To provide a method of manufacturing an optical element capable of manufacturing an optical element having a clear surface shape by decreasing shape abnormality of a boundary part of ranges to be transferred whatever pattern it is when transferring a gray scale pattern of a gray scale mask to a resist layer by a plurality of number of times while shifting the range to be transferred equivalent to transfer performed once, so as to transfer the pattern to an entire necessary range.

In the method of manufacturing the optical element, a transfer origin part 23 that transfers the pattern to the resist layer 30 and a non-transfer origin part 24 that does not transfer the pattern thereto coexist in a transfer origin area 22 equivalent to transfer of the pattern 21 in the gray scale mask 20 performed once, and a transfer destination part 33 to which the pattern is transferred corresponding to the transfer origin part and a non-transfer destination part 34 to which the pattern is not transferred corresponding to the non-transfer origin part coexist in the range to be transferred 32 equivalent to the transfer performed once in the resist layer by the transfer origin area. The transfer destination part is obtained by transferring a succeeding pattern to the previous non-transfer destination part when transferring the pattern by a plurality of number of times while shifting the range to be transferred. By performing such operation successively, the pattern is transferred to the entire necessary range 31.