Enrolling and studying in the Bachelor of Optometry
Please note, the information of this page is specific to students entering Part II of the Bachelor of Optometry (BOptom) in 2025.
Please bookmark this page. You will need to come back to it multiple times.
Accepting your offer
If you receive an offer into the Bachelor of Optometry programme, don't forget to accept your offer by the deadline.
Enrolling in your courses
What to enrol into
After you accept your offer of place, you will need to enrol for both semesters of your academic year. You will complete three full-year Optometry courses (double-semester), one Medical Sciences course, and one General Education course.
Semester One
Course | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
OPTOM 216A | Introduction to Optometry | 15 points |
OPTOM 263A | Essential Optics | 15 points |
OPTOM 272A | Visual Science 1: Structure and Function of the Visual System |
15 points |
MEDSCI 203* | Mechanisms of Disease | 15 points |
** If you have previously completed MEDSCI 203, please contact FMHS@auckland.ac.nz for enrolment advice.
Semester Two
Course | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
OPTOM 216B | Introduction to Optometry | 15 points |
OPTOM 263B | Essential Optics | 15 points |
OPTOM 272B | Visual Science 1: Structure and Function of the Visual System |
15 points |
GENED** | General Education course | 15 points |
** You can choose your General Education course from either the:
If you're choosing a course from the Open Schedule, you cannot choose:
- BIOSCI 100G
- EXERSCI 100G
- MEDSCI 100G
- MEDSCI 101G
- POPLHLTH 103G
If you've completed your first year at the University of Auckland, you will need to choose a General Education course to take in your second semester.
If you've completed a degree, you can choose either a:
- General Education course
- 15-point undergraduate University of Auckland course approved by the Associate Head (Academic)
How to enrol
If you want to know more about enrolling in your courses, please see:
Course credit
Completed study at the University of Auckland
If you've completed study at the University of Auckland, your courses will be reassigned by the University where appropriate.
You do not need to do anything and are not expected to pay any fees. This process will be completed around May 2025.
Completed study at another university
If you've completed your studies at a university other than the University of Auckland, you need to apply for an external credit transfer. This credit transfer will cover Part I of the Optometry programme.
To complete this process, you will need to complete the External Credit Transfer Application Form - Prior Study (AS-14).
Please note a fee of $85 will be charged for the credit transfer. The fee will be added to your account on Student Services Online (SSO).
For more information, please see External transfer of credit.
Fitness to practise and child safety
As a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Optometry, please be aware that you must meet the fitness to practise requirements.
For more information about what fitness to practise means, and why you need to meet these requirements, please see:
Child safety
You must also pass a safety check that's required under the Children's Act 2014. You completed these requirements during the MMI process.
Immunisation requirements
As a Bachelor of Optometry student, you must be fully immunised to complete the requirements of the programme.
Important dates
Orientation
As a new student, you are expected to attend the orientation for your clinical programme.
Faculty orientation
- Date: Tuesday 25 February 2025 (AM)
- Location: Grafton Campus Atrium
Programme orientation
- Date: Friday 28 February 2025
- Location: 501-110
To begin your studies, you must be in Auckland for the start of orientation.
The Bachelor of Optometry is not offered online.
Timetable
During the Bachelor of Optometry, you must be available for all teaching and learning activities throughout your programme.
Your confirmed timetable will be published in Student Services Online. This will include any required programme activities in addition to your coursework.
Key things to know:
- You must attend all scheduled activities in the first week of the Bachelor of Optometry
- If you do not attend your first week, your place in the programme may be forfeited and offered to another applicant on the waitlist
- You will learn more about key assessments and activities during the orientation
Additional costs
Please note there are additional costs for the Bachelor of Optometry including purchasing prescribed texts and equipment, and potential costs associated with travelling to off-site practicum locations; you should allow approximately $13,000 over the four years of study.
Information technology (IT) requirements
To study the Bachelor of Optometry, you must have access to a laptop or a desktop computer to complete your course requirements.
For more information, please see:
Useful information
New Zealand Optometry Student Society
Grassroots Rural Health Club
If you're particularly interested in working in rural health, you are encouraged to join the Grassroots Rural Health Club.
There are a range of other resources you can access as an optometry student. These are:
- Clubs and societies
You can also check out the School of Optometry and Vision Science students webpage.
Disclaimer
Please make sure to read the disclaimer for joining the Bachelor of Optometry programme.
Additional questions
If you have additional questions enrolling into and studying the Bachelor of Optometry programme, please email fmhs@auckland.ac.nz.