BDS Dentistry · University of DundeeBachelor's degree · 5 years
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University of Dundee · Undergraduate

BDS Dentistry Bachelor's degree at the University of Dundee

BDS Dentistry at University of Dundee integrates core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.

BDS
Award
5
Years
Full-time
Study mode
100%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

BDS Dentistry is a Bachelor's degree (BDS) at the University of Dundee. It runs 5 years, studied full-time.

For Medicine and dentistry graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 100% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £40,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)

For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Medicine & Dentistry, see the sections below.

Course evidence score

The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.

9.7
/ 10
Exceptional
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Exceptional91

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Exceptional100

Moderate evidence Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Exceptional100

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Curriculum & modules

A typical UK Medicine & Dentistry degree builds from foundations to specialist options and a final project. An indicative structure:

StageModule
Years 1–2Biomedical Sciences Core
Anatomy, physiology and pathology, usually taught by body system.
Years 1–2Clinical & Communication Skills
History-taking, examination and talking with patients from early on.
Years 1–2Population Health & Ethics
Epidemiology, public health and professional ethics.
Years 3–4Clinical Rotations
Hospital and GP placements across medicine, surgery and specialties.
Years 3–4Specialty Attachments
Paediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and more, applied at the bedside.
Years 3–4Student-selected Components
Deep-dives into areas you choose, often with research.
Year 5Assistantship & Preparation for Practice
Working as part of the team ahead of foundation training.
Year 5Elective
A placement of your choice, often abroad.
Year 5Finals & professional registration
Integrated assessment leading to provisional registration.

Typical structure for this subject (indicative). Modules vary by university. Check the provider's course page for the exact curriculum.

Specialisations & pathways

Tip: click a specialisation → current jobs in that area.

Course in depth

What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.

What you'll study

You'll study dentistry as a clinical science, moving from foundational biomedical understanding to hands-on patient care. In your first two years, you'll cover anatomy, physiology and pathology, usually taught by body system, alongside clinical and communication skills, learning how to examine patients and take histories from the outset. Population health and ethics introduce the wider context of dental practice. From year three onwards, a course like this typically shifts to clinical rotations and placements in dental settings, general practice and specialties such as surgery, general practice, psychiatry and research (intercalation). You'll undertake student-selected components that let you explore areas in depth. In your final year, you'll work as part of the clinical team, undertake an elective placement, and prepare for registration through integrated assessment.

Who it's for

This course suits candidates with strong science foundations and a commitment to clinical dentistry. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff among entrants was more than 240 points. You'll need to demonstrate aptitude in scientific reasoning, manual dexterity, and the interpersonal skills essential for patient care. This is a demanding, regulated professional programme requiring sustained engagement with both theoretical and practical components.

Careers & job market

Across Medicine and Dentistry courses nationally, 89% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, and 75% of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study. Starting salaries for dentistry graduates nationally range from £27,000 to £32,000 at 15 months post-graduation; after five years, this rises to £29,325–£41,400. These figures reflect national Graduate Outcomes and Longitudinal Education Outcomes data, not university-specific guarantees. Your career path will depend on your specialisation, location, and individual progression.

University & format

This BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is a 5-year full-time degree at the University of Dundee, a public university in Scotland. Teaching is in English. The University of Dundee is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree is nationally recognised. The course is accredited for professional registration as a dentist upon completion and successful assessment.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
97%
Learning opportunities
93%
Assessment and feedback
84%
Academic Support
95%
Organisation and management
82%
Learning resources
96%
Student voice
88%

Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 94%.

Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Applicant information

The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2027 entryEarly equal-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.

  4. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent88% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: More than 240 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check the University of Dundee's official course page for the current offer.

Who gets in

What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.

UCAS tariff of entrants

Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.

Qualifications held on entry

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent88%
a previous degree10%
a Baccalaureate2%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Competitive entry

Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.

Will you get in? Plot your grades

Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.

Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.

How to apply

Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.

Apply by15 October 2026, 18:00 UK timeearlier deadline for this course
Typical gradesA*A*A*+A-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeA200quote this on your application
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course (code A200). One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write your personal statement

    A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.

  3. 3
    Submit by 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Sit any admissions test & interview

    Courses with the October deadline often need an admissions test (e.g. UCAT, BMAT or a subject test) and interviews, register early and prepare.

  5. 5
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  6. 6
    Results day & confirmation

    On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask University of Dundee whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Internationalset by the university

Set under Scotland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.

Check fees at University of Dundee →

If you normally live in Scotland

For eligible Scottish-domiciled students at an eligible Scottish provider, SAAS can pay tuition directly. Living-cost support can combine bursary and loan and depends on household income and student circumstances. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.

Check the current amounts with SAAS →

Paying for it

  • SAAS tuition payment: paid directly to the university for eligible Scottish-domiciled students, applied for through SAAS.
  • Living-cost support: a mix of bursary and loan from SAAS, depending on household income.
  • Repayment: only above the Scottish repayment threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

Scotland runs its own system through SAAS; check saas.gov.uk for current rates.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All University of Dundee funding →

Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.

National funding for this subject

  • NHS Bursary: Eligible medical and dental students can receive NHS support in the later years of study. Official guidance

Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.

StudyKit · free

Still deciding what to study?

StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What Medicine & Dentistry graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate earnings: this course

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£40,000£35,000 – £50,00065
3 years after£48,000£42,500 – £55,000235
5 years after£56,500£50,500 – £63,000230

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

100%
in work or further study 15 months on
100%
in highly skilled work or study
100%
continue past their first year
95%
find their work meaningful
95%
say work fits their future plans
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in medicine & dentistry · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Medicine & Dentistry nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£40,000
£27,000 – £32,000
After 3 years LEO
£48,000
£24,650 – £34,800
After 5 years LEO
£56,500
£29,325 – £41,400
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £22,000 – £59,000

National figures for Medicine & Dentistry graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.

Work out your pay

Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.

What happened to 100 students?

Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.

100 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

90% working10% working and studying0% in further study100% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Value compared with similar courses

How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Medicine & Dentistry courses at the same study level.

This course £56,500Peer median £34,500Middle 50% £31,500–£38,500
100th percentile

Compared with 804 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.

UK occupations graduates enter

Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.

  • Other Health ProfessionalsSOC 2020 225 · 85% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,902
  • Health associate professionalsSOC 2020 321 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £28,155

Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 50; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.

Job market & outlook

How Medicine & Dentistry graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

89%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Medicine & Dentistry courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
75%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
90%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

How AI is changing the work

AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.

What AI takes off your plate

  • Routine information gathering
  • First-draft writing and summaries
  • Standard analysis and admin
  • Repetitive processing tasks

More human than ever

  • Judgement and original thinking
  • Working with and leading people
  • Owning and sense-checking AI output
  • Ethics and accountability

The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.

Roles & employers

Where Medicine & Dentistry graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.

Where they work

  • The NHS
  • Private practice
  • Research & academia
  • Public health

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold.

📈

Where graduates go

100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £40,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.

🎯

Your entry chances

Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.

Official-data snapshot

Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.7 out of 10: NSS 90.7% · in work or study 100% · continued 100%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

The University of Dundee

All students13,435
International17.8%
Aged 25+33.4%

Medicine and dentistry across the UK

Students85,345
Aged 25+28.8%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Is Medicine & Dentistry right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to University of Dundee from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is set per course by University of Dundee; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.

English language

Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.

Student visa

You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.

Scholarships & funding

Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Dundee’s funding pages.

Living costs

Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.

Working while you study

A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.

Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Dundee and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is competitive. Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was More than 240 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by the University of Dundee. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Medicine and dentistry graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 100% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £40,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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