Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Dentistry (BDS pre-dental year entry)

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

Our standard A-level offer is AAA including subject combinations that would be unsuitable for admission to the 5 year BDS. Combinations of very similar subjects, for example, Biology and Human Biology or Maths and Further Maths together, are not acceptable. Two AS-levels in place of one A2-level will not be accepted. Typical Contextual Offer: AAB including Biology and Chemistry.

We have no specific requirements at AS-level. However, we would normally expect students to demonstrate a commitment towards achieving a broad and balanced education. Most applicants will therefore be studying beyond the 'bare minimum' in order to make the most competitive application possible. You may wish to evidence this on your application in a number of ways, for example: studying four A-level subjects; studying for an additional AS level or BTEC qualification in addition to your three main subjects; taking General Studies, Key Skills or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in addition to your three main subjects. We are aware that you may not be able to take the above qualifications at school or college and therefore we allow applicants to provide evidence of participating in other activities aimed at increasing social responsibility, for example, National Citizen Service (NCS) or the Duke of Edinburgh award in lieu of a formal qualification. A list of other suggested activities is provided on our FAQ page. If in doubt, please contact us. Please note that if your school is unable to offer any of the above, they should state this in the UCAS reference and you will not be disadvantaged as a result. Applicants with a WP/WP Plus flag are exempt.

We do not accept Access courses for application to A204. Please see the details for A206 BDS 5-year programme.

We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken. The same subject specifications as A-level apply. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. Although the Extended Project will not be included in the conditions of your offer, we strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. A number of our academic Schools may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

We require at least seven GCSEs at grade 7 (A) or above. English Language, Mathematics are required at GCSE minimum grade 6 (B). At least two science subjects are required at GCSE minimum grade 6 (B) if not taken to AS/A2-level. 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 your application, we require you to list it as pending qualifications 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. If you are offering an international equivalent to GCSE and this is not listed on our international entry requirements page, please contact The School of Medical Sciences Admissions Office to check the suitability of the qualification.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

36

36 points are required overall (to include core points) with at least 666 at higher level. If Maths and English Language are not offered as part of the Diploma, they should be offered at GCSE or IGCSE at grade B (6) 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.

We require at least two Advanced Highers at grades AA by the end of Secondary 6. Any of the following combinations are acceptable: - three Advanced Highers at AAA; - two Advanced Highers at grades AA, plus one A2-level subject at grade A; - two Advanced Highers at grades AA, plus one new Higher at grade A. We do not accept Chemistry and Biology in the Advanced Highers. You will also need Scottish Highers in addition to Scottish Advanced Highers.

We require 4 Highers at grades AAAA by the end of Secondary 5. Grades should be achieved in the same sitting at first attempt. English Language and Maths, if not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (National 5, Intermediate II or Standard Grade Credit level grade 2 or above). Applicants also need Scottish Advanced Highers in addition to Scottish Highers, so please also check the entry requirements for those qualifications.

We will consider Science, Healthcare Science or Health T Level pathway for the foundation year. We would require Distinction overall.

The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this. The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A-Level entry requirements.

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

About this course


Course option

6years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Pre-clinical dentistry

Our pre-dental entry course in Dentistry (foundation year) is aimed at students who have proven academic ability but not the necessary science qualifications to apply directly to the five-year BDS .

You will spend your foundation year at the University and Xaverian College, and will start the five-year BDS course upon successful completion of the foundation course.

The five-year course will prepare you for a dentistry career through a combination of clinical study and basic and advanced dental sciences.

Once you have mastered basic competencies in the University's skills facilities , you will move on to treating patients in both the University Dental Hospital of Manchester and local outreach clinics early in the course.

You will learn to work within a dental team to take a patient-centred approach to clinical care, practicing in a professional, safe and ethical manner.

Our students are also trained to become reflective practitioners who are committed to lifelong learning.

This course is currently being reviewed and teaching and learning may differ for 2023 entry. Offer holders will be informed and the website will be updated when any changes are confirmed.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Manchester

Department:

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

39%
Pre-clinical dentistry

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Dentistry

Teaching and learning

72%
Staff make the subject interesting
81%
Staff are good at explaining things
43%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
65%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

76%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
68%
Course specific equipment and facilities
7%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
30%
Male students
70%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Dentistry

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£31,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
100%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

97%
Health professionals
2%
Welfare professionals
2%
Public services and other associate professionals

If you want a stable, well-paid career, then dentistry is an excellent choice. Starting salaries rival those for medicine, almost all graduates get jobs in dentistry on leaving their course and there are roles all around the country. It is a pretty select course, with only a little over a thousand graduates a year, but for that group, the rewards can be excellent.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Dentistry

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£39k

£39k

£51k

£51k

£52k

£52k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here