Professional MasterOptometry (Clinical)
| Study location | Latvia, Riga |
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| Type | Postgraduate, full-time |
| Nominal duration | 2 years (120 ECTS) |
| Study language | English |
| Awards | Professional Master (Professional Master Degree in Clinical Optometry, qualification “Optometrist”) |
| Accreditation | Study programme is accredited (to be revised in 2022) |
| Tuition fee | €4,950 per year |
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| Application fee | €141 one-time The application fee consists of a 100 € registration fee and a 41 € payment for the recognition of education documents by the Academic Information centre of Latvia. The application fee is non-refundable. Payment of the application fee and the diploma recognition fee should be paid only after the receipt of the invoice and must be paid BY the deadline of the invoice, if for any reason you have failed to pay the fees by the said deadline please contact the admission coordinator. |
| Deposit | €500 one-time A one-time payment for students coming from third countries outside the EU/EEA is to be paid in full together with the full-year tuition fee payable upon arrival. The deposit is intended for coverage of possible immigration expenses and paid back upon request after graduation. |
| Entry qualification | Undergraduate diploma (or higher) Applicants for Master degree studies are required to have completed Bachelor degree of Nature sciences in Optometry or higher professional education in Optometry comprising at least 3 years of full time studies providing access to Master’s level study programmes. Applicants whose previous education is not in the field of Optometry or related sciences must take additional preparatory courses. The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / Latvian. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original. Applicants must upload education documents in original language, as well as translations into English. Diplomas and transcripts issued outside EU must be legalized with a legalization stamp or Apostille. More information available HERE You must take the original entry qualification documents with you when you finally go to the university. |
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| Language requirements | English Applicants must prove their English language knowledge. University accepts the following international language tests:
If your previous studies have been obtained in English but in the country where English is not native language, then you have to present an official letter from your previous educational institution (University, etc.) where is stated that all your studies were in English (medium of instruction is English), and you have to pass interview where the University of Latvia will evaluate your language skills. If you do not have any chance to take the English language test, the University of Latvia offers the option of taking an online English test. If you would like to take the test please write to gunita.eke@lu.lv Applicants who have obtained previous education in English in one of the bellow listed countries do not need to provide separate language proficiency: |
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| Other requirements | As a part of the admission process applicants will be asked to participate in an online interview. |
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| More information |
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Overview
The professional Master’s programme Optometry (Clinical) offers multidisciplinary studies based on visual science and contemporary primary vision care. The professional qualification of the graduates meets the professional standard Optometrist and is equivalent to that received in the UK, USA and Norway.
Students of the programme acquire both professional skills in primary vision care (optometry) and academic knowledge in vision science, which allows them to enroll in the doctoral programme.
Programme structure
The syllabus consists of professional (clinical) and scientific (experimental) subjects related to the evaluation, research and understanding of the human visual system. The programme includes practical training (33%), medicine and physiology of vision (35%), and courses in the natural sciences and psychology.
The study programme (80 credit points) contains compulsory (part A), optional (part B), and practical courses. The practical training (internship) accounts for 26 credit points. Part A (66 credit points) includes specialization courses: general medicine in optometry, eye diseases and pharmacotherapy, contact correction, visual perception models, as well as a state examination and Master’s thesis. Part B (14 credit points) contains clinical and experimental courses in optometry. The state examination accounts for two credit points and consists of a theoretical knowledge test in optometry and a practical examination in the evaluation of the patient’s visual function and vision correction. The elaboration and defense of the Master’s thesis are worth 20 credit points.