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Clinical Ophthalmic Practice MSc

This programme will allow students to develop advanced knowledge of the eye, eye diseases and treatment and the research underpinning clinical practice. It is delivered by ophthalmologists, researchers and nurses who are at the forefront of ophthalmic research clinical practice at the Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital Trust – both institutions will be involved in the teaching.

Covid-19 programme updates

Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.

Key information

Programme starts

September 2020

Modes and duration

Part time: 2 years
Flexible: up to 5 years

Application dates

All applicants
Open: 1 November 2019
Close: 11 August 2020
Notification
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.

Tuition fees (2020/21)

UK/EU:
£11,390 (FT)
£5,660 (PT)
Overseas:
£25,900 (FT)
£12,890 (PT)


Note on fees: The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website.

Location: London, Old Street

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Candidates will need to have a professional healthcare qualification (in nursing or an allied healthcare profession). Students are also required to have at least one year’s ophthalmic experience and to be currently working in the field of ophthalmology.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Standard

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

International students

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.

Select your country:

About this degree

By the end of your programme you should have acquired advanced knowledge about common eye disease and some specialities and be more confident in your clinical practice underpinned by a knowledge of the relevant current ophthalmic research. You will also acquire skills in academic writing, problem based learning and group work, independent research and analytical skills.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of six compulsory modules (total 150 credits) to include the dissertation (60 credits).

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MSc in Clinical Ophthalmic Practice.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Compulsory modules

  • Anatomy and physiology (15 credits)
  • Research and statistics (15 credits)
  • Ophthalmic clinical case studies (15 credits)
  • Clinical care in practice work-based portfolio (15 credits)
  • Physical assessment of the ophthalmic patient (30 credits)
  • Ophthalmology dissertation module (60 credits)

Optional modules

  • Adnexal and orbital disease (15 credits)
  • Glaucoma (15 credits)
  • Glaucoma level 1 (15 credits)
  • Cornea, cataract, external diseases and refractive surgery (30 credits)
  • Medical retina, vitreoretinal, systemic disease, uveitis and ocular oncology (30 credits)
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.

Dissertation/report

You will undertake a dissertation module, developing your research relevant to your ophthalmic interest. You will be supervised on an individual basis by an academic member of staff to support you in this module.

Teaching and learning

The course has been designed with the working professional in mind, so you can study when it is convenient as 75% of the course is delivered online with the remaining 25% of the course being delivered face-to-face.

In a typical week, you will be expected to engage in online learning and participate in the group activities, develop clinical skills, carry out personal reading and research, which accounts to approximately 12-40 hours a week, depending on your mode of attendance. 

Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully. In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching. UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.   If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.    
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.

Additional costs

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Funding

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Careers

Undertaking an MSc in Clinical Ophthalmic Practice is now considered a prerequisite for any specialist Ophthalmic nursing roles and can lead to opportunities to progress into advanced ophthalmic practice roles and Nurse consultant roles.

Employability

The programme is designed to help graduates acquire and apply knowledge and skills resulting from evidence-based research required for clinical practice.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This programme will give students the underpinning research and evidence-based knowledge to develop their clinical knowledge base.

This programme is delivered using a blended learning approach. Students will have access to face-to-face classroom teaching and virtual learning, both individualy as well as through collaborative and cooperative learning approaches, to help students acquire the academic knowledge and skills required for evidence-based practice.

Department: Institute of Ophthalmology

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Application and next steps

Applications

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

Who can apply?

Bachelor degree (hons) in nursing (min 2:2 or equivalent)

Applicants who have successfully completed the PG Cert in Clinical Ophthalmic Practice from UCL can apply directly to the PG Dip and MSc through the RPL process.

All candidates will need to have had at least one year of ophthalmic nursing experience.

Application deadlines

All applicants
11 August 2020

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

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Page last modified on 13 August 2020