BSc (Hons) in Optometry | School of Optometry

Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Optometry

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Entrance Year Sept 2025

Programme Code JS3290

Mode of Study Full-time

Normal Duration

5 years (Optometry);
4 years (Vision Science and Secondary Major) #

Programme Intake 60 (JUPAS and Non-JUPAS) (Subject to approval)

Fund Type Government-Funded

Credits Required for Graduation

152 (subject to approval), including 20 clinical/field credits (Optometry);
134 (subject to approval), without clinical/field credits (Vision Science and Secondary Major in IE) #
131 (subject to approval), without clinical/field credits (Vision Science and Secondary Major in AIDA) #

Programme Leader(s)

Prof. Andrew Lam
PhD, MPhil, PDip(Optom), FAAO

Aims and Characteristics

Department-based scheme admission
Starting from the 2022/23 academic year, PolyU will adopt Department-based scheme admission instead of programme-based admission in order to provide a broader educational base and a more flexible progression pathway for students, as well as more agile mechanism to meet changing societal manpower needs. These changes will provide greater flexibility for students in their choice of degree programmes and specialisations.

Students admitted to the BSc (Honours) Scheme in Optometry will be awarded one of the following titles upon successful completion of the graduation requirements:

BSc (Hons) in Optometry
BSc (Hons) in Vision Science + AI and Data Analytics
BSc (Hons) in Vision Science + Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Programme Aims & Learning Outcomes

Students become primary eyecare practitioners with expert knowledge of the eye and the visual system. They gain the knowledge and skills that are necessary to diagnose visual problems and offer treatment options, which may be in the form of optical lenses or visual training.

The journey to becoming an eyecare practitioner begins with a strong foundation in basic life sciences, followed by a thorough grounding in the optometric sciences. In the second half of the programme, students acquire clinical skills that enable them to effectively manage a wide variety of visual problems. The five semesters of supervised clinical training with real patients in our Optometry Clinic and our satellite clinics give students many opportunities to learn to care for patients and consolidate their clinical skills and knowledge.

Throughout the programme, students learn about ethical, professional and legal issues in preparation for clinical practice.

Programme Characteristics
Students participate in clinical training in preparation to be optometrists. The training is in two phases, in the Clinical Laboratory and in the Optometry Clinic, examining real patients.

Our Optometry Clinic, which is unique in Hong Kong, provides an excellent environment for clinical training.

Students of the Bachelor of Science (Honours) Scheme in Optometry will be awarded one of the following awards upon successful completion of the graduation requirements:
- BSc (Hons) in Optometry
- BSc (Hons) in Vision Science - This award is only available with one of the Secondary Majors.

The credit requirements of this scheme are indicative only. They are subject to review.
Students are allowed to enrol on any awards without being subject to further assessment. Students should also observe the remarks in the table below:

Optometry	Vision Science and Secondary Major
Students receive clinical training in PolyU’s Optometry Clinic and Satellite Clinics. The majority of the clients are Hong Kong Chinese. In the fourth year of the programme, students start their clinical rotations; the clinical practice is conducted in English, Cantonese, or Putonghua.	The option of Secondary Major in AI and Data Analytics is available to students of BSc (Hons) in Vision Science. Admission to Secondary Major is on a competitive basis and subject to a different credit requirement for graduation. Please see "Secondary Major Details" section.
Majority of our patients speaks Cantonese. Students are expected to manage good Cantonese skills before starting their clinical placement.	The option of Secondary Major in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is available to students of BSc (Hons) in Vision Science. Admission to Secondary Major is on a competitive basis and subject to a different credit requirement for graduation. Please see "Secondary Major Details" section.

(For Non-JUPAS, JEE and international applicants only) The Bachelor of Science (Honours) Scheme in Optometry does not consider second choice applications.
(For Non-JUPAS, JEE and international applicants only) Applicants are required to submit an essay of no more than 500 words on their reason for choosing the BSc (Hons) Scheme in Optometry.

Satisfy the University's General Entrance Requirements.

There is no compulsory subject requirement. Preferred subject(s) with the highest weighting for admission score calculation include(s):