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Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements
Study an innovative dental curriculum at a top school with world-class facilities and access to London’s diverse population.
This five-year degree is designed to help you build the skills you will need as a dental professional. The Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London follows a new and innovative curriculum: you will study care of the mouth, including prevention and treatment of dental diseases, screening for oral cancers, managing trauma, orthodontics and oral surgery.
Our location in east London means you will serve a population of great diversity and encounter a wide range of disease, including some of the more unusual oral cancers. You will be exposed to patients early on, and as you progress in your studies, you will work in our outreach clinics in Canary Wharf and Stratford. A further centre is due to be operational in the Homerton area in 2023-24.
We encourage you to take a holistic approach to dentistry by studying the human sciences along with your core dentistry modules – including sociology and psychology – to examine patients’ attitude to oral healthcare and the dental profession.
The Dental Schools Council has published a guide to the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry, which we recommend you read before making your application.
More information about the course including entry requirements and selection criteria.
Our undergraduate dental curriculum incorporates the General Dental Council’s (GDC) Safe Practitioner framework of behaviours and outcomes for dental professional education which is effective from 2025. The dental curriculum has been reviewed and co-created with students with the aim of ‘Opening the doors of opportunity to serve our patients by producing outstanding Dentists, Therapists and Dental Care professionals of the future’. The curriculum embodies what is expected by the GDC with the domains listed below running through each year of the course:
• Clinical knowledge and skills.• Interpersonal skills.• Professionalism.• Self-management.
UCAS application deadline: 15 October
Throughout the course you will be supported and guided so that you achieve your potential and patients will be at the centre of your teaching and learning. A breakdown of what is delivered in each year is provided below:
We will introduce you to basic biological principles and help you to develop the study skills you will need throughout the programme and your professional career.
You will cover:
These topics will be developed as you progress through the course.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You will apply and integrate the knowledge gained in the first year to body systems in both health and disease, with topic areas geared towards the requirements of a dental practitioner.
Substantial portions of your time will be spent with patients, coupled with complementary educational activities, including seminars, clinical skills laboratory work, tutorials, e-learning projects and library activity.
You will also work in our outreach centres, devising strategies for prevention and treatment. You will receive teaching at The Royal London Dental Institute, as well as rotating around our three outreach dental clinics. This will provide you with an excellent opportunity to serve the local community, treat and improve the oral health of patients whilst developing the skills required to become an excellent practitioner.
You will apply and consolidate your knowledge and skills in preparation for professional dental practice. You will be exposed to a greater range of cases, including hospital-based treatments. Teaching is delivered through symposia, small group teaching, modules and wide clinical experience.
New digital scanning technology is embedded in the course. 3D images of a patient's mouth will transform treatment planning and delivery of restorative dental care.
To prepare for graduation you will hear from graduates on their experiences applying for jobs and learn about the different career routes from dentists working in specialised fields.
You will choose particular areas to study in greater depth, based on your own interests.
Examples of student-selected modules currently on offer include:
Take a year off from your dental studies to earn a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. You might choose this strategic route to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific basis of dentistry, demonstrate your commitment to a particular area, or simply broaden your career options.
You can apply for an intercalated BSc to start after your second, third or fourth years. Selection is based on your exam results and performance at interview. Browse our intercalated degrees.
A small number of students also take intercalated degrees at other institutions.
We also offer Master of Science (MSc) degrees for intercalation, taken after your third or fourth years.
Find out more about intercalated degrees.
Opportunities for observational placements (within the UK or abroad) may become available to eligible students. These would be self-funded so you will need to factors in costs for flights, accommodation and potentially host fees.
My favourite thing about my degree is the clinical aspect, especially meeting patients. I also really enjoyed that it gaveme an insight into different dental specialities, including community-based and public health aspects! The dental hospital and dental outreach sites are well-equipped, state-of-the-art facilities; providing students with invaluable clinical experience.
You will learn through:
You will have access to an extensive online medical knowledge base, which includes lecture notes from across the programme, papers and research.
Your progress will be assessed throughout the programme, using:
The Institute of Dentistry moved into the Alexandra Wing of The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in 2014. Costing £78m, it is the first new dental school to be built in the UK for over 40 years and houses state-of-the-art facilities – setting the standard for the most modern learning environment for dental education of any UK dental hospital.
Facilities to aid your studies include:
UCAT
Fourth decile or above, SJT Bands 1- 3.
A-Level
A*AA (results must be achieved in one sitting over a study period of no longer than two years)Must include Biology or Chemistry, and a second science (Chemistry, Biology, Physics or Mathematics)
IB
37 points overall and three Higher Level subjects at 666 including Chemistry or Biology plus one further science subject from (Chemistry, Biology, Physics or Maths).
BTEC
BTEC qualifications are not considered for entry to this programme.
Degree
2:1 or above in any degree subject with supporting Biology and Chemistry qualifications where necessary. Please see the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry webpage on entry requirements for further information.
GCSE
Six GCSEs at grades 777666/AAABBB including Biology, Chemistry, English Language or English Literature and Mathematics. The Science Double Award may substitute all sciences at GCSE.
If you are an international student who does not study GCSEs/IGCSEs as part of your qualifications, then we would not expect you to have met this requirement. GCSEs are not required for graduates.
Contextualised admissions
We will take into account some of your personal circumstances and background when considering your application. Find out more about contextualised admissions.
To see a list of the international qualifications we accept, please see our full entry requirements.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
We will take into account some of your personal circumstances and background when considering your application.
Candidates must be aged 18 or over by the start of the course (mid-September). Applicants who will be under the age of 18 by the start of the programme can apply for deferred entry so that they will meet the minimum age requirement by the start of the course the following year.
Years 1-4: you can apply for the same package of student finance as students on other courses. Graduate students are not eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government.
Year 5 and beyond: the NHS will pay your tuition fees. Grants, loans and bursaries are available to cover living costs for UK and EU students, including graduate students.
Read more about financial support for medical students.
The John Abernethy (Barts) Scholarship of £5,000 per year is available to two new medical students and one new dental student each year, on the basis of household income and academic achievement. All first degree home students who enrol in the School of Medicine and Dentistry are considered for the scholarships – you do not need to enter a separate application.
Find out about other bursaries and scholarships.
Find out more about fees and funding.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
Most graduates go on to work as Dental Foundation Trainees, then either remain in the NHS or move into the private sector. Dentists can work in general practice in the community or in the armed forces, within the UK or overseas. A small number defer starting work as a dentist to pursue a specialist postgraduate degree.
There are numerous specialist options including oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, children’s dentistry and prosthodontics (implants and false teeth). You could specialise in periodontology (gum disease) or restorative dentistry (fillings, crowns and bridges), or become a lecturer and researcher in any of these areas. Oral pathology – diagnosing and treating oral diseases – is another possible career path.
Dentistry can be an ideal career for those who would like to take regular time off, work flexible days or hours, or practice in multiple locations.
Recent graduates work in a range of dental general practices and hospitals including:
• Barts Hospital• The Royal London Hospital• Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust• King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust• Luton and Dunstable University Hospital• St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Our graduates also work across the UK and beyond including Ministry of Health Malaysia and Health Education England (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20 and 2020/21).
You’ll have access to a bespoke careers programme, including workshops, talks and practical sessions to prepare you for applying for your first job as a dental professional. We also make sure you understand the various specialist careers paths and how to access them.
You’re encouraged to build your extracurricular work experience throughout your period of study, through programmes such as our award-winning QProjects work experience scheme.
The Queen Mary careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)
Opened in 1911, the Institute of Dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has a long and proud record of internationally recognised excellence in oral and dental science. Queen Mary has consistently been ranked in the top 20 in the world for dentistry in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, and we were ranked joint first in the country for research environment for dentistry in the most recent national assessment (REF 2021).
We are a research-led institution, at the forefront of the provision of dental education and excellent patient care, with specialisms including oral cancer and public oral health. With around 70 students per year, we are a relatively small dental school with a strong sense of community. You’ll be taught by experts who are passionately engaged with their subject.