Studies & Degrees in Optics
Optics Study Programs
Optics is the science of light: how it travels, how it is bent, reflected and focused, and how it interacts with matter. As a subject of study it has two branches. In the health sciences, optics is combined with optometry and trains the professionals who examine eyesight, prescribe and fit glasses and contact lenses and detect visual problems. In physics and engineering, optics and photonics deal with lasers, optical fibres, imaging systems and optical instruments.
Most schools listed under optics on SpainExchange belong to the first branch, so this page concentrates on optics and optometry. Students learn physics and geometrical optics, the anatomy and physiology of the eye, optometry, contact lenses, ophthalmic lenses and instruments, and the diseases of the visual system. Clinical practice with patients is part of the degree.
Qualifications and levels
The route into the profession depends on the country, because eye care is regulated nationally.
- Spain. Optician-optometrist (óptico-optometrista) is a regulated profession. It requires the official bachelor's degree (grado) in Óptica y Optometría, which has 240 ECTS credits over four years. Order CIN/727/2009 sets the minimum content: 60 credits of basic sciences, 30 of optics, 48 of optometry, 18 of pathology of the visual system and 24 of supervised placements and final project.
- United Kingdom. Optometry degrees are accredited by the General Optical Council (GOC). At Anglia Ruskin University the integrated master's degree in Optometry (MOptom) takes four years, and graduates can enter the GOC register directly.
- United States. Optometrists typically need a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree, which takes four years of graduate-level study, and a state licence, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Opticians, who fit and dispense glasses and contact lenses, typically train on the job; some hold an associate's degree or a certificate.
- Master's and doctorate. After the first degree, students specialise in clinical optometry, vision science or, on the physics side, in optics and photonics.
A degree from one country does not give the right to practise in another. Ask the professional regulator of the country where you want to work what it requires.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 36 active schools for optics. Spain has 14, the United States five and France four; the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, China, Colombia, Ghana and Ethiopia have one each.
In Spain the degree is taught mainly at public universities, in Spanish or in the co-official language of the region. Examples from the list:
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Its Faculty of Optics and Optometry offers the bachelor's degree and a double degree. The university states that it was the first in Spain to teach optics.
- Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Four academic years, 55 places, taught in Spanish and Galician, registered in the RUCT, the Spanish register of official degrees, under code 2502224.
- Universidad de Granada, Universidad de Alicante and Universidad de Murcia. Each offers the bachelor's degree in Óptica y Optometría.
Admission to a Spanish public university follows the general rules for bachelor's degrees: the Spanish university entrance exam (PAU) or, for students from other education systems, the accreditation procedure run by UNED. Places are limited, so the admission mark matters.
Outside Spain, Anglia Ruskin University teaches its MOptom in Cambridge. For the physics branch, the University of Alabama in Huntsville offers Optical Science and Engineering, which it describes as moving from the fundamental physics of light to the design and development of new optical systems.
Careers
Most graduates in optics and optometry work in optical shops and optometry practices: eye examinations, prescribing and fitting glasses and contact lenses, low-vision aids and visual therapy. Others work in eye clinics and hospitals alongside ophthalmologists, in the lens and instrument industry, or in research and teaching. The Universidad Complutense de Madrid describes the Spanish job market for optician-optometrists as having a high level of employment and moderate growth expectations.
Official figures exist for the United States. The BLS counts 45,100 optometrist jobs in 2025 and projects growth of 10 percent from 2025 to 2035; for opticians it counts 74,300 jobs and projects growth of 4 percent. Graduates of the physics branch work in photonics, telecommunications, imaging, lasers and instrument design.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an optician, an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?
An optician fits and supplies glasses and contact lenses. An optometrist examines eyes and prescribes corrective lenses. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who treats eye disease and performs surgery. In Spain the first two roles are combined in one profession, the optician-optometrist.
How long does the degree take in Spain?
Four years. The official bachelor's degree in Óptica y Optometría has 240 ECTS credits.
Can I work in Spain with a foreign optometry degree?
Not automatically. Optician-optometrist is a regulated profession in Spain, so a foreign degree must first be recognised by the Spanish authorities.
Is optics the same as photonics?
No. Photonics is the physics and engineering branch of optics, concerned with lasers, optical fibres and optical systems. It is studied through physics or engineering degrees, not through optometry.