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).

This unit will provide participants with an understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of low-vision, and with a detailed knowledge of the rehabilitation strategies that are used, and how these are organised. Visual impairment as a disability will also be used to explore issues around equality, discrimination, exclusion and accessibility. Visual impairment will be used as the context in which to explore and evaluate basic, clinical and translational research.

By the end of the unit, students will have a detailed understanding of the following topics:

• What is low vision - impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction. Using the ICF. Taking a case history; CBS; registration and certification; impact on px and family; equality, accessibility and inclusion (the societal model of disability).
• How are LV Services organised in the UK? The multi-disciplinary context: Education and employment; Charities and commercial organisations; The Falls Service; Depression and mental health.
• Measuring visual performance (including videos); Cortical Visual Impairment.
  Incidence and aetiology of VI: in the UK and a global perspective.
• Management of central field loss (EV and PRL); Management of peripheral field loss.
• Lighting, contrast and glare; environmental and inclusive design; accessibility (part 2).
  Defining Magnification; predicting mag; acuity and contrast reserve; electronic magnification.
• Optical magnifiers: Plus lens magnifiers: spec-mounted, hand and stand: Telescopes.
  Measuring success: development and psychometric evaluation of PROMS.
  Sensory substitution.

• Online asynchronous lectures
• Online synchronous discussion groups
• Blended learning to include videos, directed reading, quizzes, discussion boards, case studies (all e-learning).

Students should be able to / should have:

• an understanding of the terminology used to describe low vision and visual impairment
• an understanding of the epidemiology and demography of low vision in the UK
• an understanding of low vision certification and registration for individuals
• an understanding of the impact of low vision, including emotional impact, on an individual and their community
• an understanding of the different impact that chronic and acute eye conditions have on the individual
• understand the different types and degree of visual impairment, how they are measured, and their functional consequences
• understand the principles underlying the different methods of vision enhancement, including optical and electronic magnification, and aids for field loss
• understand the importance of sensory substitution
• understand the organisation of the multidisciplinary care pathways for low vision service provision in the UK, and the certification/registration process
• describe how the effectiveness of low vision rehabilitation can be evaluated, and critically appraise the research literature.

Students should be able to:

• critically analyse and express complex ideas
• problem solve.

Students should be able to:

• design, plan and report an investigation.

Students should have:

• communication and presentation skills
• critical analysis skills
• an ability to reflect.

Feedback is provided in line with University policy,

This list consists mostly of general sources. Papers which relate to specific topics will be available on Canvas.

• Low Vision Rehabilitation Caring for the Whole Person, edited by DC Fletcher, American Academy of Ophthalmology Ophthalmology Monographs. 1999
• Primary Low Vision Care, R Nowakowski, Appleton & Lange, 1994
• Low Vision: Principles and Practice, CM Dickinson, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998
• Optometry A-Z, edited by N Efron, Elsevier, 2006
• Low Vision Manual, edited by J Jackson and J Wolffsohn, Elsevier, 2006
• Eye Essentials: Low Vision Assessment J Macnaughton, Elsevier, 2005
• Low Vision: The Essential Guide for Ophthalmologists A Sinclair, B Ryan, H Robertson. Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, London, 2008
• Prescribing magnifiers for those with visual impairment, Chris Dickinson, Optometry Today, 26th Jan 2007 pp. 40-46
• Optical Aids for Low Vision, CM Dickinson, Chapter 10 pp. 183-228 In Vision and Visual Dysfunction Vol 1
• Visual Optics and Instrumentation, Ed WN Charman, Macmillan, 1991
• Managing Low Vision Patients – beyond magnifiers, Chris Dickinson, Optometry Today, 9th March 2007 pp. 56-60
• Remediation and Management of Low Vision RG Cole and BP Rosenthal Mosby-YearBook Inc 1996
• Functional Assessment of Low Vision, BP Rosenthal and RG Cole, Mosby-Year Book Inc, 1996
• The Art and Practice of Low Vision, PB Freeman and RT Jose, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991
• Understanding Low Vision, RT Jose, American Foundation for the Blind, 1983
• Framework for a Multidisciplinary Approach to Low Vision College of Optometrists 2001