Diploma in Opticianry is a diploma in Optometry programme offered by Georgian College in Barrie, Canada. The programme runs for 4 semesters, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 7,619 per semester (CAD 3,118 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Optometry
Duration: 4 semesters
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 3,118 / semester
International tuition: CAD 7,619 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
In this program, students experience a unique blend of health care and professional service. Through theory and practical experience in labs, students learn to competently dispense eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision devices, as well as learn about basic refraction. Students gain a strong foundation of ocular sciences in optics and anatomy and are provided the expertise necessary to lay out and edge lenses for frame insertion, as well as repair, customize and modify eyewear to the patient/clients’ needs. Emphasis is also placed on critical thinking, problem solving, and entrepreneurial skills. Students learn how to use effective sales techniques and enhance communication and interpersonal skills in order to be successful in the optical retail environment. Upon successful completion of the academic and co-operative education semesters, students are eligible to write the national registration examinations (NACOR) which allow them, if successful, to practice in Canada as a Registered Optician.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Two-year Ontario College Diploma with co-op. Entry needs an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, or mature student status, with Grade 12 English (C or U), Grade 12 Mathematics (C or U), and one of Grade 11 or 12 Biology (C or U), Chemistry at Grade 11 (U) or Grade 12 (C or U), or Physics at Grade 11 or 12 (U) or Grade 12 (C). Selection rests on the admission requirements and academic grades, applicants must reach minimum averages to receive final acceptance, and first-year enrolment is limited — so meeting the minimum entrance requirements does not by itself secure a place.
Registration for the national NACOR examinations, which follows the program, requires all academic semesters to be passed, two co-operative work terms completed, 1,000 hours of supervised dispensing experience, 250 eyeglass fittings across the specified categories, 15 soft contact lens fittings and 5 rigid lens fittings, plus registration as an Intern Optician with the College of Opticians of Ontario. That regulator requires everyone applying for Registered Optician status to complete criminal record screening and mandatory reporting, disclosing outstanding charges or findings of guilt in Canada or elsewhere, any bail conditions or other restrictions tied to a charge, and allegations covered by its process.
Georgian publishes one set of academic prerequisites here for both applicant groups: domestic applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca, while international applicants apply through Georgian's own applicant portal, where overseas qualifications are assessed against these Ontario courses. English, for any applicant whose first language is not English or who comes from a country where English is not an official language: Georgian's college-level band — IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 79, TOEFL paper 550, PTE Academic 58, Duolingo 110, CAEL 60, Cambridge C1 Advanced 170 or TOEIC public test 800 — with results older than two years refused.
Application Details
Start Date:Intakes Georgian lists on this program's own page (checked 6 September 2026): Fall 2026 at Barrie; Winter 2027 at Barrie; Fall 2027 at Barrie. Campus names are the ones Georgian gives for each start; not every campus runs every intake. On Georgian's academic calendar for standard 14-week programs, the fall term opens with orientation on 8 September 2026 and classes on 9 September 2026; the winter term opens with orientation on 11 January 2027 and classes on 12 January 2027; the fall term opens with orientation on 7 September 2027 and classes on 8 September 2027. Individual programs vary from that pattern.
Application Deadline:Georgian publishes no deadline unique to this program, and it is not on the college's highly competitive list for Fall 2026 entry. The dates below are the college-wide ones.
DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca. 1 February is the equal consideration date: an application received on or before it is weighed alongside every other application received by then, while later ones are handled in the order they arrive for as long as seats last. Georgian's own worked example ties each 1 February to the fall, winter and summer that follow, so the date now in force is 1 February 2027 for entry in Fall 2027, Winter 2028 or Summer 2028. Letters of acceptance for most programs start going out on 1 November (1 November 2026 in the current cycle) and keep going until a program fills; an offer is confirmed back through ontariocolleges.ca by the deadline printed on it, normally 1 May (1 May 2027 this cycle), and only one offer may be held at a time. Late applicants can still receive an offer as far as the fifth day of the term. For a program in this category Georgian normally keeps accepting applicants after 1 February — check ontariocolleges.ca for current availability.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS have no fixed cut-off. They apply directly to Georgian through its own applicant portal, which is also where a program's availability to international students is shown, and applications are taken year-round subject to that availability — Georgian warns that a program open when you apply can be closed by the time your file is assessed, and urges applying early enough to leave time for a study permit. A CAD 100 application fee applies, and a seat is only held once the pre-admission invoice is accepted and the non-refundable CAD 2,500 deposit is paid.
