Overview
- Degree awarded
- PG Credit
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Entry requirements
-
You must hold a relevant honours first degree (Lower Second or above, or equivalent) from an approved higher education institution or evidence of previous advanced study, research or professional experience that the University accepts as qualifying you for entry.
- Number of places/applicants
- Glaucoma/Professional Certificate in Glaucoma - 30 places
- Medical Retina/ Professional Certificate in Medical Retina - 20 places
- Dementia - 20 places
- Clinical Science of Contemporary Contact Lenses- 20 places
- Refractive Management- 20 places
- How to apply
You can apply for one of CPD units by completing the specific online application form: Apply online .
See the course description section for start dates and the advice to applicants section for details of the supporting documents we require with your form.
Upon entering the form, select:
- Level of Study: Postgraduate Taught (including CPD).
- Entry Year: For September 2025 or January 2026 - select 2025/26 Academic Year (courses starting between August 2025 and July 2026) .
- Academic Programme: Opthalmology and Optometry CPD Units part-time.
We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We accept applications on a rolling basis up until one week before the start of each unit. Late applications may be considered in exceptional circumstances. We reserve the right to close applications earlier if the units are full.
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | N | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Study one or more units from our MSc degree as standalone courses for continuing professional development.
- Improve your understanding of knowledge of treatment of glaucoma, low vision or medical retina (accredited by the College of Optometrists). You can also choose to lean more about contact lenses, refractive management or dementia.
- Hear from academic and clinically qualified staff at the University and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.
- Go on to complete our MSc in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences or Advanced Clinical Optometric Practiceif you wish.
- Open up a new career in optometry or develop your skills within your current role upon completion of one or more of our CPD units.
Open days
The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses. On this day, you will find out more about the course and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have. For more information, see Open days .
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
Modular (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £1,450 per 15 credits
International, including EU, students (per annum): £3,700 per 15 credits
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
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).
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 529 4563
- pgtaught.optometry@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/optometry/cpd/
- School/Faculty
-
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
English language
Students whose first language is not English require a minimum of one of the following:
- IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.0 in writing;
- paper-based TOEFL of 575 or computer-based TOEFL of 230 with 6.0 in the Test of Written English (TWE);
- internet-based TOEFL of 90 with a minimum of 22 in each component.
English language test validity
Other international entry requirements
Professional entry qualification
The entry requirements differ by course.
The Professional Certificates in Glaucoma and Medical Retina require applicants to be UK registered optometrists or healthcare professionals working ina patient-facing capacity. You need to be practising in an environment where you are routinely able to apply your clinical skills through direct patient care.
Although only full UK College members will receive paper certificates, all course completers will continue to be considered holders of the higher qualification and entitled to use the corresponding affix accordingly.
Professional Certificate Glaucoma Health Care Professionals (who are not optometrists) are welcome to apply, however they must be working in a glaucoma clinic and have experience of Goldmann applanation tonometry, slit lampand optic disc assessment with indirect biomicroscopy. Candidates must be regularly using these skills in day-to-day clinical practice in order to be likely to meet the standard required for the practical component of this course. We will require a supporting statement from a consultant ophthalmologist.
Professional Certificate in Medical Retina Health Care Professionals (who are not optometrists) are welcome to apply.
Glaucoma/Medical Retina/Contact Lenses/Refractive Management/Dementia Health care professionals who wish to update their knowledge of the above conditions are welcome to apply.
Application and selection
How to apply
You can apply for one of CPD units by completing the specific online application form: Apply online .
See the course description section for start dates and the advice to applicants section for details of the supporting documents we require with your form.
Upon entering the form, select:
- Level of Study: Postgraduate Taught (including CPD).
- Entry Year: For September 2025 or January 2026 - select 2025/26 Academic Year (courses starting between August 2025 and July 2026) .
- Academic Programme: Opthalmology and Optometry CPD Units part-time.
We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We accept applications on a rolling basis up until one week before the start of each unit. Late applications may be considered in exceptional circumstances. We reserve the right to close applications earlier if the units are full.
Advice to applicants
Confirmation of registration with the GOC/HCPC will be required for applications to all the Professional Certificates. This confirmation will be requested once an application has been submitted and considered.
How your application is considered
Offers are made to all suitably qualified applicants.
Overseas (non-UK) applicants
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
If you are interested in studying optometry at postgraduate level to further your professional practice and prospects, but don't have the time to dedicate to a full master's course, take one or more units from our MSc course as standalone continuing professional development (CPD) part-time.
We are currently offering a range of units as courses for CPD. You can study one unit as a standalone course or take more units to build up credits for a postgraduate award.
- Glaucoma CPD (15 credits)- available in January each year
- Glaucoma Professional Certificate (15 credits)- available in January each year
- Medical Retina Professional Certificate (15 credits)- available in September each year
- Medical Retina CPD (15 credits)- available in September each year
- Refractive Management (15 credits)- available in September each year
- Clinical Science Contemporary Contact Lenses (15 credits)- available in January each year
- Dementia (15 credits)- available in January each year
The College of Optometrists has reviewed its policy regarding provision of certificates for higher qualifications such that only full College members with a UK address will receive a certificate upon completing a higher qualifications course. Although only full UK College members will receive certificates, all course completers will continue to be considered holders of the higher qualifications and entitled to use the corresponding affixes accordingly.
Deadline Date for Applications:
January entry – 14th January
September entry – 1st September
Aims
Teaching and learning
Teaching and learning methods vary between units, but can include:
- e-lectures;
- directed and recommended reading;
- case studies;
- online discussion forums;
- evening webinars;
- short videos;
- self-directed work-based tasks.
Visit the relevant unit page to find out more about specific teaching and learning methods for that unit.
Coursework and assessment
For details on assessment, please visit the relevant the course unit page.
Course unit details
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical science of contemporary contact lenses | OPTO70352 | 15 | Optional |
| Glaucoma | OPTO70362 | 15 | Optional |
| Refractive Management | OPTO70422 | 15 | Optional |
| Professional Certificate in Medical Retina | OPTO71300 | 15 | Optional |
| Professional Certificate in Glaucoma | OPTO71360 | 15 | Optional |
Facilities
A wide range of equipment (tonometers, perimeters, imaging devices) is available for the practical sessions.