AOA Requirements

Two years of post-secondary school and a rigorous exam

To become an optician in Alberta, a student must complete a two-year cooperative learning program under direct supervision from a Licensed Optician.

Through a combination of coursework and hands-on experience under the guidance of a professional, a student optician learns much more than they may encounter in the field.

In order to become licensed, the student has to pass the NACOR exam, which is held to high standards across Canada. Once registered with the ACAO, an optician must continue to learn and renew their skills through Continuing Education courses.

This is how you know that you can trust your optician to make excellent ocular devices.  However, if you have run into an issue with your optician, visit our Complaints and Disciplines page to see what the proper procedure is for filing a complaint, and whether there are other methods to resolve the issue first.