At Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, Canada, Optician Diploma is offered as a diploma in Health Sciences programme. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 43,268 per total.
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Health Sciences
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
International tuition: CAD 43,268 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
VCC's Optician Diploma is a post-degree diploma delivered full-time over four academic terms, to be completed within three years of starting. The curriculum is built around the National Competencies for Canadian Opticians set by the National Alliance of Canadian Optician Regulators, covering optics, ocular anatomy, physiology and pathology, the dispensing of eyeglasses, contact lenses and low-vision devices, vision assessment using automated refraction systems, patient-centred care and education, and business management as it applies to an opticianry practice. Admission requires Grade 12 graduation or equivalent, English Studies 12 with a minimum C- grade or equivalent, Foundations of Math 11 with a minimum C grade or equivalent, and a Criminal Record Check once accepted. VCC frames the program for students who want to become opticians and who show, in its words, a sincere interest in working with patients in a sales environment, along with qualities such as strong hand-eye coordination and good computer skills. The diploma combines clinical and business content, so it suits students aiming specifically at dispensing-optician practice rather than a broader eye-care or health-sciences credential. At the time this page was reviewed, VCC listed the diploma as suspended and not accepting applications.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires Grade 12 graduation or equivalent, English Studies 12 with a minimum 'C-' grade or equivalent, and Foundations of Math 11 with a minimum 'C' grade or equivalent. There is no stated standardized English-language test score such as IELTS or TOEFL; VCC's own English Studies 12 or its equivalent is the accepted route. Accepted students must complete a Criminal Record Check; a result flagging risk to vulnerable populations bars completion of the programme's practicum requirements and graduation, and students may need a site-specific orientation before their first practicum placement. Applicants missing the English or math prerequisite can use VCC's tuition-free academic upgrading, university transfer, or ESL courses to become eligible before applying to this diploma.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through EducationPlannerBC. VCC publishes each programme's own application window, term by term, on its When to Apply page rather than one college-wide date: windows open roughly six to twenty months before the term starts and close on a stated date, though popular programmes can close earlier once seats fill, since places generally go to eligible applicants in the order their application is completed. International applicants use the International Applicant option on EducationPlannerBC; VCC opens international applications on 1 February of the previous year for Winter entry, 1 June for Spring/Summer, and 1 October for Fall, with no fixed closing date — applications continue until roughly three to four months before the term begins or until it fills, so admission is effectively rolling for international applicants. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
