Undergraduate Admissions Policy - School of Dentistry 2021-22

Please see the Faculty of Medicine and Health website for the course list, typical entry requirements, and accepted qualifications.

The School of Dentistry recognises that some applicants may have studied a more flexible curriculum, where they have been able to progress through their educational development at an appropriate rate according to their ability. Where a Level 2 (for example, GCSE) or Level 3 (for example, A Level) qualification has been taken ‘early’ the academic reference should include the reasons for this so that it can be taken into consideration by the admissions team.

The School of Dentistry does not accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.

Where academic requirements have not been met application information may be shared with the University’s Lifelong Learning Centre or International Foundation Year team for consideration for a Year 0 offer.

In order to gain admittance to the School of Dentistry, applicants must pass the following checks:

Health and wellbeing

Any offer of a place to study in the School is conditional upon a satisfactory medical examination to be undertaken under arrangements made by the Dental School for all students before the commencement of their studies. Whilst the University of Leeds and School of Dentistry firmly support students with health difficulties, due to the responsibility held to patients, it is essential that students are fit for clinical practice. In rare circumstances, students may be required to provide evidence that they are fit for clinical studies (such as a report from their medical practitioner). Students who are experiencing health-related difficulties will be given appropriate support, without prejudice. Full details can be found on the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners website.

Blood-borne viruses

There are additional guidelines regarding blood-borne viruses in Dentistry, please see Dental School Council website.

Drugs and substance use

The School of Dentistry has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on illegal drug use. Students found to have taken illegal drugs or to be substance abusers at any point during their studies are likely to be removed from the course.

Dress code

Applicants should be aware that there is a strict dress code for staff and students when working in the clinical areas of the School of Dentistry and in our outreach clinics. Clothing and personal appearance must accord with the reasonable expectations of a member of the public for a professional person. For hygiene and infection prevention reasons, staff and students must comply with NHS Trust Regulations and must be bare below the elbows in clinics. Further details of the dress code will be provided to successful applicants when they register for study.

The reference section of the application is carefully considered by the School of Dentistry and is an important part of the selection process. Details of any extenuating circumstances should be highlighted in the reference. For undergraduate referees, further information on writing the reference is available from the UCAS 'How to provide a reference' guide.

Eligible Access to Leeds and Realising Opportunities candidates will be considered for an alternative offer. However, please see the Faculty of Medicine and Health website for the minimum requirements that will usually apply to any alternative offer made.

Where applicants do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to a degree course, progression may be possible through one of the University’s extended degrees with foundation year. Please see the Lifelong Learning Centre website for details.

The School of Dentistry does not accept applications from those who are seeking advanced entry to undergraduate courses. All applications must be made to the first year.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Accredited prior learning (APL) is a process undertaken by the University in order to assess and, as appropriate, recognise prior experiential learning or prior certificated learning for academic purposes. For further information see the corresponding Advanced Entry section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy.

The following full-time undergraduate applications must be made through the online Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). 

Deadlines:  

• Dental Surgery MChD/BChD, Oral Science BSc by 15 October 2020 
• Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc by 29 January 2021 (normally 15 January but extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic)

The School of Dentistry reserves the right to consider applications submitted after this date. Availability of courses in UCAS Extra will be detailed on UCAS at the appropriate stage in the cycle. 

Applications for the Dental Surgery MChD/BChD, Oral Science BSc (Graduate Entry) programme are by direct application to the School of Dentistry.

Internal transfers

The School of Dentistry will not consider applications to transfer internally from other programmes at the University of Leeds. Anyone wishing to study a dentistry course will be required to apply directly for year one. The standard academic entry requirements must have been met as found on Course Search, and the same level of information must be provided as on a normal UCAS application. The same application deadlines apply.

The University of Leeds offers a number of alternative routes in order to widen access to higher education.

For further details of our Access to Leeds (A2L) and Realising Opportunities see the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy.

Alternative Entry Scheme for mature applicants

As per the information detailed in the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy the School of Dentistry will consider prospective students via the Alternative Entry Scheme run by the Lifelong Learning Centre. Applicants are assessed on the basis of their application form. An interview and/or piece of assessed written work/test may also be offered as part of the entry process. Where appropriate applicants will be referred to the Lifelong Learning Centre who will advise the applicant further. 

The School of Dentistry does not offer courses on a part-time basis.

In addition to the corresponding section of the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy, please note:

The General Dental Council stipulates that the lower age limit to practice clinical dentistry is 21. Therefore the School of Dentistry is not able to admit any students below the age of 16 at the commencement of study.

Some courses within the School of Dentistry (as indicated on Course Search) may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults.

As a result, applicants to these courses will be required to declare a criminal conviction at the application stage in order that certain checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service can be undertaken. Admission may not be possible where satisfactory results are not achieved. The University will send further instructions as part of the admissions process where such checks are required.

The School of Dentistry is obliged to refuse admission to applicants for certain courses which are regulated by national or statutory bodies where enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks reveal prior criminal behaviour giving rise to concern for the protection of the public.

It should be noted that the General Dental Council also considers criminal convictions in relation to fitness to practice and the School has no control over this process. It is possible that certain criminal convictions could pose difficulties at the point of registration. See GDC Fitness to Practice. A full outline of the School of Dentistry’s policy in relation to criminal records is available in the School’s Criminal Records Policy.

The School of Dentistry will consider applications from those who have previously applied to the institution. The School of Dentistry considers applications from candidates who have previously studied at the institution in line with the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy.

The School of Dentistry will consider applications from those who are re-taking examinations prior to entering the University. The School will only accept one resit attempt at full A levels, unless an applicant is able to provide evidence of mitigating circumstances that may have prevented them from achieving the required grades on their second attempt. In such cases evidence must be provided prior to application. Consideration for a further application is at the discretion of the Admissions Tutor, and is not guaranteed.

Applicants must typically meet the conditions set by the University by 19 August of the application year unless otherwise stated in the prescribed course or professional body requirements, even if the offer is deferred for entry to the following application year.

The School of Dentistry may not be able to confirm a place in the upcoming academic cycle following an improved final grade after a re-mark, however applicants may be offered a deferred place or be asked to reapply.

Applications from those who have not quite met the required grades may be reviewed and their places may be confirmed if there are places still available on their chosen course. However, where applicants are holding offers for deferred entry they may not be subject to the same level of flexibility.

It should be noted that an unconditional offer means that an applicant has met the academic and non-academic entry requirements but will still be required to meet the health and criminal record checks. If these conditions are not met prior to registration, proof that these checks will be fulfilled during term 1 can be used to confirm a place. This can be an appointment card or evidence of when forms were submitted.

The School of Dentistry will consider applications for deferred entry and encourages such applicants to make use of the personal statement section of the application form to explain their reasons for requesting deferral. Applicants who wish to defer following the submission of their application are required to do so prior to the confirmation of a place.

The personal statement of the application form helps us to assess the nature of the applicant’s interest in the academic subject and is an important part of the selection process. It is essential that applicants take this opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasm and aptitude for the academic subject. Further information about what we wish to hear about is available in our personal statement guidelines.

The personal statement is an important part of the selection process, and an applicant may be assessed based on the strength of their statement relative to others in their cohort, and/or based on criteria set by the academic school.   

Following assessment of application forms, applicants for the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc and Dental Surgery MChD/BChD, Oral Science BSc who score highly enough will be required to attend an interview.  

The interview allows us to further assess the personal qualities that have been demonstrated by successful students on our courses. On the day of interview, applicants will also have the opportunity to look around the School of Dentistry and meet some of our students and staff.  

Each applicant will participate in a set of multiple mini interviews or MMIs. Candidates should expect to be present for an entire morning or afternoon session. The format of the interviews is a number of different tasks undertaken consecutively. These tasks are carefully designed to determine each candidate’s suitability to study one of our dental courses. Performance will be assessed separately for each station and an overall score generated. Shortlisted applicants will receive a written invitation from the School to attend on a specific date and time.  

Some applicants may require adjustments to their interview (for example, if they have a disability or are pregnant) to provide them with full and equal access to the process. The School is responsible for making reasonable adjustments where possible. Email the University’s Disability Services team via disability@leeds.ac.uk for further advice or information regarding disability related adjustments. Email the Equality and Inclusion Unit via equality@leeds.ac.uk for advice on other adjustments.

Interviews methods may vary depending on the circumstances and/or geographical location of the applicant. For example, interviews may take place on a one to one basis or via Skype, video conferencing or telephone. 

Where possible the School of Dentistry will accommodate requests for alternative interview dates, however an alternative cannot be guaranteed.  

We operate a ‘gathered field’ system when considering applications to the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc and Dental Surgery MChD/BChD Oral Science BSc courses. This means that the majority of applicants are notified of the outcome of their application following the application deadline. In cases where an applicant does not meet the minimum entry requirements, notification may be received before the deadline.  

Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) 

All applicants for the Dental Surgery MChD/BChD, Oral Science BSc are required to sit a BMAT. Where an applicant takes the test in both sittings, only their first attempt will be considered. Any applicants who do not sit the test will be rejected automatically. 

Please note that a BMAT is not required for the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc. 

Please note, some applicants to the School of Dentistry, such as mature students, may be requested to provide a piece of written work and/or undertake a test as part of the admissions process. Further details will be provided to the applicant as required.  

As outlined in the Contextual admissions schemes section above, the School of Dentistry will consider prospective students via the Alternative Entry Scheme run by the Lifelong Learning Centre. 

Please refer to the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy for information on how decisions will be communicated by the University.

As per the University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy, applicants who have received feedback and wish to challenge the decision made on their application should contact the Faculty Admissions Manager, whose details can be found in the Useful contacts and resources section below.