Application Process
Your application is an important part of getting into dental school. Find out how to write an application that stands out.
Applying for dental school
Dental school is highly competitive to get into. Our guide will help you understand the application process.
Applications for undergraduate degrees in dentistry are administered by UCAS. See the UCAS Dentistry Subject Guide for more information.
Applications for dentistry should be submitted to UCAS by 15 October 2023 18:00 (UK time).
Courses
Becoming a dentist requires completing a General Dental Council (GDC) approved dental course.
The courses available are:
- Four year Graduate entry course. Graduate entry to dentistry is extremely competitive. Most schools prefer graduates with a 2:1 or above in a biomedical or healthcare related degree.
- Five year standard course. Some dental schools offering five year undergraduate courses will consider graduates of other disciplines.
- Six year pre-dental course. Some dental schools offer a six year course. This includes a foundation one year pre-dental course. This is for applicants who do not meet the entry requirements to apply for the five year course.
We suggest using the Dental Schools Council Course Types guide for a breakdown of the 16 UK Dental Schools and the types of approved courses they provide.
The DSC also produces an annual guide to entry requirements for UK dental schools, where you can find a more detailed breakdown of each programme including the qualifications, aptitude test and interview type required.
Search and apply for all dentistry courses on the UCAS website.
Transferring to dentistry after your first year at Newcastle
Stage One Newcastle University students on selected Biomedical Sciences courses can apply to transfer to stage one of Newcastle University’s Dental Surgery course.
There are a limited number of places available, which varies each year. Students are selected on the basis of their academic performance in stage one, UCAT score, personal statement and panel interview performance.
The School of Biomedical Science hosts talks on the transfer process. Dates/times will be advertised in the school in stage one.
The application process
The majority of dental schools require a 2:1 for graduates entering their undergraduate dentistry course. The University of Plymouth is the exception to this who rank graduates on GAMSAT performance over degree outcome.
Most dental schools will require your undergraduate degree to be in a course that has a large amount of biology and chemistry. Some dental schools require this to be a life science. All applicants to dentistry need specific health and background checks for clinical courses.
Find out more for specific dental schools one the Dental School Council website.
Applying for dentistry without a science degree/A-levels
Some schools do not allow you to apply for dentistry without science A-Levels. It depends on the course and course provider.
If science A-levels are necessary for your course, you could consider taking a year out after your degree to study them. Check the entry requirements for your chosen courses. These are updated regularly.
International students applying to study dentistry in the UK
Many universities have places specifically for international students, so check with individual institutions. Most universities don't publish a full list of international qualifications accepted for entry onto a UK dentistry degree.
If your qualification is not listed, contact the individual institution directly to see if it is suitable.
Additional considerations include your entry qualifications and English language skills.
Most clinical courses have patient contact quite early on so require a higher level of English language than many other degrees. Most dental degrees require an IELTS of above 7.
Full details of all entry requirements for dentistry will be on each dental school website.
The deadline for completing your application is 15 October 2023 18:00 (UK time). This includes the application form, payment and reference.
We would recommending creating the application to request the reference as soon as possible. This should be at a minimum 4 weeks before the deadline, in order to give your academics as much as time as possible.
You don’t need to calculate your predicted grades. Your referee, who should be an academic tutor, will do that for you.
You don't need to add your UCAT/BMAT scores to the qualifications section on the form. Your scores will be sent to the university directly.
In the education section you will first need to add Newcastle University your place of education, you will then be able to enter the details of your degree and the modules you have studied.
You may find when trying to add an institution, only INTO Newcastle appears. Please DO NOT select this. Continue to type Newcastle University in the box and select the ‘Add school’ option that appears. You may need to include a space after Newcastle University for this box to appear.
At Newcastle University, the institution code is: 40655.
If you are applying with a degree from a different university then you will need to check the institution code with them.
You will now be able to add your qualifications and modules
- Click 'add qualification'
- You will need to use the manual ‘search for qualifications' section to add a degree
- Search for BSc Hons (UK). For those studying integrated Master's degree you can use the Master of Science (UK) option awarding organisation is just NCL if you went to Newcastle
- Add all your modules, which will be displayed as 'module/unit*'
You must add in all your modules and marks, as the university may look at your transcript as part of your application and they need to match.
For the module qualification dates, semester 1 modules are January and then the year. Semester 2 modules are June and then the year.
For any incomplete modules, using pending as the result. Otherwise, all your results should be in %.
Sharing that you have a disability with your course provider is recommended. This will help the university to support you in your studies.
Your offer might be subject to an occupational health assessment. To discuss sharing information about a disability with a course provider, speak to a careers consultant.
EmployAbility also offer free advice to students on sharing information about a disability.
Your fee code depends on your personal circumstances. Check the UCAS guidelines first and check with your Local Education Authority (LEA).
If you get it wrong, it won’t affect you being shortlisted.
Your referee should be someone who can comment on your academic suitability. We recommend using your personal tutor. If not, use an academic who knows you well, like your dissertation supervisor.
Let your referee know early that you want to apply, so that they have time to reflect on the qualities you will bring, you may also want to provide them a copy of your personal statement if you have it written. The start of term is busy for academic staff and there may be several people asking them for a reference.
Your reference must have been added to your application by the deadline on the 15th October. We recommend logging into your UCAS Hub and adding you references details to your application form around 3-4 weeks prior to the deadline to provide your academic time to log into your application and add the reference and predicted grade.
Make sure that when you are adding your references details you select the ‘Request Reference’ option. This will send an access code to the email address you have listed for your reference to be able to access your application and add their statement and predicted grade. You may want to email and notify your reference once you have done this so they know to look out for the email. Remind them to check their junk folder if they haven’t received anything.
Your referee can only see the qualifications that require predicted grades. They cannot view your full application.
Your reference can call the UCAS Teachers and Advisers Contact Team if they have any difficulties accessing your application. Monday to Friday 08:00–18:00 (UK time), they can call 0345 123 8001 or email adviserhelp@ucas.ac.uk. This is a priority service for teachers and advisers.
Once the referee has completed the reference, UCAS will notify you. However, you will not be able to see the reference.
The UCAS form only allows you to add one referee. You can ask course administrators if you can email them another one, if you think it will enhance your application.
Advice for the person writing your reference can also be found on the UCAS website.
After applying
Replying to offers
With UCAS applications, universities don't know where else you have applied. The form that each university receives only includes information about that course at that university.
If you have applied for two courses at the same university then they will know which two courses. They won't know where else you have applied unless you have included the information in your personal statement or reference.
If you’ve had an offer, but are still waiting to hear back from your first choice, you will need to continue to wait. You can only reply once you've received all your decisions. See UCAS' advice on replying to your offers for more.
What to do if your application was unsuccessful and you want to reapply
You will need to wait until the following year to reapply. Reflect on your last application and consider how to develop your skills. Use this analysis to inform your choices.
Consider applying for related jobs. This could be working as an administration assistant in a dental practice or as a healthcare assistant.
You could also apply for jobs outside healthcare and continue with voluntary work or shadowing in your spare time. Visit us if you need support with this.
More help
Here are some more resources to help when you are applying to dental school.
- Dentistry at Newcastle - Course/fees information - Dental Surgery BDS Honours at Newcastle University
- UCAS - filling in your application - UCAS are generally quick at replying via X handle @ucas_online
- NHS Careers - Studying for a career in the dental team
- British Dental Association (BDA) – Careers and Education
- Dental Schools Council: Studying Dentistry