Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences

The Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences at City St George's combines a longstanding tradition of academic excellence at undergraduate and postgraduate level with a research-active body of academics and PhD students.

Our academic experts contribute to our optometry courses as well as carrying out applied vision research spanning fundamental visual science, through to ophthalmic health policy.

The department has an established history in optical education and began teaching technical optics at the Northampton Institute (City St George’s predecessor) in 1898.

We have been active in optics and vision science research since the early 1900s and boasted the first appointment to Chair of Optometry in the UK in 1966 (R.J. Fletcher).

As a Department we strive to maintain and enhance our national and international reputation in applied vision research and in the quality of the teaching provided by our internationally acclaimed academic staff.

The School of Health & Medical Sciences combines the previous St George’s School of Health & Medical Sciences and City’s School of Health & Psychological Sciences. The Departments within this School are currently undergoing development, which will be complete by the new academic year in September 2025.

Please note that rankings referred to on this page were awarded to City, University of London and St George’s, University of London separately prior to our merger in August 2024.

The department offers a range of courses at undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research degree level, as well as a range of Continuing Personal and Professional Development courses.

See which course is right for you:

Undergraduate

• Introduction to Optometry (Clerkenwell campus)
• Optometry MOptom (Hons) (Clerkenwell campus).

Postgraduate

• MSc/ Postgrad Diploma / Postgrad Certificate Clinical Optometry (Clerkenwell campus).

Research degrees

• MRes Clinical Research (Clerkenwell campus).

City St George's, University of London offers a variety of MPhil and PHD options in the following areas:

• Optometry
• Visual Science
• Optometry and Visual Sciences
• Optics.

CPPD

• Optometry CPPD courses.

Related subjects

• Optometry.

Centre for Applied Vision Research

The Applied Vision Research Centre aims to develop, promote and carry out research that spans laboratory-based fundamental studies in vision to translational applied vision research.

The Centre continues to bring together a multidisciplinary scientific and clinical team with expertise in the field of vision and eye care.

Find out more about the Centre for Applied Vision Research.

What we do

We provide future healthcare professionals with the education, training and skills they need in order to be employable and culturally-agile in an interconnected world.

We produce world-leading research that addresses issues of global concern and shapes policy and practice in the wider world.

We draw on our long-standing and new partnerships with world-leading universities, in order to provide global opportunities for staff, students and those who visit us.

Staff in the department of Optometry have strong teaching and research links and partnerships with Centres of Excellence, including:

• University of Florence, Italy.
• Calle Arcos de Jalón, Madrid, Spain.
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Tongji Hospital.
• University of Melbourne.
• University of Toronto.
• University of Ottawa.
• LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
• Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
• The OCULUS consortium involving institutions in Europe, Israel and India.
• The European Glaucoma Research Training Programme (EGRIT) which recently held a workshop for early stage researchers from Netherlands, Germany, France, UK and Finland.
• Universities and Hospitals in Ghana, Tanzania and Botswana

Student opportunities

• Undergraduate students currently have the opportunity for a funded visit to LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India for 2 weeks to undertake clinical observations. Read about BSc Optometry student Aaron Uraon's experience of this placement.
• Optometry PhD students currently undertake research in collaboration with institutions abroad including in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Finland.

For more information

For more information on the School’s international activities, please see details on each of the School's Departments pages.

To discuss opportunities for a partnership with the School of Health & Medical Sciences, please contact: Dr Raheelah Ahmad, Director for Global Engagement for the School of Health & Medical Sciences.