Ulster University and Cardiff University have been approved by the General Optical Council (GOC) as the first to deliver the adapted Master of Optometry undergraduate qualifications.
Courses modified to meet the GOC’s new education and training requirements will begin with the September 2023 student cohorts.
Meanwhile, educational providers of existing GOC-approved qualifications must submit plans of how their changed courses will meet the new requirements, and all updated qualifications will be audited by the GOC’s routine quality assurance processes.
GOC head of education development Samara Morgan said: ‘The adapted qualifications will ensure that all optical professionals continue to be equipped to deliver eye-care services in a rapidly changing landscape and meet the needs of patients in the future.’
Professor Kathryn Saunders, academic lead for optometry at Ulster University, added that the achievement reflects the hard work of all those involved, including academic staff, students, the College of Optometrists, employers, commissioners, and academic colleagues on the Optometry Schools Council.