Melbourne School of Health Sciences (Optometry)
Currently Enrolled Students:
Future Student Enquiries:
- Further information: Optometry and Vision Sciences
- Email: Optometry Enquiry
Melbourne School of Health Sciences (Optometry)
Currently Enrolled Students:
Future Student Enquiries:
Allison McKendrick
Michael Pianta
Results for 2020 subjects completed before the COVID-19 pandemic will be included for 2021 entry to Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Optometry and Doctor of Physiotherapy programs. All other 2020 subject results will be excluded for 2021 entry.
1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed
2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.
Note:
Successful applicants with relevant prior study or professional practice may be granted up to 200 points of advanced standing towards the Doctor of Optometry as follows:
100 points of advanced standing will normally be granted to applicants with an undergraduate degree with a major in optometry or vision science, or equivalent;
200 points of advanced standing will normally be granted to applicants who are registered as an optometrist with the Optometry Board of Australia and have at least three years of documented clinical practice as a registered optometrist within the last ten years.
Please note that results for 2020 subjects completed before the COVID-19 pandemic will be included for 2021 entry to Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Optometry and Doctor of Physiotherapy programs. All other 2020 subject results will be excluded for 2021 entry.
Graduate Degree Packages for School Leavers
The University of Melbourne offers Graduate Degree Packages to high achieving school leavers, allowing them to secure places (Commonwealth Supported places for domestic students or International fee places) in the Doctor of Optometry provided that they meet certain requirements.
For a Commonwealth Supported Place or International Fee Place, the applicant must:
— in Australia; or
— outside Australia and be an Australian citizen;
Applicants eligible for entry via an Graduate Degree Package will not be required to complete the GAMSAT.
Applicants should refer to the University handbook for the additional entry requirements for the undergraduate degrees in the Graduate Degree Package.
For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.
It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability
It is a requirement of the course that students will perform clinical procedures on their peers, and have clinical procedures performed on them by their peers.
All students in the Doctor of Optometry (OD) course must possess the intellectual, ethical, physical and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence at graduation required by the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences and the Australia Health Practitioner Registration Agency.
A student with a disability may be asked to provide independent medical or other clinical assessments of the disability and its possible impact on the ability of the student to successfully complete the course, before being accepted into the course. This statement would be treated in confidence with only those on the admissions committee and Disability Liaison having access to the document. (Deliberate misinformation about the student’s ability to successfully complete the course will be regarded as unprofessional practice and treated as such.)
While the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences will make reasonable adjustments to minimise the impact of a disability, all students must be able to participate in the program in an independent manner. It is not reasonable for students to use an intermediary as an adjustment to compensate for a disability impacting on any of the five categories listed below. In the clinical environment there is a primary duty of care to the patients, and the needs of students cannot compromise this. It is expected that all students will be able to participate fully in all classroom based learning activities and to successfully fulfil the clinical assessment and self-study requirements of the course. The presence of a disability will not automatically entitle the student to preferential treatment in clinical place allocation.
A candidate for the OD must have abilities and skills in the following five categories:
Last updated: 31 October 2023