Successful students can demonstrate to the examiners that they have knowledge of anatomy relevant to the practise of ophthalmology. The advanced material covered provides the students with an opportunity to explore the subject in depth which fulfills the requirements for a post-graduate level qualification. On completion of this unit of study students will be able to describe the normal anatomical organisation of the human eye, orbit and its contents as well as the head and neck, including the cells, organs and tissues. They will be able to describe the principle components of the human visual system and their function in detail and how diagnostic imaging may be used in ophthalmic practise.

Successful students can demonstrate to the examiners that they have a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of optics relevant to the practise of ophthalmology. Particular emphasis is placed on physical, geometrical, physiological and instrument optics. The advanced material covered provides the students with an opportunity to explore the subject in depth which fulfills the requirements for a post-graduate level qualification. On completion of this unit of study, students can describe the physical properties of light and lasers with particular reference to their interaction with the eye and instruments. They are able to describe the geometrical principles of light and the laws governing the interaction of light with materials. Students can outline the optical properties, limitations and image formation of common ophthalmic instruments and the design aspects that improve image quality. They can describe the physiological optics of the human eye, how it is evaluated and the normal changes of accommodation with age. They will understand the uses of optical instruments and can describe the process of objective and subjective refraction and how this impacts prescription of spectacles, contact lenses or the surgical management of ametropia.

Successful students can demonstrate to the examiners that they have a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of physiology relevant to the practise of ophthalmology. Particular emphasis is placed on the organisation, function, mechanism of action, regulation and adaptation of relevant structures and their component parts. Students are also expected to have an understanding of the maturation and normal ageing changes of the human eye. They must have a thorough understanding of the methods used to measure the activity of relevant physiological processes such as intraocular pressure, retinal electrical activity and visual acuity. The advanced material covered provides the students with an opportunity to explore the subject in depth which fullfills the requirements for a post-graduate level qualification. On completion of this unit of study, students are able to describe the normal physiological functioning of the human eye and nervous system and the principal physiological laws and phenomena that apply to these systems. They can also describe how these physiological processes are measured and the limitations of such tests.

Successful candidates will demonstrate to the examiners that they have a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the practical aspects of ophthalmic anatomy, physiology and optics.

The dissertation is a formal academic composition on work performed during the student's candidature from a supervised project that contains between 10, 000-12, 000 words. The format of the project may be of a systematic review of the literature, a case series, short clinical trial, survey or other project acceptable to the unit of study coordinator. On completion of this unit of study the successful student will be able to work constructively under formal academic supervision, develop a research question, complete a literature review, and display scientific thinking and apply this to ophthalmology. Successful students can demonstrate to the examiners that they have a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of one area in the basic ophthalmic sciences or clinical ophthalmology. A candidate must enrol in a minimum of 12 credit points of dissertation units of study in order to submit their final written work.

The dissertation is a formal academic composition on work performed during the student's candidature from a supervised project that contains between 10, 000-12, 000 words. The format of the project may be of a systematic review of the literature, a case series, short clinical trial, survey or other project acceptable to the unit of study coordinator. On completion of this unit of study the successful student will be able to work constructively under formal academic supervision, develop a research question, complete a literature review, and display scientific thinking and apply this to ophthalmology. Successful students can demonstrate to the examiners that they have a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of one area in the basic ophthalmic sciences or clinical ophthalmology. A candidate must enrol in a minimum of 12 credit points of dissertation units of study in order to submit their final written work.