Optometry
Optometry is the health profession concerned with the examination, diagnosis, and management of conditions affecting the eyes and vision. Optometrists are primary healthcare practitioners who conduct eye examinations, detect diseases of the eye and signs of systemic conditions, prescribe glasses and contact lenses, and increasingly manage a range of ocular conditions that previously required referral to ophthalmology. As the population ages and the prevalence of conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetes-related eye disease increases, the role of optometrists in the healthcare system is expanding and becoming more clinically significant.
At City St George's, University of London, this four-year full-time programme is accredited and leads to eligibility to register as an optometrist with the General Optical Council. The programme combines scientific study of the visual system with the clinical skills needed to examine patients and manage their eye health, and it includes substantial clinical placement within the programme, giving you contact with real patients under supervision from an early stage. You will study optics, visual neuroscience, ocular anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and the principles of clinical assessment and management.
City St George's is one of the oldest and most respected institutions in the UK for optometry education, with strong clinical connections and an established reputation in the profession. A typical entry tariff of 136 points reflects the academic demands of entry to a regulated health profession.
Graduates register as optometrists and work in community optometry practices, hospital eye services, and specialist clinics. The profession offers strong employment prospects, a clear structure for continuing professional development, and increasingly clinical roles in areas such as glaucoma monitoring, medical retina, and low vision rehabilitation. Postgraduate study and specialisation are available to graduates wishing to extend their clinical expertise.