BDS Dentistry (first-year entry)

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Dentistry
• Public Health

AAA, including Chemistry and Biology/Human Biology. A combination of three sciences is equally acceptable at A-level. However, our offer will not include combinations of very similar subjects, for example, Biology and Human Biology or Maths and Further Maths together.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

AAB including Chemistry and Biology/Human Biology. A combination of three sciences is equally acceptable at A-level. However, our offer will not include combinations of very similar subjects, for example, Biology and Human Biology or Maths and Further Maths together.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

ABB including Chemistry and Biology/Human Biology. A combination of three sciences is equally acceptable at A-level. However, our offer will not include combinations of very similar subjects, for example, Biology and Human Biology or Maths and Further Maths together.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects. If Maths and English Language are not offered as part of the Diploma, they should be offered at GCSE or IGCSE at grade 6 (B) or above.

Major subjects must include Chemistry and Biology, plus one further subject at higher level. We accept both Maths options as part of the Diploma.

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

We require at least seven GCSEs at grade 7 (A) or above.

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education, including GCSE/IGCSE English Language, Mathematics and at least two science subjects, at a minimum of grade 6 (B). GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language. If Dual Award Science or Core and Additional Science are offered, the minimum required is 66 (BB).

For applicants whose status has been confirmed as WP+ or WP++ using the University's Contextual Data Eligibility tool, we will accept 6 GCSEs at Grade 7 (A) or above.

We permit GCSE resits. If you are resitting any GCSEs at the point of application, we require you to list it as a pending qualification on your UCAS form.

We do not currently accept short courses; however, Level 2 BTEC qualifications are acceptable (at distinction grade or above) in lieu of one GCSE.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

We welcome applications from overseas students. Country-specific information can be found on the University website. However, this is for general information only, as specific entry requirements may be different for the Dentistry course.

Please contact us at ug.dentistry@manchester.ac.uk to check specific requirements for your country before you apply for the Dentistry course.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade 6/B, or;

IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in an component, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

We require applicants to undertake some relevant work experience prior to application in order that they can gain some insight into what the role of a dentist involves.

Work experience may be paid or voluntary and should include some time spent in a dental setting but can also include examples from other healthcare and related environments. We do not have a requirement on the length of the work experience. We require applicants to demonstrate a commitment to their work experience placements.

As important as the detail of the work experience is the applicant's capacity to reflect on what they have gained from their experiences and the quality of that reflection will be reviewed as part of the selection process.

A key element we are looking for is for applicants to be able to demonstrate some understanding of the qualities and attributes required to become a dentist. Applicants should be aware that we may request confirmation of their work experience.

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,250. Tuition fees for international students, including EU, will be £36,500 for year 1 of study. Clinical tuition fees (years 2-5) are charged at the future rate which is applicable when you enter Year 2. Clinical fees for students entering Year 2 in 2025 will be £58,000. These fees are subject to change with inflation each year.

For general information, please see the undergraduate finance pages.

When on the clinics you will need to wear a tunic - which cost approximately £25 each - as well as black trousers or skirt and black leather duty shoes that are close fitting around the toes and heels.

There will be travel costs when attending community clinics in the Greater Manchester area from Year 4. There is no discounted parking on campus for students if you have a car.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We welcome applications from graduates or those in their final year of study towards an undergraduate degree. You should have achieved or be predicted a minimum of an upper second (2:1) honours degree and should have achieved a minimum of BBB at A-level (32 in IB) in your first sitting.

Applicants with a relevant science degree are exempted from our subject specification at A-Level, but you must still meet the BBB academic standard. Relevant subjects include most Biomedical and Life Sciences disciplines or other approved courses. Please see our FAQ pages.

Applicants offering other degrees will need to hold at least two science subjects at A-level including Biology and Chemistry.

Please note that we do not accept ordinary or ungraded degrees. If you have a non-relevant degree and don't have the requisite science A-levels you are eligible to apply for our foundation year. Alternatively, you may sit the missing A-level subject(s) and apply for the 5-year course.

We don't accept A-level re-sits for the purpose of improving grades from graduates.

UCAT, Maths at minimum grade 6 (B)in GCSE and English Language requirements also apply.

Graduates and final year undergraduates must offer an academic reference on their UCAS form.

Applicationsare first screened according to whether or not they meet our standard academic threshold as given on this page.

Those applications that do not meet the appropriate academic criteria will not progress to the next phase of the screening process, and will receive notification that their application has been unsuccessful through UCAS in due course.

See the application process page for information on how we consider your application.

Please refer to https://studyinghealthcare.ac.uk/why-dentistry/personal-statement-dentistry/ for further information.

We do not make offers without interviews. Please see our interviews  page for more information.

Applicants are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) in the year they wish to make their application. Please note that the result is valid for one application cycle only. If applicants are reapplying, they must re-sit UCAT.

Further information specific to The University of Manchester is detailed on our UCAT page .

Please note that we do not consider applicants who achieve Band 3 or 4 in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT)element of the UCAT.

All offers of a place are subject to satisfactory health screening. The health screening is based upon the Higher Education Occupational Physicians/Practitioners (HEOPS) standards of medical fitness to train for dental students.

A potential student may be concerned that their health or disability may affect their ability to fulfil the competency standards of the course. Any such applicants are encouraged to contact the Occupational Health Service and/or The Disability Advisory and Support Service at an early stage in order to explore the situation in depth and consider the feasibility of making reasonable adjustments. Hopefully the process will prove helpful to the student in deciding whether to pursue an application.

In Manchester, you will be introduced to the clinic in the first term. Therefore, you will have to produce satisfactory evidence on non-infectivity with respect to the blood-borne viruses HIV, Hepatitis B and C and Tuberculosis. In addition, you must pass a health screening in Student Occupational Health prior to entry to ensure you are fit to practice.

The health screening requires the completion of a detailed health questionnaire by the applicant and also an appointment with the University's Occupational Health Department. In order to be admitted and continue on the programme, students must be deemed as medically fit for both practice and theory by the Occupational Health Department.

General enquiries about health screening should be addressed to Student Occupational Health, Tel +44 (0)161 275 2858.

Please see also the Procedure for Admission to Courses Requiring Medical Fitness Assessment [Word 59KB].

You will be required, as part of the non-academic conditions of your offer, to provide a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. In the UK, this takes the form of an Enhanced Level search by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and will reveal any criminal convictions, spent or unspent, as well as any police cautions, warnings or reprimands.

Regulations and record systems in other countries vary. Overseas applicants are encouraged to contact our Admissions Team.

Anyone who considers it possible that a criminal record or other disclosure may reveal any offence must contact the Admissions Team before applying.

We welcome applications from students who wish to defer their entry to the following year, but we prefer this to be indicated at the point of application.

It may not be possible to defer entry once an offer has been made and we are unlikely to be able to consider any requests after the release of A-level results.

We do not have any specific requirements for how you use your gap year, but we would expect it to have been used constructively.

We welcome applications from those re-sitting their A-levels, though applicants may only re-sit one of either Year 12 or Year 13.

Where A-levels have been attempted in Year 13, applicants are expected to have obtained a minimum of grade B in each subject at the first sitting for the re-sit grades to be considered.

All re-sitting applicants are required to achieve Grades A*AA in the A-level subjects specified above.

If you have applied in previous years and your application has been unsuccessful on two consecutive occasions, future applications will not be considered.

We would require re-applicants to continue with their work experience in their year out and would also expect to see a material difference in their application from the previous year. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

All re-applicants must retake the UCAT and provide updated information that refers to the initial application and chronicles subsequent events.

Applicants applying with achieved qualifications must explain in their personal statement what they are doing during the gap year.

A key feature of the course is integration between theory and practice, and early learning and teaching in the clinical context is central to this. As such, clinical subjects are taught alongside the basic dental science subjects from Year 1.

This allows links to be made between the relationship of disease processes to body structure and function, and the behavioural sciences to patient treatment.

The course is designed around five themes:

1. Human Health and Disease
2. The Mouth in Health and Disease
3. Clinical Competence:
   • Diagnostic Skills
   • Manual Skills and Dexterity
   • Problem Solving
   • Patient Management
4. Scientific Understanding and Thought
5. Team working, Communication Skills, ICT, reflective practice

Dedicated teams have worked to develop these themes to ensure that your knowledge and skills develop over the five years of the course.

Foundations of Biomedical Science and Dentistry - basic building blocks:

• Biomedical/ Dental Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Evidence-Based Practice and Dental Public Health
• Fundamentals of Dentistry (Radiography, Radiology, Restorative Dentistry, Law and Ethics)
• Medical Emergencies
• Human Psychology/ Communication
• Dental Materials
• Information Technology
• Sustainable Dentistry.

Intermediate Biomedical Sciences and Dentistry - building your knowledge, skills and attitudes:

• Biomedical/ Dental Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Dental Materials
• Radiology/ Radiography
• Medical Emergencies
• Human Psychology/ Communication
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Restorative Dentistry (Endodontology/ Periodontology/ Prosthodontics/ Direct Operative)
• Sustainable Dentistry.

Mastering the Theoretical Basis of Dentistry - integrating knowledge, skills and attitudes:

• Biomedical/ Dental Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Dental Materials
• Medical Emergencies
• Oral Surgery/ Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Oral Medicine
• Radiology/ Radiography and Clinical Photography
• Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Endodontology
• Acute Dental Conditions
• Prosthodontics, Occlusion and Direct Operative Dentistry
• Periodontology
• Human Psychology/ Communication
• Law, Ethics, Professionalism and Guidelines
• Sustainable Dentistry.

Developing the Safe Dental Practitioner - achieving clinical competence:

• Medicine and Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Dental Materials
• Oral Medicine
• Oral Surgery/ Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Human Psychology/ Communication
• Acute Dental Conditions
• Radiology/ Radiography
• Medical Emergencies
• Restorative Dentistry (Endodontology/ Periodontology/ Prosthodontics/ Direct Operative)
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Dental Public Health.

Towards Professional Competence and Independent Practice

• Multidisciplinary and Comprehensive Care
• Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Medical Emergencies and Dental Trauma
• Radiography and Radiology
  Restorative Dentistry (Endodontology/ Periodontology/ Prosthodontics/ Direct Operative)
• Preparation for Clinical Practice and Foundation Training.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Office .

This Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree is accredited as a qualification registerable with the General Dental Council .