Bachelor’s Degree in Optometry

Estarás en contacto con el mundo profesional desde el primer momento.

: General Information
Type of Degree Program:: Bachelor's Degree
School:: School of Health Sciences
Campus:: La Moraleja and University Health Clinics
Duration:: 4 years
ECTS:: 240

Our Bachelor’s Degree in Optometry is an officially recognized university degree that prepares students to perform as Optometrists. This profession is regulated by Spanish law under Sections 2 and 7 of Law 44/2003, dated November 21st, regarding health care professions.

An Optometrist is a health care professional who performs responsibilities including prevention, detection, assessment and treatment of abnormalities in the visual function. In order to do so, an optometrist carries out eye examinations; designs, checks and adapts optical aids; designs and develops programs for visual training, and; designs and proposes ergonomic improvements.

Traditionally, this profession has always been associated with a technical discipline (prescription and assembly of optical aids, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses). With the incorporation of this profession into the catalogue of health care professions, its nature has been adapted to acquire a greater significance within the field. As a result, an Optometrist must offer quality health care service in Ocular Health, as well as understand patient needs.

At Universidad Europea de Madrid we train competitive professionals in visual health sciences. Our educational model is based on:

A curriculum geared towards the health care aspect of the profession, in line with today’s societal demands as well as those of businesses, designed according to professional association guidelines and other international references.
Our commitment to training health care professionals in visual health and specialists in Clinical Optometry.
The design and continuous updating of a training program that is geared towards the student acquiring the professional competences of an Optometrist (knowledge, capabilities and skills).
A predominantly hands-on approach to education, including simulated practicums starting from day one. Preparing the student to perform professional internships in optometry at the University Health Clinics and/or in companies in the field with the aim of familiarizing them with health care, research, clinical management, prevention, information and health care education.
A faculty of professors and clinical supervisors who are experts in Clinical Optometry and Ophthalmology, with extensive professional experience in all the different areas, accredited with teaching experience, international training and research experience.
The ideal facilities for training in competences, which prepare the student to enter the professional world once they have graduated, with all guarantees of success.

Student Profile
Students who wish to study the Bachelor’s Degree in Optometry at Universidad Europea de Madrid may have different motivational reasons for doing so, such as:
- An interest in the health care aspect of the profession. In other words, a vocation to health care, and an interest in offering clinical attention to patients, accompanied by the capacity to coordinate and work in teams.
- An entrepreneurial spirit. Having an interest in setting up their own Vision Care business.
- Being a graduate in an area of Health Care with an interest in broadening their training to other disciplines, before entering the job market.
The admissions process is set by Universidad Europea de Madrid. All prospective students will have a personal interview with the Manager of Academic Programs, who will advise them regarding the most appropriate study option according to each student’s profile and inform them as to possible curriculums/schedules available.
21st Century Academic Quality
- Comprehensive training in Optometry: knowledge and handling of the latest scientific and technological tools and research advances in Optometry, as well as professional clinical training and hands-on sessions in areas of commercial management.
- Cross-disciplinary training: knowledge and participation in projects that are beneficial to the health and well-being of individuals, especially in the area of prevention, healthcare education, and the exchange of information with other professionals.
Students receive personalized attention through individual advising, which takes place throughout the entire program, including assessing the student’s progress, following-up on their academic evolution, and encouraging the development of their personal skills.
An International Perspective

At an international level, the references in Clinical Optometry are mostly found in English-speaking countries. With the aim of bringing the student closer to the reality of the profession and offering them projecting on a global level, every year of the program contains a series of lifelong learning activities that include the presence of international speakers, who take part in seminars and workshops focused on clinical cases, innovative treatments and updates on the latest technologies or research in specific issues related to vision sciences. English is a University Core Requirement for this degree program.

An International perspective is a major aspect of graduate training. The Master’s Degree in Optometry and Clinical Research (MSc in Clinical Optometry) is taught in English, entirely in collaboration with one of the most prestigious international Optometry schools: the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (Philadelphia, PA, USA). Alternatively, by choosing the Master’s Degree in Clinical Optometry, the student has the option to complete their coursework at the Illinois College of Optometry (Chicago, IL, USA), with a six-week clinical residency
Professional Connections
- A faculty of Optometry specialists with international training, distinguished for their widely recognized professional experience, in permanent contact with the health care world.
- A predominantly hands-on approach from day one, with 700 hours of labs and practicums. Clinical internships will be carried out in optometry centers with real patients.
- Students work rotations in optometry or ophthalmology clinics, in companies within the field and in optical service establishments, enabling a first contact to be made with the real world.
Curriculum
Graduate profile on concluding your studies
- Graduates in Optometry with skills in clinical optometry (health care aspect of the profession):
- Have a high level of ability to perform their professional duties in any of the fields mentioned in the above paragraph, from the very day on which the student graduates.
Career Opportunities

Graduates in Optometry usually work in optical stores, sometimes on their own account, which involves a business approach to the profession (manager of an optical store).

In recent years, graduates in Optometry have joined active, cross-disciplinary teams dedicated to vision care in the Public Health Service and/or private health care. Those who complement their studies with graduate programs in Clinical Optometry, demonstrate the demanded professional profile to specialize in the area of the profession that is most geared towards health care: management of an optometry clinic, optometrist providing ophthalmology services, or refractive surgery services.

Other fields in which an Optometrist works are those related to laboratories that design and manufacture eyeglasses or contact lenses, in the optical industry, visual instrumentation, and education in career programs or university. Finally, those who choose an academic career (Master’s Degree and PhD) can choose a career in research at a university, in businesses, or in health care centers.