Optometrists are the primary care providers in matters relating to the human visual system. The bachelor's degree in optometry at the UAS Northwestern Switzerland is one of the leading undergraduate courses in this field. Our school was also the first institution to be accredited for the European Diploma. Graduates are therefore simultaneously awarded both the bachelor's degree and the European Diploma.
To a large extent, the bachelor's degree programme in optometry takes into account the competencies defined by the World Council of Optometry and fully meets the requirements of this healthcare profession. Students are given a thorough grounding in the prescribing of refractive eyeglasses, the fitting of contact lenses, the therapy of binocular disorders and the monitoring of ocular health, and are given the opportunity to apply the skills they have acquired to patients in real-life care contexts.
The programme is principally directed at fostering competency in clinical optometry but it also imparts the scientific and economic fundamentals required by practising professionals.
Profession
With their interdisciplinary training, optometry graduates are equipped to assume management functions in professional eyecare, working in a largely self-employed capacity and at their own responsibility.
Insight into the study of optometry at FHNW
Degree
Instruction in the fundamentals of anatomy, physiology and pathology is tailored to the professional needs of the optometrist and, along with other exciting subjects, is the guarantee for a training programme of enduring value. Theoretical subjects are supplemented with extensive practical work, close involvement in real-life patient care, project work and the writing of a bachelor's thesis.
If you start the programme immediately after qualifying as an optician, the full-time programme lasts 3 years divided over six semesters, each with 15 weeks of teaching time followed by exam preparation and out-of-module exams.
You can find a detailed description of the modules on offer along with their respective starting dates in the module table (German).
During the programme all students must provide evidence of 150 patient care cases that they have managed on their own and duly documented in a personal portfolio. A large number of these cases are dealt during courses held in our own optometry clinic. The documented cases also serve as a portfolio for the European Diploma in Optometry.
The training programme is accredited by the European Council for Optometry and Optics (ECOO). All graduates will receive the European Diploma in Optometry along with their bachelor's degree. Switzerland is the first country in Europe to provide full accreditation for all graduates, thereby showing itself to be at the forefront of optometric training.
The practical clinical courses are closely supervised by our specialist lecturers. Our work stations are equipped with the latest medical technology devices in the field.
Due to the close personal supervision and the excellent infrastructure we offer, class and group sizes in the Institute of Optometry are limited. We recommend that you apply early since places are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.
You can make a formal application as soon as you have decided to study Optometry at the UAS Northwestern Switzerland. If the maximum capacity for the upcoming year has already been exceeded, you will be informed as soon as your application has been processed and you will be placed on a waiting list.
From the autumn semester 2023, you can study the BSc Optometry part-time in German or French.
Build up an international profile. Credits obtained while studying abroad count towards your degree. Currently we have exchange programmes with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the University of Montreal in Canada.
The Institute of Optometry promotes humanitarian missions during the undergraduate programme and offers students the opportunity to participate in a number of initiatives.
Valuable practical experience – learn more about participation in humanitarian missions for students of optometry.
"What has the bachelor's degree done for me as an optician? It has broadened my skills base and improved my ability to meet my customers’ needs. The constant monitoring of ocular health and the quality of vision with the resulting improved optical care are ultimately the basis for customer loyalty and trust."
"For an optician a bachelor's degree in optometry is the next logical step. For me the course opened up many new careers prospects within the activities of an optician's shop, as well as in industry and in ophthalmology. The additional award of the European Diploma means that the skills I have acquired are recognised across Europe."
Student projects
Optometry students work (in groups of two) on a project in their fifth semester based on matters arising from current research or professional practice. In the sixth semester the bachelor's thesis is written based on the work done in the previous semester.
Peripheral Epithelial Corneal Hyperfluorescence (PECH) in association with soft contact lens (CL) wear
"For an optician a bachelor's degree in optometry is the next logical step. For me the course opened up many new careers prospects within the activities of an optician's shop, as well as in industry and in ophthalmology. The additional award of the European Diploma means that the skills I have acquired are recognised across Europe."
