The University of Melbourne

Doctor of Optometry

Graduate

Details

University Location Melbourne, Victoria
City Population 5.3 million
Student Population 54,000
Int'l Student Population 23,760
Main Campus Parkville (Melbourne)
Program Campus Parkville
Program Duration 4 years
Estimated Annual Tuition $58,016 AUD (2024 fees; subject to increase)
Semester Intake March each year
Trimester Intakes March
Next Available Intake 2025
Application Deadline TBA*
International Places variable (64 total)

Overview

The University of Melbourne is OzTREKK’s only university partner offering a 4-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) program. The OD is a master’s-level professional entry degree, and is the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, creating a new benchmark in optometric education. It is an internationally recognized qualification with full accreditation from the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ).

Within the School of Health Sciences, the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne educates future optometrists, performs internationally recognized vision science research, and contributes widely to the advancement of optometry as an essential healthcare discipline.

Program

The Doctor of Optometry at the University of Melbourne is a four-year, full-time program consisting of a combination of on-campus teaching and clinical placements. Clinical studies commence in your first year and gradually increase to full-time in your final year. The course covers the basic and applied optical, visual, and biomedical sciences that underpin optometry.

In your final year, you will conduct a research project with clinical relevance. This project will enable those who perform well to progress to a research higher degree program. You will also be given the opportunity to undertake clinical training at metropolitan, rural and overseas sites as part of their final year of study.

Admission Requirements

1. Completed bachelor’s degree
You must have an undergraduate degree in any discipline completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Optometry. If your undergraduate degree is more than 10 years old you will need to provide evidence that you have completed graduate study such as a graduate diploma, master’s, or PhD.

2. Prerequisite subjects
You must have completed three subjects at Year 2 or Year 3 (or equivalent) from one or more relevant biological science disciplines. See Melbourne’s list of pre-approved prerequisite subjects.

3. Admissions Test

You must have completed the OAT (Optometry Admission Test (USA). For 2025 commencement, OAT scores from test sitting dates from  January 1, 2023 will be accepted and test results must be available by July 31, 2024.

Alternatively, you can complete MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) or GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test), no more than 2 years before the date of program commencement.

Please note, meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection. Credit is available to students who have relevant prior study or professional practice experience. Please contact OzTREKK for more information.

Admission Timeline

*Applications for the 2024 intake closed July 28, 2023. For information about the 2025 intake and to apply, please contact OzTREKK. You’re encouraged to apply as early as possible.