease.
• Understand the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, imaging findings, and management options for retinal vascular pathologies.

They should have an understanding of relevant literature especially with respect to the evidence base supporting the use of current treatments for retinal vascular disease.

Students should be able to:

• Apply learning to novel  situations such as patient presentations
• Problem solve, in particular with regards to diagnosis
• Critically assess published ophthalmic research and report results both orally and in written format, including critical appraisal of relevant papers and understand the role of research in this field.

Students should be able to:

• Interpret of modern retinal imaging
• Review papers submitted for publication and research proposals.

Students should be able to:

• Communicate effectively with patients
• Critical analyse
• Reflect
• Manage time and  work to deadlines
• Use initiative when seeking information
• Use information technology to a high standard
• Apply skills for identifying, appraising, synthesising and applying evidence.

Feedback will be provided in line with University policy.

• Ryan's Retina, 6th Edition. Andrew P. Schachat & Charles P. Wilkinson & David R. Hinton & K. Bailey Freund & David Sarraf & Peter Wiedemann & SriniVas R. Sadda. June 2017
• Gass' Atlas of Macular Diseases: 2-Volume Set - Expert Consult: Online and Print 5th Edition by Anita Agarwal MD.
• Retina- Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Ophthalmology (Wills Eye Series), Allen Ho, Gary Brown, J. Arch McNamara, and Carl D. Regillo, McGraw-Hill.