Newcastle University

Important information on the BDS Admissions Policy 2013

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 BDS Admissions Policy 2013

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.

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.

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).

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

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

At least 45 level 3 credits to be achieved at Distinction.  Must include at least 15 level 3 credits in each of Biology and Chemistry (Human Biology and Chemistry for the HEFC).  A minimum of 2 years of full-time employment required after undertaking school-leaving examinations before commencing the Access to HE Diploma.

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

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.

For this degree you will need a minimum score of IELTS 7.0 or equivalent.

Find out more about our English language admission requirements and English language support courses offered by INTO Newcastle University.