u/AccomplishedBet732

Hey everyone,

I have a Bachelor's (Licence) in Optique et Lunetterie from Tunisia — basically 3 years of coursework in optometry, ophthalmic optics, contactology, ocular anatomy/pathology, and lens/frame technology. Right now I work as a licensed optician in a retail boutique, doing both clinical work (refractions, fittings) and sales — and honestly it's the retail/sales part I'm burnt out on, not optics itself.

My long-term goal is to move into R&D — ideally at a company like Essilor, Zeiss, or Hoya. I'm going through a study-abroad agency (China or any zsizn country is my focus) to find a Master's program, but I keep getting pulled in different directions:

Optométrie/Sciences de la Vision — closest to what I already know

Génie Biomédical (ophthalmic instrumentation) — builds on my anatomy/physiology background

Ingénierie Optique / Photonique — but I have almost no calculus/advanced physics background, so I'm worried this would be too hard

Physique des Matériaux — the agency suggested this, not sure how relevant it is

Design Industriel — got interested in eyewear/frame design, but this would mean starting from zero with no design portfolio

I don't want to waste years redoing a full bachelor's in an unrelated field, but I also don't want to pick a master's that doesn't actually help me get into R&D.

Has anyone here made a similar transition — optics/optometry background into R&D, or picked between these fields? Would love any real-world input on which of these actually opens doors, especially outside of tunisia

Thanks in advance 🙏

Hey everyone,

I have a Bachelor's (Licence) in Optique et Lunetterie from Tunisia — basically 3 years of coursework in optometry, ophthalmic optics, contactology, ocular anatomy/pathology, and lens/frame technology. Right now I work as a licensed optician in a retail boutique, doing both clinical work (refractions, fittings) and sales — and honestly it's the retail/sales part I'm burnt out on, not optics itself.

My long-term goal is to move into R&D — ideally at a company like Essilor, Zeiss, or Hoya. I'm going through a study-abroad agency (China is the current focus) to find a Master's program, but I keep getting pulled in different directions:

Optométrie/Sciences de la Vision — closest to what I already know

Génie Biomédical (ophthalmic instrumentation) — builds on my anatomy/physiology background

Ingénierie Optique / Photonique — but I have almost no calculus/advanced physics background, so I'm worried this would be too hard

Physique des Matériaux — the agency suggested this, not sure how relevant it is

Design Industriel — got interested in eyewear/frame design, but this would mean starting from zero with no design portfolio

I don't want to waste years redoing a full bachelor's in an unrelated field, but I also don't want to pick a master's that doesn't actually help me get into R&D.

Has anyone here made a similar transition — optics/optometry background into R&D, or picked between these fields? Would love any real-world input on which of these actually opens doors, especially outside Tunisia/France (China, Japan, etc. included).

Thanks in advance 🙏

Hey everyone,

I have a Bachelor's (Licence) in Optique et Lunetterie from Tunisia — basically 3 years of coursework in optometry, ophthalmic optics, contactology, ocular anatomy/pathology, and lens/frame technology. Right now I work as a licensed optician in a retail boutique, doing both clinical work (refractions, fittings) and sales — and honestly it's the retail/sales part I'm burnt out on, not optics itself.

My long-term goal is to move into R&D — ideally at a company like Essilor, Zeiss, or Hoya. I'm going through a study-abroad agency (China or any zsizn country is my focus) to find a Master's program, but I keep getting pulled in different directions:

Optométrie/Sciences de la Vision — closest to what I already know

Génie Biomédical (ophthalmic instrumentation) — builds on my anatomy/physiology background

Ingénierie Optique / Photonique — but I have almost no calculus/advanced physics background, so I'm worried this would be too hard

Physique des Matériaux — the agency suggested this, not sure how relevant it is

Design Industriel — got interested in eyewear/frame design, but this would mean starting from zero with no design portfolio

I don't want to waste years redoing a full bachelor's in an unrelated field, but I also don't want to pick a master's that doesn't actually help me get into R&D.

Has anyone here made a similar transition — optics/optometry background into R&D, or picked between these fields? Would love any real-world input on which of these actually opens doors, especially outside of tunisia

Thanks in advance 🙏