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 - ABDO College

BSc Hons Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing - Year Two (Foundation Degree)

Overview

Duration

The whole program is 3 years. A 2 year course as your Foundation Degree followed by a final year at BSc Hons level delivering your BSc Hons and FBDO qualifications.

Course structure

Students learn through a variety methods. A combination of weekly assignments, teaching at the College as well as learning under an in-practice supervisor. Students complete 32 weekly assignments and attend the College in Godmersham, Kent, for 2 residential blocks each lasting a fortnight, each academic year. The Degree program also requires students to complete module based assessments including exams, essays and other academic tasks. Students also complete in practice tasks with their supervisors to re-enforce and demonstrate the skills learnt.

Entry Requirements

Students must have successfully completed the 1st Year of the program. To those students already in the 1st Year, we recommend you apply early. There is no need to wait for your exam results before applying as we can issue a provisional place. Should you not be able to continue into this year, we will issue a refund for any fees paid for the up and coming year.

Course requirements

Students are required to be working in practice for a minimum of 30 hours per week under a GOC registered supervisor. Students must apply to the GOC for student membership and retain this registration, along with complying with all relevant GOC regulations throughout their studies - this includes ensuring that all patients are made aware of their student status. Students must also be ABDO members for the duration of their study. The distance learning element of the course requires some essential textbooks. The booklist is available at the bottom of this page as well as the prices and order form for ABDO College Bookshop. Teaching materials are paperless, IT requirements are listed below.

Cost

Year Two: £6,470 (including 1st sitting of exams) The BSc Hons course is Student Finance applicable. It is classed as a 'Full Time Course' - do NOT select 'Distance Learning' when applying through the Student Finance system. This will lead to the incorrect loan amount.

Application Deadline

30/07/2023

Course start date

28/08/2023

Foundation Degree / BSc (Hons) in Ophthalmic Dispensing Programme

This course is for you if you want to train and work as a Dispensing Optician, and gain a degree at the same time.

Provided by ABDO College working in conjunction with Canterbury Christ Church University, this a three year course. The first 2 years form your ‘Foundation Degree’ which is then followed by a third year on the BSc Degree course in Ophthalmic Dispensing – leading to BSc (Hons) and the ABDO Level 6 FBDO qualifications.

 

Canterbury Christ Church University

An inspiring and welcoming community

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is renowned for academic excellence, a warm welcoming atmosphere and community spirit. It is a modern university, immersed in culture, and with a strong reputation for delivering high quality professional public service education.

The University supports almost 20,000 students at its campuses across Kent and Medway. It has a strong record for employment, with 96 per cent of graduates in employment or further study six months after completing their studies; a flourishing research community with an international reputation; and one of the largest number of courses for public service careers in the South East.

Canterbury Christ Church University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and diversity and widening participation. The University ensures that all its members are valued for their qualities, skills, experience, abilities and contribution to the organisation in their learning.

Details

ABDO College specialises in the provision Ophthalmic Dispensing education for the optical
profession. The BSc Hons Ophthalmic Dispensing  course is for trainee Dispensing Opticians working
in optical practice in the UK, Ireland or overseas who are interested in advancing their optical
knowledge to achieve a professional qualification.

The assignments will be delivered through a virtual learning environment (VLE). It
is a requirement therefore that you have regular access to a computer, with internet connection, a
scanner and Microsoft Word/PDF software.

The course comprises of the following elements:
Coursework – 32 weekly units and specific degree modules assessed via essays, exams and other academic means. Students will be expected to study for a minimum of 15 hours per week.
Block release – four weeks. Students will be required to attend ABDO College in Godmersham for
two weeks twice each academic year for face to face learning in a classroom setting.

There are six, twenty credit, modules in each of the first two
years of this course. They are all compulsory. In the second year the modules are:
• Evidence Based Ophthalmic Practice
• Standards of Practice
• Advanced Theory of Ophthalmic Lenses
• Ocular Anatomy and Physiology
• Theory of Ophthalmic Dispensing
• Paediatric Dispensing

The dispensing courses are periodically reviewed by the General Optical Council (GOC) who have
recorded their approval of the College as a recognised training institution in accordance with the
Optician’s Act.

Learning materials and IT requirements

The programme uses a paperless system in order to work alongside ABDO College’s commitment to sustainability. Therefore, all handouts and block materials are made available to all students at the beginning of the academic year through the Virtual Learning Environment. We encourage all students to attend block release with IT equipment to use for note taking. To facilitate this, power sources are available in all relevant classrooms and all block materials are fully editable, meaning students can make notes in a way that suits them. Should students prefer to make handwritten notes, they are required to print their materials ahead of block release and bring them along.

All examinations are run by ABDO Exams and Registration. From 2022, Theory exams will be online. Students will need access to a PC, a stable internet connection, a webcam and a mic.

Advice from ABDO Exams regarding the computer setup to run the assessment system is below:

  • Laptop / computer with 4GB of available memory. The app will not work on phones, chrome books, or iPads/tablets. We cannot guarantee service on touchscreen devices as some devices might be incompatible with the app. We recommend that candidates source a non-touchscreen device for their exams.
  • A Windows v7.0+ or Mac10.10+ operating system, and MacOS BigSur users need to upgrade to 11.3+.
  • Intel Core i3 (or equivalent).
  • A working webcam that can be used to scan the room, microphone and speakers.
  • Minimum candidate internet speed of 2 Mbps.
  • Recommended screen size of at least 13″ and a resolution of 1024 x 768.