Entry requirements

for entry in 2025

Summary of entry requirements for Dentistry

SQA Higher entry requirements (by end of S6)

• AAAAB Higher + BB Advanced Higher (AAAAB S5 minimum for consideration)
• Additional requirements: Higher Biology and Chemistry at grade A. Higher Maths or Physics and National 5 English at grade B. 3 subjects in S6 to include Advanced Higher Biology and Chemistry. UCAT (www.ucat.ac.uk for more information). Interview.

SQA Higher adjusted entry requirements* (by end of S6)

• AAABB Higher + B Advanced Higher (AABB S5 minimum for consideration to include Higher Biology/Human Biology at A/B or B/A)
• Additional requirements: If Higher Biology/Human Biology or Chemistry is attained at grade B then Advanced Higher is also required at grade B. Higher Maths or Physics and National 5 English at B. Three subjects in S6 to include one Advanced Higher in Biology or Chemistry. UCAT (www.ucat.ac.uk for more information). Interview. Successful completion of Reach.

* See Access Glasgow for eligibility.

A-level standard entry requirements

• AAA
• Additional requirements: Chemistry and Biology at grade A. 6 GCSE subjects at Grade A/7. Maths/Physics and English language/literature (English accepted at grade B/6 provided all other GCSEs are attained at grade A/7). UCAT (www.ucat.ac.uk for more information). Interview.

IB standard entry requirements

• 36 (6,6,6 HL)
• Additional requirements: Chemistry and Biology at HL, Maths/Physics at HL (if HL not possible then SL6 will be considered). UCAT (www.ucat.ac.uk for more information). Interview.

Interviews: We will invite selected applicants to interview in late January/early February.

Work shadowing experience

We recognise that obtaining work shadowing in a dental setting is becoming increasingly difficult, however, applicants may still be able to secure alternative forms of shadowing or voluntary work which involves caring for and interacting with different people or develops the skills you will need as a dental professional.

Other options you may wish to consider

Information from Dental Schools Council

• New advice on gaining experience to support an application to dental school during the Covid-19 pandemic

Futurelearn

• Becoming a Dentist
• Discover Dentistry

Springpod

• Dive into Dentistry: Virtual Work Experience with Dental Careers

TED talks

• TED talks

Important characteristics

Applicants also need to demonstrate characteristics which are important for the dental profession, including being able to:

• Be diligent and ethical
• Demonstrate having a caring nature, being empathetic and respectful of the views of others
• Demonstrate good communication skills
• Work in a team and have the capacity
• to act as a leader
• Be self-critical and self-motivating
• Be capable of independent thinking
• Plan and think on the spot, enjoy problem solving and analysing information
• Show strong evidence of manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness.

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Important information

Disclosure Scotland: Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme

If you are admitted to the BDS programme you will be required to undertake a Criminal Convictions check prior to registration. We require full declaration of convictions, including anything deemed ‘spent’. It is your responsibility to pay for the check.

International applicants

Please be aware that the University is neither responsible for, nor in a position to offer, entry in to the Scottish dental workforce following successful completion of the BDS programme.

Fitness to Practise

Where a programme of study requires the student to act in the course of practical training in a quasi-professional role in relation to patients, children, clients or service-users or where the qualification provides a direct licence to practise, the University has a duty to ensure that the student is fit to practise. Fitness to Practise is assessed not only in terms of academic attainment but also in accordance with relevant professional concerns and expectations. Students registered to study dentistry are subject to separate Fitness to Practise procedures. A copy of the Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise will be made available to BDS students.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a serious blood-borne virus (BBV). This can be passed between a dentist and patient. Healthcare workers must ensure that they do everything possible to protect themselves and their patients from this infection.

Students must complete a full course of immunisation against the Hepatitis B virus. The immunisation process can take up to nine months and applicants are therefore advised to commence this process at the earliest possible opportunity. However, it is not a requirement for students to have completed the immunisation process prior to registration. Please also note that your GP is NOT under obligation to immunise you.

Confirmation of a student’s Hepatitis B Surface Antigen status is identified by the University’s Occupational Health Unit’s screening programme, prior to registration in September. No student will be registered without having this blood test.

Carriers of Hepatitis B may be precluded from registration to Dentistry because of the nature of the clinical procedures undertaken during training.

If you are concerned you may be at risk of being a carrier of the Hepatitis B virus or any other BBV you should have this checked immediately, and if positive, you must contact the Dental School as soon as possible so that discussion can take place on whether reasonable modifications would be required to be made within the undergraduate programme.

Hepatitis C

Guidelines from the Department of Health recommend that those embarking on training in certain healthcare professions in which invasive procedures are undertaken (including dentistry) must be screened for Hepatitis C prior to registration. Applicants who are carriers of this infection will not be allowed to enter training unless they respond to treatment. All new dental students will be screened for Hepatitis C. The University undertakes this during pre-entry health screening in September.

HIV

Guidance from the Department of Health requires all dental students to be screened for HIV prior to entry. Further information will be provided to applicants at the appropriate time.

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Admissions guidance

• Find out more about entry requirements and alternative qualifications

English language

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

Career prospects

Most dental graduates become general dental practitioners. Other possible careers lie in the hospital service or the community dental service.

Choosing a career in NHS general dental practice requires you to undertake a period of vocational training designed to ease the transition between dental school and general dental practice.

This vocational training period lasts one year. However, in some parts of the country, it has been voluntarily extended to a two-year period of general professional training, to provide experience in the provision of dental care in both primary and secondary settings.

Accreditation

The BDS is recognised by the General Dental Council for the purpose of membership. 

Degrees and UCAS codes

When applying you will need to know the UCAS code for the subject or subject-combination that you wish to apply to:

BDS

Dentistry: A200 (5 years)

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

How and when you pay tuition fees depends on where you’re from: see Tuition fees for details.

Scholarships

The University is committed to supporting students and rewarding academic excellence. That's why we've invested more than £1m in additional scholarship funding in recent years.

The scholarships above are specific to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database

How to apply

Full-time students must apply through the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). 

International students: Applications to Dentistry, Education, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine must be made through UCAS.

Application deadlines

The deadlines for applications to Medicine, Vet Medicine and Dentistry is 16 October. The deadline for applications to all other degree programmes is 31 January.

The University of Glasgow does not usually accept any applications after these UCAS deadlines. It is the applicants' responsibility to ensure the accuracy of their application prior to submission, and requests from applicants to correct erroneous application content, change degree programme or change college of entry, will not be accepted after these UCAS deadlines. This policy is in place to ensure fairness and consistency to all applicants, and no exceptions will be made.

• 16 October: if including Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or also applying to Oxford or Cambridge
• 30 June: international (non-EU) students

How soon will I receive a decision?

We will usually respond before the end of March.

If your qualifications meet our requirements and we believe you could benefit from study at Glasgow, you will receive an unconditional offer.

If you haven’t yet gained the necessary passes for entry to your chosen subject(s), we may look at the qualifications you are taking when you apply and make you a conditional offer.

Is deferred entry available?

For Dentistry, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine programmes we are unable to consider applications for deferred entry. 

University Transfers

The Dental School has a strict policy of not considering applications from students already studying at another Institution, either to transfer into the course or to restart Year 1.

• Apply at www.ucas.com or through your school or college. 
• Contact UCAS on 0871 468 0468.

All applications must be received by UCAS by 16 October. If applying for Dentistry (A200) you must limit your choice to four dental schools only.