Your future starts here.
Study at one of Europes most modern institutions.
Become Master of Science (M. Sc.) in the master’s program Vision Science and Business (Optometry)
at Aalen University.
Modern, practical, part-time
The master’s program M.Sc. Vision Science and Business (Optometry) at Aalen University means collecting practical experience, while still being able to work in your daily job. Most of our lecturers are professors from well-known American partner universities, coming exclusively to Aalen.
This is how we make sure, our students receive the best education. You will be taught in modern facilities and get access to state-of-the-art technology and knowledge. Therefore, you will be able to delight your clients and take your next career-step. The master’s program is designed for optometrists who are motivated to expand their knowledge and clinical skills to provide the best services for their patients.
Your benefits
lectures by professors from American partner universities with practical experience
part-time study
exchange with students of different career fields and countries
valuable alumni network
small groups, intensive mentoring
study stays abroad to partner universities in the US
high-grade laboratories and optometrical courses
wide range of study modules from the optometric field
options for choosing and combining course modules
become part of a strong community
Our students come from many different countries and each of them is an expert in a specific field of optometry. These versatile experiences are the basis of valuable exchange. The alumni of our master’s program are spread all over the globe and form a network of expertise.
News
Optometrists help children with myopia
Management of myopia in focus of the Karl Amon Optometry Award 2024
Beaming faces and a great atmosphere on Saturday at the graduation ceremony at Aalen University: The more than 100 participants in this event, which takes place annually at Aalen University, are happy with the bachelor and master alumni about the successful completion of their optometry degrees. The 17 Karl Amon Optometry Award was also presented as part of these celebrations. This year the prize, worth a total of 2,000 Euros, went to Teresa Köberle and Peter Steckbauer. There is a good reason for this: the founder of the prize, Karl Amon, stated in his laudatory speech that shortsightedness (myopia) always exists. It is predicted that half of the world's population will be affected by 2050.
image rights: © Aalen University | Samuel Burkart
image rights: © Aalen University | Samuel Burkart
Alumni-Meeting 2025
We are eagerly looking forward to an exceptional program for our Alumni Meeting in 2025.
We kindly request you to sign in. As a member, there are no fees associated with attending these sessions. If you receive an automatic payment request, please disregard it, as it does not apply to members!
When: Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September 2025
Where: Benediktbeuern ZUK at the Allianzsaal
Language: English
SIGN IN:
www.optometry-friends.com/de/alumni-meeting-2025/
In spring you will find the schedule and all speakers on this website, too.
Kindly the board
Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V.
Schedule for the Academic Year 2024/25
The new Schedule for the Academic Year 2024/25 ist now available
Cooperation and solidarity
Ophthalmologist Prof. Dr. Neuhann is open to exchanges with opticians and optometrists
The Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V. invited to an exciting Continuing Optometric Education (COE) at the Benediktbeuern monastery complex on the last weekend in September 2024.
Georg Scheuerer, the chairman of the Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V., succeeded this year in appointing the ophthalmologist and founder of OPHTHALMOLOGIKUM Neuhann MVZ GmbH, Prof. Dr. Thomas Neuhann, as well as the group leader of the Research Institute for Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of Tübingen, Dr. Christina Schwarz, as a speaker. Prof. Bina Patel from the New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA, Prof. Hannu Laukkanen from Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR, and Prof. Thom Freddo from the College of Optometry, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA gave also deep insights in their research fields. Lectures and ‘rapid fire sessions” by experienced master graduates round off the two-day training program with exciting lectures and discussions on practical examples.
image rights: Samuel Burkart
Alumni-Meeting 2024
We are eagerly looking forward to and are immensely proud to present an exceptional program for our Alumni Meeting in 2024. Prof. Bina Patel, Prof. Thom Freddo, Prof. Dr. Thomas Neuhann et al. already confirmed their lectures.
We kindly request you to sign in. As a member, there are no fees associated with attending these sessions. If you receive an automatic payment request, please disregard it, as it does not apply to members!
When: Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September 2024
Where: Benediktbeuern ZUK at the Allianzsaal
Language: English
SIGN IN:
www.optometry-friends.com/de/alumni-meeting-2024/
In spring you will find the schedule on this website, too.
Kindly the board
Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V.
Alumni-Meeting 2023 at Aalen University
We are eagerly looking forward to and are immensely proud to present an exceptional program for our Alumni Meeting at Aalen University this year. Once again, Drs. Scott Cooper and Graham Erickson from Pacific University will be delivering lectures on Binocular Vision Topics. Additionally, we are thrilled to announce the participation of Dr. Lorne Yudcovitch, who has previously taught at our Master Program and is a distinguished expert in clinical Optometry and Pharmacology. Many of you may recall his enlightening online presentations during the pandemic.
Moreover, we have some exciting news to share. The European Union is supporting relationships between universities, and as a result, two faculty members from Hadassah Academic College (Israel) will be sharing their knowledge and delivering presentations as well.
Furthermore, we are pleased to inform you that an Ophthalmologist, Dr. Wittibschläger, along with some esteemed alumni, will be presenting fascinating lectures.
We kindly request you to sign in. As a member, there are no fees associated with attending these sessions. If you receive an automatic payment request, please disregard it, as it does not apply to members!
When: Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September
Where: Aalen University ('new Aula- and Hoersaalgebaeude')
Language: English
SIGN IN:
https://www.optometry-friends.com/de/alumni-meeting-2023/
You can find the schedule on our website - some updates are possible!
Kindly the board
Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V.
Aalen University at the opti 2023
This year, the opti 2023 traditionally took place in January in Munich and of course the Aalen University was represented there. Due to the absence of various large companies, the opti was a bit smaller than usual, but nothing has changed in terms of the large number of visitors and interested people at the Aalen University stand. From the start on Friday morning to the end of the great event on Sunday, the team around Prof. Dr. Anna Nagl was happy to see many graduates again and happily answered all questions from the many international persons interested in the master program.
The students of the first and third semester of the bachelor program "Optometry" also traveled to Munich to support the team at the trade fair stand. In that way the trade fair was ideally used as a team building measure and the feeling of familiarity was further developed. The absolute highlights at the Aalen University stand were the exhibition of the two newly published books written by graduates of the master program “Vision Science and Business (Optometry)”. Max Aricochi's myopia manual "Myopia in Children" and Tom Köllmer's "Practical Manual about the Retina" were often the starting point for an exciting conversation. In conclusion, we can clearly say that the opti 2023 was a big success and we would like to thank all alumni, students, lecturers and interested people for visiting our booth.
Impressions of the symposium about the future of optometry
The rights of all pictures belong to Mr. Samuel Burkart
You can have a look at all taken pictures on the 11.11.2022 here.
We are 60!
On Friday, the 11th November 2022 at 11:11 a.m. started the big celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Dipl.-Ing. (FH)/Bachelor degree in Optometry and 20 years of the Master degree in Vision Science and Business (Optometry) at Aalen University. As part of this anniversary, a great symposium about the future of optometry took place in the main auditorium of Aalen University. Numerous top-class speakers from many different sub-areas of optometry appeared, as well as a large number of graduates and current students.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Schrage, the chief doctor at the eye clinic in Köln-Merheim, spoke about the change in the way opticians and ophthalmologists work together and pointed out many ways in which both professions can benefit from a cooperation. Also Dr. Sauder, chief doctor at the Charlotten-Klinik for Ophthalmology in Stuttgart, spoke about the existing cooperation between Aalen University and his clinic in order to prepare current and future students for closer cooperation between the medicine and opticians. Even if Prof. Dr. Schiefer, head of the "Vision Research" competence center, senior physician at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Tübingen and professor at the University of Aalen, unfortunately couldn’t appear in person, he insisted on presenting his latest state of knowledge on the development and use of digital refractions. Thanks to the modern, technical possibilities, he was connected online to the symposium and presented his topic.
In addition to the speakers from the medical sector, there were also many representatives from the industry, such as Mr. Scheppelmann, Managing Director of 2do digital. He spoke about the future customer journey and how opticians can gain a clear advantage in customer acquisition with the many, already existing digital possibilities. In addition, Mr. Wyss, himself a graduate of the master program and CEO of eyeness AG in Bern, presented some therapeutic applications of contact lenses, which are not yet fully known to most opticians and optometrists. Mr. Hofmann, CEO of Sehzentrum Zürich AG, presented another exciting outlook on the development of the professional field of optometrists. In his lecture, he presented some practical examples and went into the topics of vision training, children and sports optometry.
In addition, Mrs. Dr. Breher presented her latest research results on the very current topic of myopia. Miss Dr. Breher showed some associations between daily habits and myopia progression.
40 years Dipl.-Ing. (FH) or bachelor's degree in Optometry and 20 years of master's degree in Vision Science and Business (Optometry) are a real milestone and it is not possible to exist for so long without having people who are completely committed to these courses and do everything to ensure that the imparted knowledge is always up to date. Two outstanding personalities who have ensured that the bachelor and master degree programs have existed for so long and have produced a large number of highly qualified graduates and current managers are Prof. Heinz Diepes and Prof. Dr. h.c. Dietmar Kümmel.
Next to the exciting specialist lectures and views of the future of optometry, the symposium also included eulogies to Prof. Diepes and Prof. Dr. Kümmel for their many years of effort. The eulogy for Prof. Diepes was given by Rector i. R. Prof. Dr. rer. Dr rer. pol. Dr. h.c. Hering, to which Prof. Diepes was also connected online and was therefore able to speak personally. Georg Scheuerer, the chairman of the alumni association gave a speech to express the appreciation of the efforts of Prof. Dr. h.c. Kümmel.
Another highlight was the presentation of the Karl Amon Optometry Award. For the 15th time, Mr. Amon, himself a graduate of the Master program, presented the coveted prize to this year's two best-in-class, Jessica Gruhl and Maximilian Aricochi, for their respective theses.
The eventful and exciting day was rounded off with a nice party in the optometry and audiology laboratory building.
15th Karl Amon Optometry Award presented
For the 15th time in a row, the Karl Amon Optometry Award, endowed with €2,000, was presented at Aalen University. In this year the coveted price goes to Jessica Gruhl and Maximilian Aricochi. The two best-in-class 2022 of the extra occupational master program Vision Science and Business (Optometry) received the award for outstanding scientific work with high practical benefit for the optical industry as part of the anniversary event: 40 years of diploma or bachelor program Optometry and 20 years of the master program Vision Science and Business (Optometry) and the Symposium “Future of Optometry” on the 11th of November 2022.
You can have a look at all taken pictures on the 11.11.2022 here.
Karl Amon Optometry Award 2022; Prof. Dr. Anna Nagl, Maximilian Aricochi, Jessica Gruhl, Karl Amon; Bildrechte: Samuel Burkart
The graduates of the master program Vision Science and Business (Optometry) of the Aalen University 2022
Congratulations to all of our graduates!
Congratulations to all of our graduates this year! Our former students have had a few semesters with many smaller and larger challenges, but thanks to great personal commitment and driven by the constant motivation to bring their own knowledge to a new level, all tasks and teaching content have been mastered brilliantly. Their own repertoire has been continuously growing with new skills expanded and already existing knowledge got intensified. Our new Master graduates are now well prepared for the wide range of jobs in optometry and we wish all graduates all the best for the time after their studies! We are very proud of you!
The schedule for the academic year 2023/2024 is published now!
The master “M.Sc. Vision Science and Business (Optometry)” offers the unique oppurtunity to choose your classes, which gives you the possibility to focus on your main field of interest. Profit now from the experiences and the knowledge of many, international approved professors and teachers and bring your career to a new level! Study in a small group with other motivated students from many different countries in a familial atmosphere. The Aalen University is working in a close cooperation with the New England College of Optometry and the Pacific University and that is the reason, why you get the latest knowledge and facts in the optometric world straight out of the first hand.
Apply now here for the start of the next semester in the summer of 2023!
Creation of the Podcast of the Aalen University. Photo: Nina Schaible
Bring your career to a new level by further education
Perfect for further education: The 13th episode of the podcast from and for the opticians and optometrists at the Aalen University has been published and we are presenting the Master's degree Vision Science and Business (Optometry). Guests in the studio are the students Stefanie Müller and Angelina Di Benedetto, the graduate and lecturer Michael Wyss and the Dean of Studies Prof. Dr. Anna Nagl.
You can listen to the podcast on every possible platform. For example iTunes, Podcast.de, FYEO, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just click here.
World-renowned experts in optometry will give lectures on July 2nd and 3rd, 2022 in Benediktbeuern
The Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V. surpassed itself with the outstanding program for the Alumni-Event in Benediktbeuern at the first July-weekend 2022. The program is full of top-class professors from the USA and Germany. Prof. Diane Adamczyk from the State University of New York, expert on the study-field “Ocular Pharmacology” will present her latest results. Prof. Hannu Laukkanen and Prof. Graham Erickson from the College of Optometry of the Pacific University Oregon will talk about their gained knowledge about their field of expertise “Strabismus” and “Traumatic-Brain-Injuries”. On top of that is also Prof. Bina Patel from the New England College of Optometry, Boston, who is very active and committed at the master program of the University of Aalen give a presentation about her favorite topic “peripheral retinal degeneration”. Moreover it is a huge honor for the students of Aalen that even Prof. Dr. Frank Schaeffel from the University of Tübingen is following the invitation of the chairman of the Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V., Georg Scheuerer. And on Saturday evening is a big party with the theme “Oktoberfest”, which is organized by the current students. It is a perfect theme for the amazing location in Bavaria, the monestary in Benediktbeuern.
You can sign up for the event here!
Big Oktoberfest at the Alumni-Event in Benediktbeuern
Dear Alumni,
this year we can finally celebrate the event together again!
Where?
Alumni-event in Benediktbeuern
When?
On Saturday, the 02.07.2022
Dress code:
Dirndl and Lederhosen are welcome!
In order to provide enough food an drinks, all participating alumni are kindly asked to transfer 40.00 € to the following bank account until the 28.06.2022
IBAN: DE45 3606 0591 0002 1025 23
BIC: GENODED1SPE
PayPal: jessica.gruhl@gmail.com
Reference: Your full name
For questions please contact Jessica Gruhl: Jessica.gruhl@gmail.com
Dean of Studies Prof. Fraser Horn together with the master’s student from Aalen University; Bildrechte: Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR, USA
Aalen master’s students visiting the College of Optometry at Pacific University in the USA
The five master’s students from Aalen University are overjoyed: they are the first to be able to visit the “motherland of optometry”, the USA, again after the compulsory Corona break in terms of travel. Last week they completed the "Sports Vision" module with the world's most renowned experts in this field, Prof. Graham Erickson and Prof. Fraser Horn from the College of Optometry at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. The small group consisting of the two Swiss women, Angelina Di Benedetto and Barbara Waltisberg, and the two students from Germany, Stefanie Müller and Michaela Sperlich, together with the student from Nepal, Silu Bhitrikoti, enjoyed the intensive support of the great "masters" in this field. For Silu Bhitrikoti from Nepal in particular, this trip to the USA has already made another great dream come true. If you want to follow and support her fascinating activities, you will find more information here.
Students of the Aalen University of Applied Sciences at the opti 2019
The Aalen University of Applied Sciences is looking forward to meet you on the opti 2022!
This May it's finally time again! The opti will take place in 2022 from the 13.05. to the 15.05. and thousands of people, who have an ophthalmic or optometric background will meet again personally in Munich to exchange information and news. Of course, the Aalen University of Applied Sciences is also represented at the opti and is pleased to share the news of the Bachelor's degree program in "Augenoptik/Optometrie" and the Master's degree program Vision Science and Business (Optometry) from recent years. The team, led by Prof. Dr. Anna Nagl will be happy to answer all your questions from Friday to Sunday. In addition, Aalen University is represented by numerous students, so that you can get first-hand impressions of studying in Aalen. You will find us on the opti Campus in the hall C4 at booth no. 177. We look forward to welcoming you there!
Get to know us in an online introduction about the master programs!
We happily invite you to the digital presentations of the master programs of the Aalen University of Applied Sciences! On Wednesday, 05.04.2022 between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. you will have the opportunity to obtain information about the various master programs and especially about the M.Sc. Vision Science and Business (Optometry). The event will take place online in a Zoom-Meeting. The link is: https://hs-aalen-de.zoom.us/j/68357831162?pwd=YmJzT0orN2oxSGgvLzJlekFtWnZMdz09
Prof. Bina Patel shares her latest cognitions with the students in Benediktbeuern 2021
The Master is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary!
From a vision to a story of success - that’s how you can summarize the path of the Master of Science “Vision Science and Business (Optometry)” of the Aalen University. The program is turning 20 years old and it will be celebrated in two big upcoming events in the July and November of this year.
The initial idea of establishing a master program came from Prof. Dr. h.c. Dietmar Kümmel and Prof. Dr. Anna Nagl. Back in 1999 were the first negotiations held by the Aalen University and Colleges of Optometry from of the USA. Since the start of the program in 2002 the New England College of Optometry from Boston (MA) and the College of Optometry of the Pacific University from Forest Grove (OR) are sending their own very experienced professors to Aalen and they are bringing the latest cognitions and all their knowledge about Primary Eye Care, Ocular Diseases, Binocular Vision, Vision Therapy, Pediatric Optometry and about many other fields of optometry with them. The program started with six students in 2002 and since then the amount of students increased constantly to nowadays over twenty students, who are developing their optometric skills to an international level.
The Master is standing for a very high standard in the theory and in the practical classes as well. The students always have the oppurtunity to try out the latest knowledge and skills they gained. So they are building up automatisms from the beginning on. With this way of studying the students are able to keep a maximum amount of information in the head and are also perfectly prepared for the work with the actual customers and patients. The experienced american professors also know how to combine theory and practice perfectly. The practical labs are supervised by alumni from german-speaking areas and are able to offer indiviual help, which guarentees a maximum learning effect. In the beginning there were mostly students from Germany, but nowadays it is very international and we are happy to welcome students and colleagues from Austria, Switzerland, Nepal, India, Columbia, Slovenia, Croatia and Korea.
The 20th anniversary is getting celebrated at the anual “Alumni-Meeting” in Benediktbeuern on the weekend of the 02.07.2022 and 03.07.2022. The event, which is getting organized by the Alumni-Association “Aalen Friends of Optometry e.V.”, is meant for continuing education, meeting colleagues from all over the world and it also marks the start for the new semester.
The Alumni-Association invited many guest-speakers, mainly from the USA, to celebrate the birthday appropriately. Part of the event in Benediktbeuern will be Prof. Bina Patel, Prof. Diane Adamczyk, Prof. Hannu Laukkanen and Prof. Graham Erickson. On top there will be also some fantastic speakers from europe, like Prof. Dr. Frank Schaeffel from the university hospital Tübingen.
Besides the event in Benediktbeuern will be a symposium about the future of optometry on the 11th of November 2022.
We still have open spaces fo the upcoming semester, which starts on the First of July 2022. Don’t hesitate to contact us and we are looking forward to recieve your application!
Apply now and save your place in our Optometry Master!
Apply now for one of the 15 study places from July 1, 2022!
See in Stefanies video on Yotube why high quality education can also be fun.
Award for special achievements
Master's graduates Anna Bachmann and Stefanie Schuster receive the Karl Amon Optometry Award 2021
Personal and scientific development at the top level and great benefits for optometry practices - these achievements lead to the award of the Karl Amon Optometry Award. The winners in 2021 are Anna Bachmann and Stefanie Schuster. Anna Bachmann, together with the long-term cooperation partner and experienced lecturer at Aalen University, Prof. Hannu Laukkanen from the College of Optometry at the US Pacific University in Forest Grove/Oregon, has written an empirically based basic Masterthesis on the assessment of visual acuity and stereopsis in anisometropic amblyopic adolescents and adults after contact lens correction. Stefanie Schuster was honored for her master's thesis, which illuminates the prospects for cooperation between ophthalmologists and optometrists. Stefanie Schuster was supervised by the Swiss optometrist and master’s graduate Markus Hofmann and the Dean of Studies Prof. Dr. Anna Nagl and the statistics expert Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Kleppmann.
Jubilee Publication - 20th anniversary of Aalen part-time Master's program M.Sc. Vision Science and Business (Optometry)
To commemorate our 20th anniversary, we are creating a special jubilee publication. For this reason we welcome content in the form of funny anecdotes, stories and photos. You can find more information on our flyer. Thank you for your support!
Let’s celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Aalen Master‘s degree program
2nd & 3rd July 2022
International Alumni-Event with US-American Professors and Lecturers & Alumni in Benediktbeuern.
11th November 2022
20th Anniversary Celebration-Symposium about the “Future of Optometry”, as well as the Karl Amon Optometry Award at Aalen University.
12th November 2022
Graduation Ceremony of the Master’s degree program at Aalen University.
6 useful tips to get your everyday life organized while studying in the course Vision Science and Business (Optometry)
High quality education will prepare us for the future of optometry
Thanks to Fiona for giving us this great insight! Get to know the masters program and apply now!
Your future starts here.
