The Optometry courses of the Zaccagnini Institute are aimed at qualified Opticians and vision professionals who wish to make a quantum leap in the practice of their profession and be able to deal with all vision-related problems and improve the eyesight and general well-being of ametropic subjects. These courses have been designed to provide the scientific knowledge and clinical skills required to practice as an Optometrist.
Postgraduate Courses in Optometry are available:
Admission to the course is open to a limited number of students.
Postgraduate Courses in Optometry are available:
- in the annual full-time version at the Bologna and Milano sites;
- in the two-year student-worker version, which allows opticians working in other provinces or regions to attend. The two-year course is available both at the Bologna and the Milan campuses
- The curriculum of the specialization courses in Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute is the most comprehensive in Italy in terms of programs, disciplines and practical exercises.
Admission to the course is open to a limited number of students.
Admission requirements to Specialisation Courses in Optometry
The one-year and two-year specialisation courses in Optometry are reserved for holders of a “Diploma to Practise the Auxiliary Art of the Health Professions as Optician” obtained in Italy or abroad (to be documented as required by the law).
The Study Plan
The curriculum and the syllabus have been designed with the aim for Optometrists to acquire the scientific knowledge and professional skills that are part of the Optometrist's cultural and professional background, while at the same time allowing them to complete their training and make a quantum leap in their profession and be able to cater for a wider range of vision problems for the benefit of a large population of ametropic clients.
Participation in the Course includes professional clinical experience to consolidate the clinical skills and competencies acquired through placements in professional facilities.
Assignments in Optometry Courses
The course aims at providing the Optometrist’s scientific knowledge and skills and has multiple objectives:
Participation in the Course includes professional clinical experience to consolidate the clinical skills and competencies acquired through placements in professional facilities.
Assignments in Optometry Courses
| OPTOMETRY COURSE CURRICULUM | |||||
| Materials | Teaching Methods | Total Hours | |||
| Classroom lessons | Clinical practice | Evaluations | |||
| Biomedical area: | |||||
| Biochemistry and Microbiology | 25 | - | 5 | 30 | |
| Pathophysiology of the anterior segment of the eye | 35 | - | 5 | 40 | |
| Pathophysiology of the posterior segment of the eye | 35 | - | 5 | 40 | |
| Psychology | 20 | - | 5 | 25 | |
| Optometry area: | |||||
| Physiological and Ophthalmic Optics | 25 | - | 5 | 30 | |
| Eye semiotics | 20 | 20 | 10 | 50 | |
| Refraction examination | 30 | 50 | 10 | 90 | |
| Contact Lens Practice I | 30 | 50 | 10 | 90 | |
| Contact Lens Practice II | 30 | 50 | 10 | 90 | |
| Psychophysics | 30 | - | 5 | 35 | |
| Binocular vision | 40 | 30 | 10 | 80 | |
| Binocular vision abnormalities | 40 | 30 | 10 | 80 | |
| Low vision | 20 | 10 | 5 | 35 | |
| Optometric investigation methods | 20 | 30 | 10 | 60 | |
| Diagnostics and prescription in Optometry | 20 | 30 | 10 | 60 | |
| Specialist optometry seminars | 20 | - | - | 20 | |
| Preparatory and supplementary subjects: | |||||
| Scientific Research Methods | 15 | - | 15 | ||
| Economics and Management of the Optical Business | 25 | - | 5 | 30 | |
| Clinical Internship (optional) | - | 100 | - | 100 | |
| E-learning supplements (optional) | - | - | - | 200 | |
| Poster or individual thesis | - | - | - | 100 | |
| Total | 480 | 400 | 120 | 1300 | |
The course aims at providing the Optometrist’s scientific knowledge and skills and has multiple objectives:
- learn the principles, functioning and clinical use of basic and advanced ophthalmic instrumentation;
- understand, analyze and evaluate vision in its complexity;
- prescribe the most suitable compensatory, corrective, or rehabilitation aids to restore and/or improve visual skills and visual function as a whole;
- Identify and recognize symptomatic signs of ocular abnormalities to direct the user to appropriate medical examinations.
Limited number
The maximum number of students admitted to each course is 30.
Courses with integrated and flexible learning
Traditional didactics is integrated with the most advanced digital technologies, giving students the opportunity to attend lessons in person, live streaming or watch video recordings at a later time.
In addition, teaching materials are shared by teachers in real time, so that studying becomes easier and more effective and learning and academic success are optimised.
In addition, teaching materials are shared by teachers in real time, so that studying becomes easier and more effective and learning and academic success are optimised.
Students who have not completed their exams within the set period
Students have six years to complete the one-year full-time course and seven years to complete the two-year student worker course. During this period, and without any additional charge, they are full students and are therefore eligible to attend:
- Lectures, practical exercises and all teaching activities;
- Examinations;
- School services and supports.
Postgraduate Optometry Courses – available formats
In order to facilitate student attendance and meet their different needs, the Institute offers two types of courses:
At the end of the lessons of each term there is an exam session on the assignments included in the term just ended.
In order to obtain the Specialization Certificate in Optometry, students need to pass the examinations of the 16 subjects in the Syllabus and to discuss their final thesis in a traditional or a Poster format. The starting date of the Annual Specialization Course in Optometry in Bologna and Milan is Tuesday, 10th October 2023.
The Open Days will take place on the dates in the "Orientation" section.
In order to obtain their Specialization Certificate in Optometry students need to pass the examinations of the 16 assignments of the syllabus and to discuss their final Thesis in a traditional or a Poster format.
The starting date of the two-year Specialization Course in Optometry in Bologna and Milan is Monday, 9th October 2023.
The Open Days will take place on the dates listed in the "Orientation" section
Duration, class schedule and structure of the one-year full-time course
The Annual Optometry Course consists of 125 days for 880 hours of lectures of which 400 are dedicated to hands-on exercises and clinical practice. The course is divided into three terms with lectures scheduled from October to July from Tuesday to Thursday and free attendance of clinical practice on Fridays.At the end of the lessons of each term there is an exam session on the assignments included in the term just ended.
In order to obtain the Specialization Certificate in Optometry, students need to pass the examinations of the 16 subjects in the Syllabus and to discuss their final thesis in a traditional or a Poster format. The starting date of the Annual Specialization Course in Optometry in Bologna and Milan is Tuesday, 10th October 2023.
The Open Days will take place on the dates in the "Orientation" section.
Duration, Class Schedule and Structure of the two-year part-time Course
The two-year Optometry Course is spread over 24 months and includes 615 lecture hours of which 255 hours are dedicated to hands-on exercises and clinical practice. Attendance is on average three Mondays each month, with a break of about one and a half months between December and January and another of equal length from mid-July to September.In order to obtain their Specialization Certificate in Optometry students need to pass the examinations of the 16 assignments of the syllabus and to discuss their final Thesis in a traditional or a Poster format.
The starting date of the two-year Specialization Course in Optometry in Bologna and Milan is Monday, 9th October 2023.
The Open Days will take place on the dates listed in the "Orientation" section
Postgraduate Optometry Course Locations
BOLOGNA One and two-year course
Istituto Zaccagnini di Via Gherardo Gherardini 17, 40141
telefono 051 480994
e-mail segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
MILANO One and two-year course
Istituto Zaccagnini di via Daniele Crespi 9, 20123
telefono 028372000
e-mail segreteria.mi@istitutozaccagnini.it
Both locations are easy to reach, served by public transport and local and national railway lines and are connected to airports.
TURIN Two-year course
c/o Ottica Amica via S.G. Canavese 31, 10142
Tel +39 051 480994
e-mail segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
VENICE MESTRE Two-year course
c/o Fondazione Banca degli Occhi - Padiglione G Rama - Ospedale dell'Angelo, Via Paccagnella, 11, 30174 Zelarino (Venezia)
Tel +39 051 480994
e-mail segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.i
Istituto Zaccagnini di Via Gherardo Gherardini 17, 40141
telefono 051 480994
e-mail segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
MILANO One and two-year course
Istituto Zaccagnini di via Daniele Crespi 9, 20123
telefono 028372000
e-mail segreteria.mi@istitutozaccagnini.it
Both locations are easy to reach, served by public transport and local and national railway lines and are connected to airports.
TURIN Two-year course
c/o Ottica Amica via S.G. Canavese 31, 10142
Tel +39 051 480994
e-mail segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
VENICE MESTRE Two-year course
c/o Fondazione Banca degli Occhi - Padiglione G Rama - Ospedale dell'Angelo, Via Paccagnella, 11, 30174 Zelarino (Venezia)
Tel +39 051 480994
e-mail segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.i
Admissions and enrolment in Specialization Courses in Optometry
Admission to the specialization course in Optometry is reserved for holder of a “Qualification Diploma in the exercise of the auxiliary art of the health professions as Optician”.
The maximum number of students admitted in each academic year is 30 for each course.
Enrolment or pre-enrolment in each school year is open from December of the previous year. Students attending the final year of courses qualifying for the profession of optician may pre-enrol.
For pre-enrolment or enrolment in the Specialisation Course in Optometry, students need to fill in the form below and pay a pre-enrolment fee of 200.00 Euro.
Within two working days, applicants will be informed by the Secretary's office of the provisional acceptance of their application and whether they have been included in the annually programmed number of admitted students or have been placed on a waiting list.
All the equipment and teaching tools - textbooks, handouts, streaming and platform video lessons, laboratory materials needed for classroom lessons, practical exercises and all learning activities - are included in the tuition fee and provided by the Zaccagnini Institute.
At the beginning of the school year, each student will receive a bag, a lab coat, a notepad, a pen, an 8 GB USB card and an ID badge allowing them access to the study rooms, the School Information System and the physical and virtual libraries.
In addition, students who have not taken or passed all their exams have the opportunity to attend classes again and/or sit them in the following five school years without any additional fees.
The enrolment and attendance fee for the 2023/2024 school year is EUR 1,000.00 upon enrolment and EUR 5,500.00 to be paid either in instalments or as a lump sum.
Scholarships are available to cover up to 50% of the school fees, which can be accessed upon request based on objective parameters such as income, family composition, distance of residence from the campus and scholastic merit.
All the equipment and teaching tools - textbooks, handouts, streaming and platform-based video lectures, laboratory materials needed for classroom lessons, practical exercises and all teaching activities - are included in the tuition fee and provided by the Zaccagnini Institute.
At the beginning of the school year, each student will receive a bag, a lab coat, a notepad, a pen, an 8 GB USB card and an ID badge allowing them access to study rooms, the School Information System and the physical and virtual libraries.
In addition, students who have not taken or passed all their exams have the opportunity to attend their classes them again and/or take their exams in the following five school years without any additional charges.
The enrolment and attendance fee for the 2023/2024 school year is € 1,000.00 at the time of enrolment and € 6,000.00 to be paid either in instalments or as a lump sum.
Scholarships are available to cover up to 50% of the school fees, which can be accessed upon request based on objective parameters such as income, family composition, distance of residence from the campus and scholastic merit.
Secretary
The secretary's office is at the service of students to assist with enrolment, to schedule a school visit or an individual interview from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following contacts
Bologna: tel: +39 051/480994 e-mail: segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
Milan: tel: +39 02/8372000 e-mail: segreteria.mi@istitutozaccagnini.it
The maximum number of students admitted in each academic year is 30 for each course.
Enrolment or pre-enrolment in each school year is open from December of the previous year. Students attending the final year of courses qualifying for the profession of optician may pre-enrol.
For pre-enrolment or enrolment in the Specialisation Course in Optometry, students need to fill in the form below and pay a pre-enrolment fee of 200.00 Euro.
Within two working days, applicants will be informed by the Secretary's office of the provisional acceptance of their application and whether they have been included in the annually programmed number of admitted students or have been placed on a waiting list.
Tuition fees for the one-year Specialization Course in Optometry
The tuition fees for the Postgraduate Course in Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute include all tuition costs and a wide range of supplementary educational services, aids and commodities.All the equipment and teaching tools - textbooks, handouts, streaming and platform video lessons, laboratory materials needed for classroom lessons, practical exercises and all learning activities - are included in the tuition fee and provided by the Zaccagnini Institute.
At the beginning of the school year, each student will receive a bag, a lab coat, a notepad, a pen, an 8 GB USB card and an ID badge allowing them access to the study rooms, the School Information System and the physical and virtual libraries.
In addition, students who have not taken or passed all their exams have the opportunity to attend classes again and/or sit them in the following five school years without any additional fees.
The enrolment and attendance fee for the 2023/2024 school year is EUR 1,000.00 upon enrolment and EUR 5,500.00 to be paid either in instalments or as a lump sum.
Scholarships are available to cover up to 50% of the school fees, which can be accessed upon request based on objective parameters such as income, family composition, distance of residence from the campus and scholastic merit.
Tuition fees for the two-year Specialization Course in Optometry
The tuition fees for the Specialization Course in Optometry at IBZ include all tuition costs and a wide range of supplementary learning services, aids and commodities.All the equipment and teaching tools - textbooks, handouts, streaming and platform-based video lectures, laboratory materials needed for classroom lessons, practical exercises and all teaching activities - are included in the tuition fee and provided by the Zaccagnini Institute.
At the beginning of the school year, each student will receive a bag, a lab coat, a notepad, a pen, an 8 GB USB card and an ID badge allowing them access to study rooms, the School Information System and the physical and virtual libraries.
In addition, students who have not taken or passed all their exams have the opportunity to attend their classes them again and/or take their exams in the following five school years without any additional charges.
The enrolment and attendance fee for the 2023/2024 school year is € 1,000.00 at the time of enrolment and € 6,000.00 to be paid either in instalments or as a lump sum.
Scholarships are available to cover up to 50% of the school fees, which can be accessed upon request based on objective parameters such as income, family composition, distance of residence from the campus and scholastic merit.
Secretary
The secretary's office is at the service of students to assist with enrolment, to schedule a school visit or an individual interview from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following contacts
Bologna: tel: +39 051/480994 e-mail: segreteria@istitutozaccagnini.it
Milan: tel: +39 02/8372000 e-mail: segreteria.mi@istitutozaccagnini.it
The strengths of the 'vocational school' system at the Zaccagnini Institute
All our courses accept a limited number of students in order to ensure the highest level of assistance by teachers and tutors, who are key reference points for students in their respective professional contexts and come from the world of education, profession and research.
Commodities, media and teaching aids
All the equipment and teaching tools, textbooks, handouts and video lectures available on the e-learning platform, lab materials and lab coats, necessary for classroom lessons, practical exercises and all teaching activities are provided by the Zaccagnini Institute.
At the start of the Course, each student will receive an ID badge that allows access to the Institute and school services.
Continuing education and professional development
The Specialization Course in Optometry opens the door to a series of continuing education pathways to acquire additional skills and for expanded occupational opportunities in the field Optometry at all levels including, for example, Advanced Courses and Clinical Master’s degrees in optical and optometric subjects and disciplines.
- All teaching materials and video recordings of lectures are always available to students on the learning platform.
- The optometry and contact lens clinics - the largest of the Italian optical schools - are equipped with state-of-the-art ophthalmic instrumentation.
- The library with texts in English and Italian is available to students both in physical and virtual format.
- Internships in Italy and abroad can be carried out at leading opticians’ firms to validate and implement the concepts learnt at School.
Commodities, media and teaching aids
All the equipment and teaching tools, textbooks, handouts and video lectures available on the e-learning platform, lab materials and lab coats, necessary for classroom lessons, practical exercises and all teaching activities are provided by the Zaccagnini Institute.
At the start of the Course, each student will receive an ID badge that allows access to the Institute and school services.
Continuing education and professional development
The Specialization Course in Optometry opens the door to a series of continuing education pathways to acquire additional skills and for expanded occupational opportunities in the field Optometry at all levels including, for example, Advanced Courses and Clinical Master’s degrees in optical and optometric subjects and disciplines.
Insight: Optometry and the Optometrist, three things you need to know
What is Optometry?
Optometry is a scientific and health-related discipline that brings together a body of knowledge in optics, physics, ophthalmology and physiology, neuroscience, ocular physiopathology, specific techniques and rehabilitation protocols, especially in the area of contact lens practice, to treat vision defects and improve eyesight through the use of non-medical techniques, i.e. excluding the use of drugs and surgery.
Optometric activities includes:
Although Optometry is not yet identified as a profession in Italy, in addition to being a subject of study in optical courses since 1992, it is an established discipline and a recognized health profession in 92 countries. In the United States, it originated over a hundred years ago, more precisely in 1886 thanks to the studies of Edmund Landolt (1846-1926). The first Optometrist's license was awarded to Charles Prentice in New York in 1897. The first law regulating optometry was passed in Minnesota in 1901.
In Anglo-Saxon countries (primarily the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and former Commonwealth countries) and many Northern European countries (UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Germany, Latvia and Denmark), the professional qualification of an optometrist is obtained by attending university courses and practice is carried out in collaboration with ophthalmologists, opticians and other health professionals and with agreements with the National Health Service.
Their work in the scientific field has led to the development of research in Physiological Optics, visual sciences and contact lenses.
Who practices Optometry in Italy?
The practice of Optometry in Italy is carried out by qualified opticians who have completed a Specialisation Course in Optometry at a public or private institute or have studied abroad.
The Italian optometrist is a health professional who treats vision defects with optical-physical means or rehabilitation therapies intending to improve visual functioning skills with non-medical techniques, i.e. excluding the use of drugs and surgery. Optometrists carry out their practice using their knowledge of physical, ophthalmic and physiological optics and optometric and refractive techniques, with contact lens and low-vision rehabilitation.
Why study Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute?
The Specialization Courses in Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute are the most extensive and comprehensive courses in Italy in terms of the breadth of the programs, the number of hours and classes and the time devoted to practical exercises and clinical practice.
Over time, the Zaccagnini Institute has created a culture of interdisciplinarity within its Faculty, which is essential for an educational facility that has always been devoted to teaching and education of professionals who deal with eyesight and vision problems from an optometric perspective.
The importance of this approach in the IBZ's activities derives from two contributing factors.
The first is the now over 20-year old tradition of the Interdisciplinary Congress, which has featured with time a large number of specialists and researchers in vision-related defects and eye health, i.e. GP’s, Ophthalmologists, Opticians, Optometrists, Orthoptists, Psychologists, Neuroscience specialists and Physicists.
The second element is the experience gained, in partnership with Aston University in Birmingham, in the development of the BSc degree course in Optometry and Clinical Practices, which brought IBZ faculty face to face with the principles that govern UK universities and the Anglo-Saxon culture of Optics and Optometry.
The History of the Postgraduate Courses in Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute
The one and two-year Courses in Optometry were held for the first time in Bologna in 1984, and since then they have been repeated every year also in other locations and since 2018 in the new IBZ campus in Milan.
The Specialization Courses in Optometry for the 2021/2022 school year, held at the Bologna, Milan, Turin and Venice-Mestre venues, were attended by over 2800 students and professionals from all over Italy and abroad and were taught by well-known specialists from the Institute's faculty and Visiting Professors mainly from the Anglo-Saxon world.
Over time, the Courses have made a fundamental contribution to the knowledge of Optometry and Contact Lens Practice, thanks to their interdisciplinary design integrated with professional practice, especially for contact lens fitting professionals.
Optometry is a scientific and health-related discipline that brings together a body of knowledge in optics, physics, ophthalmology and physiology, neuroscience, ocular physiopathology, specific techniques and rehabilitation protocols, especially in the area of contact lens practice, to treat vision defects and improve eyesight through the use of non-medical techniques, i.e. excluding the use of drugs and surgery.
Optometric activities includes:
- the determination and assessment of the refractive state of the eye and other physiological and functional conditions necessary for vision;
- the determination of corrective and compensatory ophthalmic measures;
- the selection, identification, supply and fitting of an entire range of optical aids, primarily spectacles and contact lenses;
- the protection, maintenance, enhancement and improvement of visual performance;
- identification of signs of any abnormalities, the treatment of which is the responsibility of a medical doctor.
Although Optometry is not yet identified as a profession in Italy, in addition to being a subject of study in optical courses since 1992, it is an established discipline and a recognized health profession in 92 countries. In the United States, it originated over a hundred years ago, more precisely in 1886 thanks to the studies of Edmund Landolt (1846-1926). The first Optometrist's license was awarded to Charles Prentice in New York in 1897. The first law regulating optometry was passed in Minnesota in 1901.
In Anglo-Saxon countries (primarily the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and former Commonwealth countries) and many Northern European countries (UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Germany, Latvia and Denmark), the professional qualification of an optometrist is obtained by attending university courses and practice is carried out in collaboration with ophthalmologists, opticians and other health professionals and with agreements with the National Health Service.
Their work in the scientific field has led to the development of research in Physiological Optics, visual sciences and contact lenses.
Who practices Optometry in Italy?
The practice of Optometry in Italy is carried out by qualified opticians who have completed a Specialisation Course in Optometry at a public or private institute or have studied abroad.
The Italian optometrist is a health professional who treats vision defects with optical-physical means or rehabilitation therapies intending to improve visual functioning skills with non-medical techniques, i.e. excluding the use of drugs and surgery. Optometrists carry out their practice using their knowledge of physical, ophthalmic and physiological optics and optometric and refractive techniques, with contact lens and low-vision rehabilitation.
Why study Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute?
The Specialization Courses in Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute are the most extensive and comprehensive courses in Italy in terms of the breadth of the programs, the number of hours and classes and the time devoted to practical exercises and clinical practice.
Over time, the Zaccagnini Institute has created a culture of interdisciplinarity within its Faculty, which is essential for an educational facility that has always been devoted to teaching and education of professionals who deal with eyesight and vision problems from an optometric perspective.
The importance of this approach in the IBZ's activities derives from two contributing factors.
The first is the now over 20-year old tradition of the Interdisciplinary Congress, which has featured with time a large number of specialists and researchers in vision-related defects and eye health, i.e. GP’s, Ophthalmologists, Opticians, Optometrists, Orthoptists, Psychologists, Neuroscience specialists and Physicists.
The second element is the experience gained, in partnership with Aston University in Birmingham, in the development of the BSc degree course in Optometry and Clinical Practices, which brought IBZ faculty face to face with the principles that govern UK universities and the Anglo-Saxon culture of Optics and Optometry.
The History of the Postgraduate Courses in Optometry at the Zaccagnini Institute
The one and two-year Courses in Optometry were held for the first time in Bologna in 1984, and since then they have been repeated every year also in other locations and since 2018 in the new IBZ campus in Milan.
The Specialization Courses in Optometry for the 2021/2022 school year, held at the Bologna, Milan, Turin and Venice-Mestre venues, were attended by over 2800 students and professionals from all over Italy and abroad and were taught by well-known specialists from the Institute's faculty and Visiting Professors mainly from the Anglo-Saxon world.
Over time, the Courses have made a fundamental contribution to the knowledge of Optometry and Contact Lens Practice, thanks to their interdisciplinary design integrated with professional practice, especially for contact lens fitting professionals.