Registrations are open for the Australian College of Optometry’s (ACO’s) 2026 certificate course lineup, including the new certificate in advanced ocular therapeutics.

Continuing its commitment to evidence-based practical education for optometrists, ACO develops its courses with leading clinicians and academics to equip optometrists with hands-on skills and knowledge to enhance patient care, said Shazia Tahseen, ACO education services manager.

Each course combines online learning, live webinars and hands-on clinical placements, allowing practising optometrists to upskill without disrupting their day-to-day work. Participants learn directly from expert clinicians, discuss real-world cases with peers and gain practical experience that builds confidence and supports improved patient care, Tahseen said. “It’s important that our certificate programmes continue to evolve alongside the profession, giving optometrists the tools and confidence to take the next step in their practice.”

Kerikeri-based optometrist Jason Kumar said he did ACO’s 2025 advanced contact lenses course because he was interested in increasing his knowledge on keratoconus and improving his fitting skills with corneal and scleral lenses. "I developed a better understanding of which advanced lenses are suitable for different eye conditions, such as keratoconus, post-graft, or post-trauma,” he said. "My favourite topic was mini-scleral lenses. This is an emerging area of advanced contact-lens practice which is more complex than other options, such as more traditional corneal lenses. I enjoyed this module as it was comprehensive and covered this topic in great detail."

While the New Year sees the return of industry favourites, such as the certificates in children’s vision (9 February start), glaucoma (16 March) and advanced contact lenses (20 April), a new certificate in advanced ocular therapeutics (1 June) also joins the suite to equip Australian optometrists for regulatory changes currently under consideration by the Optometry Board of Australia, said Tahseen.

New format for 2026 – short courses

Expanding the educators’ suite of CPD programmes, ACO’s new short-course format is a flexible, online pathway for optometrists to upskill in key practice areas, without the long-term commitment of a certificate course, ACO said. The short-course lineup for 2026 includes myopia management (11 May), therapeutics refresher for optometrists (13 July) and dry eye (10 August).

For more information, visit profession.aco.org.au/courses-and-events.