MSci Optometry

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Optometry and Ophthalmology

AAA - AAB, including two science subjects (Biology, Maths, Physics or Chemistry) normally to be taken in one sitting.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

AAB- ABB including two science subjects (Biology, Maths, Physics or Chemistry) normally to be taken in one sitting.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

ABB - BBB including two science subjects (Biology, Maths, Physics or Chemistry) normally to be taken in one sitting.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects, including two sciences (from Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics or Physics).

For this course we will accept Higher Level Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation.

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

We require at least five GCSEs at minimum grade 5 (B), including English Language and Mathematics. We will accept C+ in the Northern Ireland reformed GCSEs.

For applicants whose status has been confirmed as WP+ using the University's Contextual Data Eligibility tool, we will allow an overall reduction of 2 grades on the full GCSE requirements. Please note, however, that no individual subject should be lower than C/4.

For applicants whose status has been confirmed as WP++ using the University's Contextual Data Eligibility tool, we will allow an overall reduction of 4 grades on the full GCSE requirements. Please note, however, that no individual subject should be lower than C/4.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade 5/B, or;

IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

The General Optical Council student registration fee is currently £30 (renewable each year) but is reimbursed to you by the University.

For each year of study, we provide you with two sets of clinical scrubs. During second year, you are encouraged to purchase your own ophthalmoscope and retinoscope (£1,300-£1,700).

You will have the opportunity to go on placement outside of the University. Depending on the location of the practice, this could incur 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).

If you have followed a non-standard educational route and have been, for example, educated at home, your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course to which you applied. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the academic entry requirements as specified for the course. We will also require a reference which should be written by somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. Please refer to UCAS for further information: UCAS reference guidelines

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )

Decisions about suitability for entry are based on consideration of the entire UCAS application form. Some candidates might also be asked to attend an interview via Zoom.

Interviews may be required as part of the selection process and for those applicants invited to attend an interview this will be conducted via Zoom. Please refer to the application process page for more information.

Full guidance on how to apply for a visa to study at the University can be found on the Visa guidance page. Most international students will obtain a student visa for the four-year duration of the MSci Optometry course. Once you complete the MSci Optometry, you can then apply for a graduate route (post study) visa if you would like to continue working in the UK.

Communication and dress code

We have adopted the same policy regarding dress code as set out by the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC states that non-verbal communication is at least as important as verbal communication, and so how a student or Optometrist appears to patients, relatives or colleagues means as much as what he or she says.

Students (and optometrists) in professional settings must dress in a manner that adds to, and does not detract from, effective communication.

Furthermore, the Standards for Optical Students states that students must learn how to listen to patients and their carers, and communicate effectively with them in a way they can understand.

This applies not only in clinical settings, but also throughout the educational elements of the undergraduate course, which is built around group work with other students and tutors.

In addition, the convention of some units may require wearing scrubs and being bare below the elbow. Hair should be tied back if it interferes with, or adds risk, to a clinical activity. Nail polish and gel nails are an infection risk and are not permitted in any clinical areas. Students must abide by all workplace dress codes when on placement, which may vary between sites.

You must be able to participate fully in communication and other skills training, discussion and assessment. As well as adhering to the dress code above, it means being able to interact fully with patients, standardised patients, teachers and examiners of any cultural or ethnic background or either gender. This includes conducting physical examinations that are a compulsory component of the course.

We do not require applicants to complete an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check during the admissions cycle.

However should you register on the Optometry course, you will be required to complete the enhanced DBS check during the first semester of formal teaching.

International applicants will need to submit an overseas police check and this will be included as a formal offer condition.

If you resit your A-levels or take an alternative Level 3 qualification e.g. Access to HE Diploma or a Foundation year we may consider your application provided you have obtained a minimum of grades BBB in your first attempt at A-level.

In Semester 1, you'll gain the skills needed to flourish in your new academic environment, getting ready for successful study and fulfilling university life. You'll then be introduced to the scientific principles behind optometry, including light properties, eye anatomy, and how the brain processes vision. In partnership with your fellow students, you will apply the knowledge you have acquired to clinical cases, considering the ethical and legal dimensions in addition to the scientific aspects. Attending practical sessions will enable you to develop your ability to use optometric instruments and assess ocular function.

In Semester 2, you will build upon the foundational skills and knowledge you've gained, exploring the scientific, legal and ethical principles of optometry in greater depth. In interactive sessions with your peers, you'll have the chance to put your learning into practice. You will further enhance your ability to use optometric instruments in preparation for placements where you will see real patients in your second year.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

In Semester 3, you will explore a variety of exciting new subjects, including human disease processes, pharmacology, contact lens practice, and binocular vision. Working with your peers, you will apply this knowledge to clinical cases. Additionally, you will enhance your understanding of optics, ophthalmic appliances, and optometric instrumentation. As part of a team, you will have the opportunity to apply your clinical skills while working with students from different academic years and treating real patients at the Manchester Optometry Clinic.

In Semester 4, you will work with your peers to further expand your knowledge of subjects from Semester 3 in the context of clinical cases. As a member of the Manchester Optometry clinical team, you will have the opportunity to apply your clinical skills while working with students from different academic years and treating real patients in our state-of-the-art clinical facility. There will also be opportunities for short clinical placements external to the University.

From Semester 5, you will spend more of your time learning from your clinical contacts with patients. The majority of your time will be spent actively engaging with patients at the Manchester Optometry Clinics, taking on greater responsibilities within the clinician team. You will have the opportunity to participate in different clinics at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.

There will also be opportunities for short clinical placements external to the University. As you progress, you will apply clinical and scientific research to your patient management, becoming an evidence-based practitioner. Furthermore, you will critically examine the influence of technology, including artificial intelligence, on the future landscape of optometry.

In Semester 6, you will build further on your ability to lead on personalised patient management within the Manchester Optometry Clinics in an evidence-based way, aided by technology. There will also be opportunities for short clinical placements external to the University. You will work towards being trusted in key clinical areas in preparation for your final year.

In Semesters 7 and 8, you will have the chance to specialise in a clinical or scientific area. You will also continue to develop your clinical abilities as you spend most of your time in the Manchester Optometry Clinics, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital or on external placements. You will work towards being trusted in all the core areas of optometric practice to enable you to graduate and join the GOC register at the end of the academic year.

Throughout Semesters 7 and 8, you will apply the basic scientific knowledge and clinical skills you acquired in the earlier years and demonstrate your growing professional acumen as an optometrist. Your clinical placements will also give you the opportunity to learn how a health service works, and understand and experience the role of an optometrist as a first point of contact for patients in the primary care practice.

Optometry degrees are approved by the General Optical Council and the course must abide by their standards and demonstrate their outcomes.

It is a legal requirement to maintain GOC student registration throughout your studies. Failure to register or renew registration by the GOC mandated deadline will lead to suspension from all teaching and assessment activities and ultimately, removal from the course.