Diploma in Opticianry (OPTI)
Georgian College
Key Information
Select location
Campus location
Barrie, Canada
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
CAD 9,251 / per semester *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* *international fall semester fee / international winter and Summer semester Fee: $8,186 | domestic fall semester fee: $4,126 / domestic winter and Summer semester Fee: $3,7
Introduction
Join the eye care field as an optician
Become a valuable member of the eye health team. Learn in our nationally accredited state-of-the-art facility. Over 95% job placement.
In this program, students experience a unique blend of healthcare and business management. Through theory and practical experience in labs/clinics, students learn to competently dispense eyeglasses, contact lenses, and sub-normal vision devices, and learn about basic refraction. Students gain a strong foundation of ocular sciences in optics and anatomy and are provided the expertise necessary to lay out and edge lenses for frame insertion, as well as repair, customize, and modify eyewear to the patient/client’s needs. Emphasis is also placed on professional services. Through critical thinking, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skills, students learn how to establish and operate a small business, how to use effective sales techniques, and enhance communication and interpersonal skills to be successful in the optical retail environment.
Upon successful completion of the academic and co-operative education semesters, students are eligible to write the national registration examinations which allow them, if successful, to practice in Canada as a Registered Optician.
You may be invited to complete your co-op experiences in other communities because your skills will be in demand all over Ontario and Canada. Be prepared to travel or relocate for your co-op work terms.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Awards, scholarships, and bursaries
Postsecondary education is an investment in your future. We know many students find it tough to make ends meet, which is why we offer so many options to help you pay your way to graduation.
Georgian offers awards, scholarships, and bursaries to students of all walks of life — domestic, international, and Indigenous, full-time and part-time, first years, upcoming graduates, and everyone in between. You can afford this!
Curriculum
Semester 1
Program Courses
- HUMN 1000Critical Thinking
- OPTI 1022Eyeglass Dispensing Lab 1
- OPTI 1023Eyeglass Dispensing Theory 1
- OPTI 1024Eyeglass Fabrication and Customization 1
- OPTI 1025Contact Lens Dispensing Lab 1
- OPTI 1026Contact Lens Dispensing Theory 1
- OPTI 1027Ocular Science for Contact Lenses 1
- OPTI 1028Applied Optics 1
Communications Course
- Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.
General Education Course
- Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.
Semester 2
Program Courses
- BUSI 3007Business Principles for the Regulated Professional
- OPTI 1029Professional Services 1
- OPTI 1030Eyeglass Dispensing Lab 2
- OPTI 1031 Eyeglass Dispensing Theory 2
- OPTI 1032Eyeglass Fabrication and Customization 2
- OPTI 1033Contact Lens Dispensing Lab 2
- OPTI 1034Contact Lens Dispensing Theory 2
- OPTI 1035Ocular Science for Contact Lenses 2
- OPTI 1036Applied Optics 2
Communications Course
- Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.
General Education Course
- Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.
Semester 3
- Program Courses
- OPTI 2030Professional Services 2
- OPTI 2031Eyeglass Dispensing, Fabrication and Customization Lab 3
- OPTI 2032Eyeglass Dispensing Theory 3
- OPTI 2033Contact Lens Dispensing Lab 3
- OPTI 2034Contact Lens Dispensing Theory 3
- OPTI 2035Ocular Science for Refraction and Low Vision 1
- OPTI 2036Applied Optics for Refraction and Low Vision 1
- OPTI 2037Refraction Lab 1
- OPTI 2038Refraction Theory 1
- OPTI 2039Low Vision Dispensing Theory 1
General Education Course
- Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.
Semester 4
Program Courses
- OPTI 2040Eyeglass, Dispensing, Fabrication and Customization Lab 4
- OPTI 2041Eyeglass Dispensing Theory 4
- OPTI 20Contact Lens Dispensing Lab 4
- OPTI 2043Contact Lens Dispensing Theory 4
- OPTI 2044Ocular Science for Refraction and Low Vision 2
- OPTI 2045Applied Optics for Refraction and Low Vision 2
- OPTI 2046Refraction Lab 2
- OPTI 2047Refraction Theory 2
- OPTI 2048 Low Vision Dispensing Theory 2
Co-op Work Terms
- COOP 1047Opticianry Work Term 1 (Fall Intake occurs after Semester 2, Winter Intake occurs after Semester 4)
- COOP 2038 Opticianry Work Term 2 (occurs after Semester 4)
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Your Opticianry diploma gives you many career opportunities
Opticians are long-standing members of the healthcare delivery team in a field for which there is a growing universal need. Registered Opticians may dispense eyewear independently or as part of the eye care team. Consequently, graduates may aspire to operate their own businesses. As recognized professionals under the Regulated Health Professions Act, full-time career possibilities, including managerial roles, exist in large retail optical chains, independent dispensaries, and medical clinics in Ontario and across Canada.