Graduate Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics is a one-year program accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ). You will study three part-time courses that cover the didactic and clinical components of ocular therapy.
The Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics is a one-year program accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ). You will study three part-time courses that cover the didactic and clinical components of ocular therapy. On completion of this specialised program you will be able to prescribe topical therapeutic agents effectively, safely and in line with relevant legislation to manage ocular disease in your optometry patients. This is also the longest active Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics in Australia, with an award-winning teaching team and a broad availability of clinical placement sites.
Please note the Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics is delivered every two years, with the next intake in 2026.
This program comprises self-paced online distance education modules as well as limited face-to-face sessions for clinical skill development, allowing you to learn flexibly and concurrently with your optometry practice.
Practising optometrists in Australia and New Zealand take this program to train in ocular therapeutics and gain therapeutic endorsement. Overseas trained optometrists without therapeutics education may also take this program as one part of becoming registered to practice in Australia or New Zealand, though noting this course is not open for International Students.
To gain entry to this program, students must:
This program is only open for Term 1 enrolments and is completed part time.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If you're completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.
If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College's Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If English is not your first language, you'll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College's Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
Graduates of this program can register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency for therapeutic endorsement as an optometrist.
This program is an approved program of study of the Optometry Board of Australia and the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board New Zealand.