Contact Lens Practice - Level 6 Diploma

This course offers the opportunity to gain an ABDO Level 6 Diploma in Contact Lens Practice, taught through day-release, face-to-face delivery alongside your professional career.

The diploma leads to specialist status within the optical profession, enabling you to fit and manage contact lenses in accordance with the General Optical Council’s (GOC) Contact Lens Speciality Register requirements. The programme combines college-based teaching with supervised clinical experience in practice, ensuring you develop both theoretical knowledge and practical competence.

Contact Lens Opticians play a crucial clinical role in assessing patient suitability for contact lenses, fitting lenses, managing aftercare and advising patients on safe lens wear. Upon successful completion of the ABDO examinations and the required supervised experience, students can register on the GOC Specialist Contact Lens Register.

This programme is subject to ABDO and GOC approval.

For information on our Higher Education policies, including admissions, fees, and student contracts, please see the links below:

• Complaints Policy
• Fees Policy
• HE Admissions Policy
• HE Student Contract
• HE Student Protection Plan

For our full list of policies, governance and fees, please see our website’s policy page.

The course follows the ABDO Level 6 Diploma in Contact Lens Practice syllabus, which prepares students for the ABDO theory and practical examinations. Core content includes:

• Anatomical and physiological principles relevant to contact lenses
• Visual optics and design principles of contact lenses
• Clinical contact lens practice, assessment and aftercare
• Practical skills in fitting and managing a range of lens types
• Case record development and reflective practice
• Preparation for ABDO theory and practical assessments

Learning is delivered through face-to-face sessions at college (one day per week), combined with supervised clinical practice with an ABDO and GOC-registered practitioner. You will also complete structured case records and supervised hours to meet ABDO and GOC requirements.

You must:

• Be a qualified Dispensing Optician holding a Level 6 qualification (e.g. ABDO Level 6 Diploma in Ophthalmic Dispensing)
• Be registered with the ABDO and GOC as a Dispensing Optician for the duration of study
• Undertake supervised practice one day per week under the direction of a GOC-registered Contact Lens Optician or Optometrist (minimum post-registration period of two years).

Additional requirements may include an interview with Capital City College.

Assessment includes:

• ABDO theory examinations covering anatomy, optics and clinical principles
• Practical assessments, including case records, supervised clinical experience and a practical examination set by ABDO
• Reflective portfolio submission to demonstrate achievement of GOC Outcomes for Registration in the Speciality of Contact Lens Practice

Adults - Level 6

You or your employer need to pay full fees for this course.

To enrol, you need to meet residency criteria:

• You must be allowed to live, work and study in the UK without any conditions.
• There are some exceptions, such as certain visa types.

Check here which documents you need to show us, and which visa types are allowed.

Some courses have additional costs, such as for specialist materials and trips.

You or your employer will need to pay the full course fees.

To enrol, you need to meet residency criteria:

• You must be allowed to live, work and study in the UK without any conditions. There are some exceptions, such as certain visa types.

Tuition Fees: £4,500 per year

Please note that this course is not eligible for funding by a Student Finance England Loan or an Advanced Learner Loan. For more information on financial support please visit our course fees page.

Additional Costs
In addition to the annual tuition fees, there will be additional costs associated with your programme, including:

• Professional examinations with ABDO
• ABDO Practice Visit and Portfolio submission
• ABDO and GOC student membership fees
• Reading materials
• Equipment for personal use in both college and in practice, such as a trial frame, lens flippers, Jackson cross-cylinder and occluders.

Further information on these costs will be given at enrolment/induction, as they are set by external organisations and are subject to change.

Successful completion enables registration as a Contact Lens Optician on the General Optical Council’s Speciality Register, opening opportunities in optical practices, clinics and specialist contact lens services.