School of Optometry and Vision Sciences
We are the only optometric training department in Wales, and one of the largest in the UK.
We have a world-class reputation for research and are committed to providing high quality teaching. We also run our own eye clinic. Our teaching, research and clinical practice are all housed in our purpose built building, giving us the facilities we need to achieve our ambitions.
Research
Our researchers aim to facilitate the detection, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of vision disorders.
Our research has a real and lasting impact on the quality of life and learning opportunities for people both locally and globally. We are improving eye care and education for children with Down's syndrome, working with leading space engineers to detect earliest stages of age-related macular degeneration, and investigating new treatment regimes for diseases such as cataracts.
Over 40% of our research outputs were rated as 'internationally excellent' or better in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
Teaching
Our students benefit from hands on experience, involvement from our internationally renowned academic staff and our purpose built facilities.
Training the next generation of optometrists
We train our students to a high standard. 99% of our 2015 graduates were in work six months after graduating.
Our students' pass rates for the optometric Professional Qualifying Examinations are consistently been higher than average pass rate. Passing these examinations is essential before becoming an independently practicing optometrist.
Postgraduate opportunities
Our postgraduate research programme provides opportunities for students to gain experience working with world-renowned research leaders, their teams and their collaborators, and gain the skills necessary to pursue a successful academic career on completion.
We provide postgraduate taught courses as well as short courses through our Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre. The Centre is the first postgraduate education centre for optometry in the world. A large choice of courses are available via a combination of distance learning, e-learning and practical days.
Ambition and vision
Our mission is to contribute significantly to the world endeavour to understand and develop new treatments for the blinding diseases that affect our society.
We aim to continue to deliver world leading optometric education at undergraduate and postgraduate level with innovative and forward thinking ideas and research embedded in our teaching culture. We will continue to undertake internationally recognised and acknowledged research in both basic and clinical sciences relating to vision.
A vision for the future
Advancing the delivery of optometric education
For many years we have been one of the most internationally recognised and successful Schools of Optometry. The significant role of our research and the high profile that this takes within the development of teaching materials enables us to deliver a cutting edge and exciting undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum. This has enabled us to develop and maintain a world leading reputation for optometry and vision sciences education.
Our aim is to continue to advance the delivery of optometric education that is fit for the 21st century and appropriate to the needs of the optometric profession. We place a high priority on achieving outstanding scores in the National Student Survey.
Enabling innovative research to flourish
We are at the forefront of vision science research and are world leaders in a number of areas. These are encapsulated by our research themes. We will continue to contribute to significant developments in the understanding of the visual system and its diseases and to the development of new treatments for the blinding diseases that affect humanity.
In order to do this we will:
- utilise the most appropriate and contemporary research techniques and methodologies and continue to develop new areas of research.
- increase research income through Research Council and European sources to enable our research to continue to flourish.
- continue to publish our research work in high impact research journals.
- disseminate our research findings through high profile presentations at international and national scientific conferences.
- focus on developing high impact innovative clinical research in the School.
- foster even closer ties with our industrial partners, enabling research to be undertaken with industrial collaborators.
Strengthening local and global links
We have a significant role in the life of the community and undertake engagement activities at a local, national and international level. We see our role developing and strong national and international links continuing to be forged.
International engagement is one of our priorities, and we have strong links with Schools of Optometry in Europe through our Erasmus programme. We also partner with other world leading Schools of Optometry internationally.
We have a strong reputation in recruiting and educating international students and aim to continue to develop this, as well as allowing a significant proportion of our own students to undertake international experiences during their education.
