Augenoptikermeister/Augenoptikermeisterin/Bachelor Professional im Augenoptiker-Handwerk

Preparatory courses for the examination take place, for example, at educational centers of chambers of crafts or technical schools. For in-person events, the learning locations are classrooms. For combined learning forms (e.g., blended learning), classrooms are used for in-person events, and home is used for online learning units.

New Regulation on the Master Craftsman Examination in Ophthalmic Optics: The new Ophthalmic Optician Master Craftsman Regulation will come into force on July 1, 2026, and simultaneously the 2005 regulation will cease to be effective. Areas such as ecological, economic, and social sustainability, data protection and security, technological development, and digitalization will be increasingly considered in the future. The job profile and examination content will be given stronger weight in the areas of customer requirements, service provision and control, and business management. Qualifications in these three fields of action must now be demonstrated in Part II of the examination. Transitional provisions apply: Examination procedures that begin by June 30, 2026, will be completed according to the provisions of the previous examination regulations. Examination procedures registered by December 31, 2026, or repeat examinations taken by June 30, 2028, are also covered.

Job type: Advanced training profession (Bachelor Professional). Type of advanced training: Master craftsman examination according to nationwide uniform regulations. Participation in preparatory courses is not required. Duration of advanced training: Varies depending on the educational offer, teaching time (full-time/part-time), and learning format. Tasks and activities: Ophthalmic optician master craftsmen plan work processes, instruct skilled workers, and, if necessary, manage the entire business. They also train apprentices. They negotiate with suppliers, calculate offers, and handle correspondence. Furthermore, they ensure the quality of services and products. They also work practically themselves, for example, by conducting optometric tests to determine the causes of visual function disorders and advising customers. Work areas and locations: Ophthalmic optician master craftsmen are employed in ophthalmic optics craft businesses and in specialized shops for people with visual impairments (Low Vision Shops).

Varies depending on the educational offer, teaching time (full-time/part-time), and learning format. Some courses also prepare separately for individual parts of the master craftsman examination.

Distribution of hours (example): Part I - Practical part: approx. 496 hours. Part II - Theoretical part: approx. 496 hours. Part III - Business administration, commercial, and legal part: approx. 240 hours. Part IV - Vocational and work-pedagogical part: approx. 115 hours. Total hours: approx. 1,347 hours.

Course fees are incurred for attending preparatory courses, and examination fees for the examination itself. Further costs arise for the master craftsman examination project and, if applicable, for work materials, travel to the training location, or external accommodation. Funding opportunities: Preparatory courses for the master craftsman examination can be financially supported according to the Advanced Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz). Further information: Aufstiegs-BAföG - Advancement with Funding. Promotion of particularly talented young skilled workers: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Weiterbildungsstipendium (Advanced Training Scholarship).

The advanced training covers practical specialization (Part I), including determining refractive errors through eyeglass prescription, inspecting eyes and taking measurements for contact lens fitting, and manufacturing, selecting, and fitting visual aids according to optical, anatomical, economic, and aesthetic criteria. Theoretical specialization (Part II) involves performing and evaluating optometric, anatomical, and physiological measurements, assessing the effects of various visual aids on the visual system, applying measurement procedures for contact lens correction, learning and evaluating the composition and mode of action of contact lens hygiene products, using different corrective aids considering their imaging properties, presenting and evaluating the requirements for optical spectacle fitting, preparing offer documents, evaluating and calculating offers, developing marketing measures for customer care and acquisition, planning operational quality management, learning personnel administration tasks, and covering business administration and commercial topics.

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for successfully passing this advanced training examination: Mathematics (e.g., for calculating costs and preparing invoices), Economics/Law (e.g., for managing a business), and Employee Leadership and Instruction (e.g., for using leadership tools like feedback).

The advanced training consists of theoretical and practical lessons. Depending on the educational provider, one should be prepared for the following conditions: Full-time instruction typically involves full-day classes on at least four weekdays. Part-time instruction is usually career-accompanying, held on weekends or in the evenings. For in-person events, classes take place in a classroom setting at the educational institution (possibly not at the place of residence). In combined learning forms (e.g., blended learning), there are in-person classes at the educational institution and self-directed learning via electronic learning platforms and systems from home.

For advanced training abroad, options such as WIFI Austria in Austria are available (e.g., using the search term 'Augenoptik'). The Europass offers the possibility to document learning periods completed abroad. Further information on Europass is available.

Participation in preparatory courses is not remunerated.

The following advanced training alternatives are available for the profession of Master Optician (Augenoptikermeister/in): In the field of Optoelectronics and Optics, the State-Certified Optician Technician (Staatlich geprüfter Techniker für Augenoptik / Bachelor Professional in Technik) shares the commonality of taking on specialist and leadership tasks in optometry. In the field of Sales and Marketing, the Certified Specialist for Commercial Business Management according to the Crafts Code (Geprüfter Fachmann/Geprüfte Fachfrau für kaufmännische Betriebsführung nach der Handwerksordnung) shares the commonality of taking on business administration tasks in craft businesses.

In 1976, the Ordinance on the Master Examination Occupational Profile and Examination Requirements in the Ophthalmic Optician Trade came into force. The new ordinance in 2006 placed greater emphasis on aspects such as customer consultation, business management and organization, and order processing. In 2020, the amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO) introduced advanced training qualifications such as 'Geprüfte/r Berufsspezialist/in', 'Bachelor Professional', and 'Master Professional' to emphasize the equivalence of vocational and academic education. The use of these professional titles depends on the enactment of corresponding new advanced training regulations. In 2024, the Vocational Training Validation and Digitalization Act came into force with adjustments to the BBiG and HWO, including the introduction of a determination and certification procedure (vocational validation) for individual professional competence based on a recognized vocational training occupation.

The qualification title is 'Augenoptikermeister/Augenoptikermeisterin'. Holders of a master craftsman title may also use the designation 'Bachelor Professional in' specifying their trade.

The Ophthalmic Optician Master Craftsman (Augenoptikermeister/in) is a vocational advanced training. The master craftsman examination is uniformly regulated nationwide in Germany. Participation in a course is not required for admission to the examination.

After their advanced training, ophthalmic optician master craftsmen work in ophthalmic optician trade businesses and in the optical and precision mechanical industry. Through adaptation training, one can keep their specialized knowledge current, up-to-date, and expand it. The range of topics extends from ophthalmic optics to business organization. Building on existing qualifications, advanced training courses specifically designed for advanced training graduates can expand and supplement their competence profile. Taking the examination as an optometrist is a logical next step. With their advanced training qualification, master craftsmen can also gain access to university studies without a general higher education entrance qualification and, for example, obtain a bachelor's degree in ophthalmic optics or optometry. Starting one's own business is also possible.

Master Craftsman Examination in the Skilled Trades: Ordinance on the Master Examination Occupational Profile and on the Examination Requirements in Parts I and II of the Master Craftsman Examination in the Ophthalmic Optician Trade (Augenoptikermeisterverordnung - AugOptMstrV) of 29.08.2005 (BGBl. I S. 2610), last amended by Article 2 of the Ordinance of 08.07.2025 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 157). Legal provisions and recommendations for examination and advanced training: Basis for all master craftsman examinations in the skilled trades: Ordinance on the Admission and General Examination Procedure for the Master Craftsman Examination in the Skilled Trades and Skilled Trade-like Businesses (Meisterprüfungsverfahrensverordnung - MPVerfV), promulgated as Article 1 of the Ordinance of 18.01.2022 (BGBl. I S. 39). Further bases for Parts III and IV of the master craftsman examinations in the skilled trades: Ordinance on the Master Craftsman Examination in Parts III and IV in the Skilled Trades and Skilled Trade-like Businesses (Allgemeine Meisterprüfungsverordnung - AMVO) of 26.10.2011 (BGBl. I S. 2149), amended by Article 2 Para. 97.

The prerequisite for admission to the master craftsman examination is generally: the journeyman's examination as an ophthalmic optician or a journeyman's or final examination in another recognized vocational training occupation and several years of professional experience in the ophthalmic optician trade. A validation procedure allows for the proof of professional knowledge and skills if a corresponding educational qualification is missing.