The University of Melbourne

If you haven’t completed your undergraduate degree, you’ll only be eligible to apply to undergraduate dental degrees. Only your current university GPA will be considered, not your high school GPA. Your high school courses will be assessed to ensure prerequisites are met, e.g., English requirements, math, science, etc.

You are eligible to apply to graduate-entry dental degrees with a completed three-year undergraduate degree. If you haven’t completed your degree, you may consider applying to an undergraduate dental degree and have your university studies and GPA assessed, along with prerequisite high school subjects.

James Cook University is the only undergraduate-entry dental program that has rolling admissions (first come, first served). Offers start in June and close in August at their deadline when all seats are filled.

James Cook University is the only university that requires a supplemental form as part of its admissions requirements. It has approximately 5 questions to answer in short essay format. JCU also allows up to 3 reference letters to be included in the application.

Only James Cook University Dental School will consider up to 3 reference letters and work/volunteer experience, which you can include in the supplemental application. The other OzTREKK-represented dental schools do not considering volunteer or work/shadowing experience.

If you have a bachelor’s degree and have completed the Canadian or American DAT, you may be eligible to apply to graduate dentistry degrees like the Doctor of Dental Medicine or the Doctor of Dental Surgery.

Just finishing high school or partially finished an undergraduate degree? Undergraduate dentistry degrees like the Bachelor of Dental Science and Bachelor of Dental Surgery may be options for you. Check out the admissions requirements.

Students are eligible to apply for undergraduate-entry degrees straight from high school, with a partially finished undergraduate degree, or with a completed undergraduate degree. These programs do not require a DAT, and are 5 years in length.

If you have a completed undergraduate degree and have written the Canadian or American DAT, you are eligible to apply to graduate-entry dentistry degrees. These programs are 4 years in length.

Both bachelor and master (doctor) dentistry degrees allow the graduate to practice dentistry.

The Australian and New Zealand universities OzTREKK represent are ranked highly by higher education ranking systems. Each dental program is known by the quality of its education, its state-of-the-art facilities, and by its specialties e.g., rural and remote dentistry. Deciding which program to undertake is usually a personal choice, but chatting with OzTREKK’s dentistry admissions officer is usually the best place to start!

Bachelor dentistry degrees are considered undergraduate degrees and are open to students who have a high school diploma. Master (or doctor) dentistry degrees are considered graduate degrees; therefore, candidates must hold an undergraduate degree to qualify for entry.

While the Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine has “doctor” in their titles, it is considered a master’s degree. A doctorate degree is considered a research degree (PhD).

Both bachelor and master (or doctor) dentistry degrees allow the graduate to practice dentistry.

The University of Melbourne’s DDS prerequisites are quite strict and require that you’ve completed approved courses in human anatomy, human physiology and biochemistry to be eligible to apply.

1. Check Melbourne’s prerequisites
To see if your courses meet the prerequisites, please go to the University of Melbourne’s prerequisites page. Select the drop-down menu titled “List of assessed subjects” and click “International” to download the current list of subjects. Please note this list is updated regularly.

2. Have your courses assessed
If you find that the anatomy, physiology and/or biochemistry courses that you have completed are not found on this chart, you will need to have these courses assessed by submitting a Prerequisite Subject Assessment Form, including full course outlines for each course you want assessed. You are encouraged submit this form well in advance of applying so you can plan accordingly.

When assessing for the human anatomy prerequisite, the university will be looking to see that the course(s) being assessed included a lab component with human cadaveric materials. So you’ll want to make sure that your courses included such a component, and that it is referenced in the course outlines you submit for assessment.

3. Enroll in the missing prerequisite(s)
Melbourne will allow students to take non-award courses during the application season to make up the prerequisites they are missing. This means you can submit your application early in the year with your interim transcript and proof of enrollment into the prerequisite course. Before enrolling in any prerequisite course, we advise checking with either your admissions officer or the university to make sure the course will satisfy the prerequisite. Usually, Melbourne requires students to complete the course(s) by November.

If you haven’t completed the prerequisite course by the time offers are issued, then the university will issue a conditional offer. When you have successfully completed the required anatomy/physiology/biochemistry course(s), your final transcript can be submitted, and the conditions will be lifted.