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The Optometry Board of Australia (the Board) is responsible for the regulation of optometrists in Australia. The Board has assigned and provides funding to the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ) for the purpose of carrying out its accreditation functions under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).
OCANZ is the accreditation authority responsible for performing accreditation functions for the optometry profession. These functions include assessment of programs of study in Australia and assessment of international-qualified optometrists seeking registration in Australia.
Accreditation functions within the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) assure the Board that applicants for registration are suitably qualified to practise in a competent and ethical manner.
The document below aims to provide guidance on the functions and responsibilities of entities involved in the accreditation process of programs of study and education providers.
Accreditation function - Overview of the role and responsibilities of OptomBA OCANZ and Ahpra (70.8 KB,PDF)
More information is found under Accreditation on the Ahpra website.
One of the objectives of the National Scheme is to facilitate the provision of high-quality education and training of health practitioners. The accreditation and approval of programs of study is the primary way of achieving this.
OCANZ provides accreditation reports to the Board on the programs of study it has assessed and accredited. The Board then may approve, or refuse to approve, the accredited program of study as providing a qualification for the purposes of registration. The Board’s approval may be subject to conditions.
An online search is available for all Optometry Approved Program of Study approved by the Board.
If accreditation conditions apply to the approved programs of study please refer to OCANZ’s Accredited Programs of Study webpage for further information.
An online search is available for Inactive Programs of Study for programs that are no longer delivered by an education provider or are no longer approved by the National Board.
Optometrists trained outside Australia and New Zealand seeking registration with a non-approved program of study may still qualify for registration under section 53 of the National Law. More information is found on the Board’s International practitioners webpage.
If accreditation conditions apply, please refer to the OCANZ website for further details of the accreditation conditions.
Accreditation standards help to ensure that education providers and their programs give students the knowledge, skills and professional attributes to competently practise in the profession in Australia.
The following accreditation standards are published in accordance with section 47(6) of the National Law. These standards are also published under OCANZ’s Accreditation webpage.
PDF (499KB)
Word version (160 KB,DOCX)
Accreditation Standards and Evidence Guide for Entry-Level Optometry Programs
Word version (225 KB,DOCX)
Accreditation standard for post-graduate ocular therapeutics
Retired version
Accreditation Standards and Evidence Guide for Entry-Level Optometry Programs - Part 2
These have been superseded by Accreditation Standards and Evidence Guide for Entry-Level Optometry Programs - 1 January 2023.
PDF (803KB)
Word version (179 KB,DOCX)
PDF (760KB)
Accreditation manual for postgraduate programs of study in ocular therapeutics – part 2 – standards – August 2013.
These have been superseded by Accreditation standards and evidence guide for programs of study in ocular therapeutics - 1 January 2018
Accreditation manual for optometry programs in Australia and New Zealand - Part 1 - Process and procedures.
These have been superseded by the Accreditation Procedures Guide - 1 January 2022.