UHI optometry qualification earns full approval

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BSc (Hons) Optometry has been fully approved by the General Optical Council.

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BSc (Hons) Optometry students in clinical skills at UHI House in Inverness. Front row (left to right): Eilidh Smith, Ben Gray, Neve Lawson. Back row (from left to right): Shams Haikl, Alanna Pick, Jayden Dhillon. Photo credit: Paul Campbell.

The University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) BSc (Hons) Optometry qualification has been fully approved under the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Handbook: Routes to Registration in Optometry (2015).

Students who complete this qualification can then undertake salaried pre-registration training with a practice before applying for registration with the General Optical Council. UHI will now work to adapt this qualification to meet the updated education and training requirements (ETR) which came into effect in 2021.

Under the Opticians Act, the General Optical Council has the power to approve qualifications and education institutions offering optical training.

Alison MacPherson, Head of Optometry at UHI, said:

“We are delighted to have achieved this significant milestone. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff and students who have been on this exciting journey with us and acknowledge the support of external stakeholders. Being the second provider of optometry undergraduate education in Scotland is a real privilege.”

UHI is one of only two institutions in the country to offer undergraduate training for optometrists. The General Optical Council granted provisional approval for the programme to launch in September 2020, making it the first new optometry degree programme in Scotland in nearly 50 years. The first cohort of optometry students will graduate later this month at Eden Court in Inverness on Thursday 14 November.

UHI is excited to be continuing on its optometry education journey with the launch of the new Master Optometry with Independent Prescribing programme, set to replace the BSc (Hons) Optometry for students starting in autumn 2025. This new programme aligns with evolving educational standards within the optometry profession across the UK, equipping future graduates with enhanced skills and qualifications.

Applicants can now apply for September 2025 entry for Optometry with Independent Prescribing MOptom