Newcastle University

Dental Surgery BDS Honours UCAS Code: A206 (5 years)School of Dental Sciences

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All candidates are considered on an individual basis.

If your qualifications are not listed here, please see our additional entry requirements pages to find out which other qualifications are considered.

Where there are additional entry requirements for a course beyond specific grades these will be displayed below under the 'Additional Information' section at the end of this page.

A Levels

AAA including Chemistry and Biology. General Studies, Critical Thinking and a foreign language which is the applicant's first language are not accepted. AAAAA at GCSE including Biology and Chemistry or AA in Dual Award Science also required.

Scottish Qualifications

AAAAA at Higher Grade normally including Chemistry and Biology. Two Advanced Highers also normally required (minimum A/B)to include Biology and/or Chemistry. If only one out of Biology and Chemistry is offered at Advanced Higher, the grade A is required in that science. Candidates offering only one out of Higher Chemistry and Biology will be required to take the other in their final year along with Advanced Higher in the first, and achieve A grades in both the Advanced Higher and the Higher. English and Mathematics required at grade 2 Standard Grade (or Intermediate 2 equivalent).

International Baccalaureate

A minimum of 35 points with Chemistry and Biology at Grade 6 or above at Higher level.

Irish Leaving Certificate

A1A1A1AAB at Higher Level, to include Biology, Chemistry, English and Maths, and excluding Irish.

Access Qualifications

Units in Biological Sciences and Chemistry are essential. A high level of performance is required in line with requirements for A levels and BTEC Higher National Diploma. For the Higher Education Foundation Course (HEFC) and similarly structured Access courses, Distinction grades are required in Level 3 Chemistry, Biology and a third Level 3 subject. Applicants must have had a minimum of 2 years full-time employment between sitting A levels and commencing the HEFC or Access course. Access courses are acceptable only where a minimum 60% of the overall marks come from end-of-course examinations.

BTEC Level 5 HND

In a science-related subject with distinction grades in all units. Substantial science content required, in particular, cell and molecular biology and biochemistry.

Advanced Diploma

The Advanced Diploma is not acceptable for entry in any of the lines of learning.

Cambridge Pre-U

D3,D3,D3 in Principal Subjects including both Chemistry and Biology. AAAAA at GCSE including Biology and Chemistry or AA in Dual Award Science also required.

Additional Information

Important information on the admissions policy for Dental Surgery (PDF: 55KB).

BSc Honours Degree: Graduates are accepted onto the full 5-year course. An upper-second-class degree is required in an appropriate subject which should contain sufficient Biology and Chemistry in line with school leaver and other mature student requirements.

UKCAT: All applicants are required to sit the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) in the year of application. See www.ukcat.ac.uk for further information.

UCAS admission procedure: You are permitted a maximum of four choices on the UCAS form for Dentistry. The deadline for applications is 15 October. Candidates who are considered, on the basis of their application form, to be particularly promising are interviewed.

Immunisation: The School of Dental Sciences has an overriding duty of care to the public with whom students come into close contact. In accordance with current Department of Health Guidelines (March 2007) all applicants who are made an offer of a place on the course will be required to complete a screening process for Blood Borne Viruses as a condition of their offer.

All successful applicants must produce satisfactory evidence of immunisation against Hepatitis B (or evidence of non-infectivity) and evidence of non-infectivity for HIV and Hepatitis C virus prior to confirmation of a place and becoming registered as a dental student.

In addition you will be required to provide evidence of immunisation against Polio, Heaf test/BCG, Rubella, Tetanus, Diphtheria and Varicella. For further important information regarding immunisation and health assessment see admissions policy for Dental Surgery (PDF: 164KB).

Occupational health: All applicants who take up an offer from Newcastle University are required to complete a NHS occupational health questionnaire. From the information provided, the Occupational Health Service will assess the applicant's immunisation status and students will be required to fulfil any stipulated requirements identified from this assessment. Any required immunisations will be provided by our Occupational Health Service.

In certain circumstances, it may also be necessary for applicants to undergo an Occupational Health Assessment with an NHS Occupational Health Consultant in the Newcastle Hospitals Trust before we are able to confirm their offer of a place. This assessment is designed to help us ensure that applicants are not only able to undertake the rigours of the BDS programme, especially with respect to working with patients in the clinical setting, and meet its outcomes in line with the statutory requirements of the General Dental Council, but also to ensure that we provide any reasonable support necessary.

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure

All dental schools are required to ensure that their students, who will have a high level of unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) enhanced disclosure check to ensure students are ‘fit to practise.’ The Dental School reserves the right to discontinue your studies on receipt of an unsatisfactory disclosure. The university is aware that the Independent Safeguarding Authority requirement has been halted and is presently under review by the government. This position may change at any time, please see the Independent Safeguarding Authority's website for updates.

Work experience: All applicants are required to have undertaken a minimum of two weeks' dental work experience prior to submitting their UCAS application. This should be carried out in a General Dental Practice, but other types of dental work experience may be considered.

Resit Applications: Applications from candidates taking an additional year to resit A levels are considered only from applicants who in the previous admissions round held conditional offers which had been accepted as first choice, and then had failed to meet the terms of the offer.

English language requirements

A good level of English is needed for undergraduate study. Find out about our English language admission requirements and English language support courses offered by INTO Newcastle University.

Admissions policy documents

• Undergraduate Admissions Policy (PDF: 50.61 KB)
• Admitting Students Under 18 Policy and Procedure (PDF: 53 KB)
• Complaints and Appeals Procedure (PDF: 44 KB)
• Criminal Convictions Policy (PDF: 43 KB)