About Dentistry (bds (hons)) in University College Cork

Dentistry provides a rewarding career in the provision of oral health care and is satisfying not only in terms of performing high-standard clinical procedures but also in terms of social interaction. The dentist also fulfils an important function in educating patients regarding their oral care.

Dentistry will appeal to students who have empathy for people, who are interested in their welfare and who like carrying out precision work with their hands. The University Dental School and Hospital encourage applications from mature students and from qualifying students with special educational backgrounds.

This five-year course incorporates the vertical integration of traditional pre-clinical and clinical subjects to deliver an educational experience and training which follows contemporary best practice teaching methodologies.

Course Practicalities

Equipment and instruments

Each Third Year Dentistry student is required to make a payment of €1,500 for the use of dental hospital equipment and instruments as part of the total charge of €4,000. This payment can be made during registration week. The 2 remaining payments will be made at the start of Fourth Year and Final Year in the amounts of €1,500 and €1,000 respectively. You will also need to order scrubs in Year 1.

Why Choose This Course

Dentistry is a highly satisfying and rewarding career. It affords you the opportunity to provide a high standard of clinical care for patients. Coupled with this is the potential to alter the patient’s lifestyle to enhance their oral health.

The course marries a high degree of technical knowledge with clinical expertise and patient interaction. As the course progresses, you undertake clinical care for your patients which is progressively more complex, challenging and rewarding.

Small-group teaching is provided which gives you the opportunity to share learning experiences with fellow students and experienced staff.

Skills and Careers Information

On graduating from this course, you will have developed an ability to listen to and engage with your patients. You will also be able to deliver clinical care for your patients to a high technical level. This clinical care is grounded in a deep theoretical knowledge base reinforced by key problem-solving skills. The undergraduate degree will serve as a solid foundation to pursue further career options on graduation.

The NUI offers, through the University Dental School and Hospital, Cork, the postgraduate degrees of MDS, MDPH, DClinDent and PhD.

Qualified dentists may enter general practice, may enter the community dental service, or may undertake further study with a view to specialising in a number of disciplines or becoming university academics.

Our dental graduates may work in EU countries, Australia, Singapore or Canada.

Academic qualification equivalents

 1.    All India Senior School Certificate 

 2.    Higher Secondary Certificate / Standard 12 

 3.    Indian School Certificate (Year 12) 

Band 1 Programmes

Minimum average of 90% + in any of the recognised secondary school qualifications.

Band 2 Programmes

Minimum average of 80-89% in any of the recognised secondary school qualifications.

Band 3 Programmes

Minimum average of 75-79% in any of the recognised secondary school qualifications.

Additional Requirements

Where Maths is required for a specific degree programme, a minimum score of 85% in Maths is required.

Where a Lab Science subject is required for a specific degree programme, a minimum score of 85% is required in the appropriate Lab Science subject.

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS: 6.5  Minimum individual sections 5.5
• TOEFL: TOEFL 90  Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing 17
• PTE: 63 Minimum individual sections 51

University College Cork Highlights