High demand for places at Leicester School of Optometry

More than 400 prospective students have now applied to the Leicester School of Optometry for its new four-year course starting in September. 

There are 34 places for the MOptom Optometry Degree which is in the process of being launched by the University of Leicester in response to demand from local optometrists. 

The University was given permission to interview students for admissions by the General Optical Council (GOC) at the end of last year and is now making provisional offers.

Full GOC approval takes place at a later stage, but the first cohort of students is expected to be welcomed this September (2026).

Blending clinical-based learning with practical real-world experience, students will develop their knowledge of eye health to gain a Master of Optometry (MOptom) degree. 

Professor Christian French, who is leading the new course, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching this degree to fulfil local and national demand within this rewarding profession. Our high quality course will deliver confident optometrists ready for the world of work.

“Students will undertake multiple placements throughout the course to give them a real sense of what is expected of a career in Optometry. We have a fantastic database of local optometrists already and this underlines our commitment to working collaboratively with local business and clinicians.

“Our students will learn how to carry out detailed eye examinations, prescribe glasses or contact lenses and detect and manage a variety of disorders in vision or disease; skills which put them at the frontline of healthcare. 

“All of this will be delivered through our expert practitioners using the University’s outstanding dedicated clinical teaching spaces at Leicester Royal Infirmary, optics labs on campus, as well as highly specialist facilities including medical dissection rooms and Space Park Leicester. 

“Not only does the course develop essential practical knowledge needed for an optometrist, but the supporting business acumen necessary to thrive and develop when they step into the world of work, whether that’s in a hospital, on the High Street or elsewhere.”

Students join other healthcare undergraduates from across the College of Life Sciences, including Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Diagnostic Radiography, Operating Department Practice and Pharmacy, and will also study aspects of employment and management relevant to an optometrist's role, including practice management and clinical law.

In their final year, students undertake a year-long Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) module, run in conjunction with the College of Optometrists, in addition to working towards a Professional Certificate in Glaucoma (ProfCert Glauc), whilst working with a single employer. This allows them to implement and consolidate their clinical learning into routine practice and means that upon successful completion of the course, they will immediately be eligible to enter the professional register as a fully qualified optometrist.