The optometry profession deals with examining, diagnosing, managing and treating the various eye-related defects. An optometrist can also specialise in areas like the geriatric eye, low vision, paediatric eye care, ocular disease, vision rehabilitation and contact lenses. Students who choose this field for higher studies are trained to provide basic and advanced vision and eye care. They can also take up an opticians course to become an optician.

Who can opt for an Optometry course?

Students who have completed their 10+2 education from the science stream with a subject combination of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English can opt for optometry courses. Additionally, for Master’s, students must have completed their bachelor’s in optometry or a related field.

• Students taking up optometry courses can make a rewarding career as an optometrist. They can also go for higher education in specialised areas under optometry study.
• If the students want to start their own optician shop/work or work in a company and offer services related to selecting the right eyeglasses and contact lenses then they can opt for an opticians course.

Optometry Course Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for optometry courses differ as per different levels and the institute. However, the general eligibility criteria for the different levels are as follows:

Eligibility for UG course

This undergraduate course in optometry is also called the Bachelors of Optometry. Students completing 10 + 2 in the science stream are eligible. The subjects required are Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. The duration of these full-time optometry courses is 3 - 4 years. After pursuing a UG optometry course the students can make a career as an optometrist, professor, vision consultant, private practitioner or undertake optometry study & research.

Eligibility for PG course

This postgraduate course in optometry is also called the Master of Optometry. The eligibility for this course is an undergraduate or Bachelor of Optometry course. The duration of these optometry courses is two years. A degree in optometry opens a number of career options like an optometrist, professor, visual consultant, private practitioner or optometry researcher.

Eligibility for PhD course

Students can pursue the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) course in Optometry after completing the postgraduate or the Master's course.

**Note: The eligibility for the different courses under optometry differ across institutes. Therefore, the students should check the eligibility requirements at the time of applying.

Optometry Courses

The optometry course is offered at three levels: Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD.

UG level

The Bachelor of Optometry is a full-time 3-4 year degree course. The optometry courses provide theoretical and practical knowledge to the students. They learn to examine and treat eye diseases and defects. It is one of the most sought-after degrees as trained and qualified optometrists are in demand.

PG level

The Master of Optometry is a full-time 2-year degree course. This is an advanced course and the students gain a higher knowledge of how to diagnose and treat common eye diseases. It is an ideal course for those interested in learning the fundamentals of the human eye and treating its defects.

PhD level

The Doctor of Philosophy in Optometry is the highest degree. By completing this course the students can make a career in reputed colleges and universities as a lecturer.

Optometry Branches

When you study Optometry you can become an optician, optometrist or Opthomologist. An opticians course trains the students to verify, design and fit lenses and frames of eyeglasses and contact lenses. An optometrist is trained in diagnosing and treating eye diseases. An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specialises in eye care. The students doing the Bachelor of Optometry, Master of Optometry and the PhD in Optometry are trained to be optometrists. They can start their private practice, work in eye clinics and hospitals, do optometry study & research, become a professor or be a visual consultant. The different areas of specialisation in Optometry are mentioned in the table below:

Optometry Subjects & Syllabus / Curriculum

The subjects covered in the optometry courses deal with the human eye, eye diseases and their treatment. The curriculum as per the different levels is as follows:

UG Level

The main topics covered in UG optometry courses are:

• Basic sciences and clinical optometry
• Orthoptics & vision therapy
• Advanced Glaucoma & Paediatric optometry
• Cornea, contact lenses & low vision rehabilitation
• Recent advancements in optometry

PG Level:

The main topics covered in PG optometry courses are:

• Advanced contact lenses studies
• Low vision & Rehabilitation
• Paediatric Optometry
• Ocular disease & Therapeutics
• Clinical Imaging
• Occupational Optometry

Admission process for Optometry courses in India

The students aspiring to make a career in Optometry can pursue the courses across three disciplines by applying. The step-by-step process to apply is:

The students can find a detailed explanation for filling out the Application here.

Most Popular Courses in Optometry

The students who want to study in the field of Optometry can start with a Bachelor of Optometry after their 12th standard exam. If they want to study further and specialise in an area then they can go for a Master of Optometry and further PhD in Optometry. Through the optometry courses, the students are trained to examine and treat the defects and the diseases related to the human eye. The students can make a career in the field of Optometry as an Optometrist or professors or Optometry researchers.

Optometry is a rewarding career where optometrists diagnose and treat eye-related problems. They help the patients to take care of one of the important senses.

Popular Optometry UG courses in India

The popular UG courses in optometry are Bachelor of Optometry and BSc. Optometry. The duration of a Bachelor of Optometry is four years and BSc. Optometry is three years. By taking up this opticians course you can become an optician. The students can apply for these optometry courses after completing their 12th standard. The subjects required are Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English.

The Bachelor of Optometry degree will also serve as a basis for getting higher education. You can also start your own practice as an Optometrist on completing these optometry courses.

The popular Optometry UG courses are as follows:

Popular Optometry PG courses in India

The popular PG courses are Master of Optometry and MSc. Optometry. The Master of Optometry is a two-year course and MSc. Optometry is also a two-year course. The students can go for these optometry courses after completing their Bachelor's course. The PG optometry courses are advanced and the students can specialise in an area of Optometry. The courses offer advanced training to the students in diagnosing and treating human eye diseases. The students completing the course can work as an Optometrist, visual consultants, in eye clinics, become a professor, or take up Optometry study & research.

**Note: Before applying for the courses, the students must confirm if the concerned arts course of their choice is offered in the current academic year or not.

Career Options in Optometry

The students completing UG and PG optometry courses can make a successful career as an optometrist. They can start their private practice or work in an eye hospital. They can also find a career as a professor, optometry researcher, work in lens manufacturing units, or as a vision consultant. Or they can do an opticians course and start their own practice to examine and prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses. The student completing PhD in optometry can make a career as an optometrist and start a private practice. They can build a career as a lecturer in reputed colleges and universities.

Optometry Course: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is optometry the right career for me?

The work of optometrists ranges from performing comprehensive eye assessment, providing prescriptions for glasses to diagnosis or treatment of eye-related issues. If you wish to start your optical shop/work in one or work in a multinational company providing authentic services and products related to eye care, then you may choose optometry as your career.

2. Duration of Optometry course?

The duration of optometry courses depends on different program levels. For undergraduate optometry courses, it is 3-4 years, for post-graduate optometry courses, it is 2 years and for doctorate optometry courses, it ranges from 3-6 years.

3. Is the Doctor of Optometry (OD) program a graduate or doctoral program?

The Doctor of Optometry program is a doctoral / doctorate program.

4. Is optometry a rewarding career?

Yes, Optometry is a rewarding career wherein the Optometrists perform a range of work from eye assessment to diagnosis or treatment of eye-related problems. They help the patients to take care of one of the most important human senses i.e sight.

5. What is the eligibility for BSc Optometry?

You can pursue B.Sc Optometry after completing your 10+2 in Science stream. However, it is recommended that you confirm the specific eligibility at the time of applying.

6. After qualifying optometry courses, what job profiles are available for the candidates?

Job profiles available after qualifying optometry courses include vision consultant, optometry researcher, optometrist, private practitioner, etc.

7. Is an optometrist a doctor?

An optometrist is a primary health care specialist who is trained to assess or examine vision defects, diagnosis and treatment of injury or eye-related problems. On the contrary ophthalmologists are medical eye doctors who have the licence to perform eye surgeries.

8. Why Study BSc Optometry?

Reasons to study B.Sc Optometry is:

• After receiving a degree in Optometry, students can become skilled in detecting and treating visions related issues.
• B.Sc in Optometry also serves as the basis for pursuing higher education and research work in this field (like M.Sc or PhD).
• Students can also start their private individual practice by setting up their own optical shop, lens manufacturing unit or eye clinic. They can also work in government or privately managed organizations/ hospitals

9. Do optometry have specialities?

Some specialities / sub-specialities of the Optometry field include: vision therapy, ocular disease, neuro optometry, sports vision, paediatrics, trauma, etc

10. What can I do after BSC optometry?

After pursuing B.Sc Optometry, you can go ahead with higher education in optometry study (like Masters in Optometry followed by research work) or begin your practice as an optometrist. Scopes of jobs in Optometry include private optical shops or eye clinics, vision therapy, sports vision, etc.

11. Is a B.Sc Optometry degree enough to become an eye doctor?

A degree in B.Sc Optometry is not enough to become an eye doctor. A doctorate degree allows one to be addressed as a ‘Doctor’ but it is not categorized as a medical degree. Examples of such doctoral degrees include OD (Doctor of Optometry), PhD, etc. Moreover, if you wish to become a doctor who specializes in eye-related diseases and disorders (known as an ophthalmologist) then you would require an M.D. (a medical degree).

12. Who is an optician?

An optician is a professional who is responsible for filling an eye doctor’s prescription. They perform the following task:

• Check prescriptions of lens
• Provide and repair glasses, frames, and contact lenses
• Help the patients in deciding the type of lenses and frames
• Order and check products like contact lenses, eyeglass lenses, etc.

13. What is the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?

Optometrists are responsible for carrying out eye tests, diagnosing eye-related problems and prescribing glasses to patients. On the other hand, an ophthalmologist is an eye doctor who is licensed to perform eye surgery.

14. How many seats are there under optometry courses?

The number of seats allocated under optometry courses differs across various institutes and you can check the same at the time of applying.