The University of Melbourne

Doctor of Dental Surgery

Graduate

Details

University Location Melbourne, Victoria
City Population 5.3 million
Student Population 53,000
Int'l Student Population 23,850
Main Campus Parkville (Melbourne)
Program Campus Parkville
Program Duration 4 years
Estimated Annual Tuition AUD$101,984 (2025 fees; subject to increase)
Semester Intake January
Next Available Intake 2026
Application Deadline TBA*
International Places 40 (98 total)

Overview

Located in the city of Melbourne, the University of Melbourne Dental School is an advanced learning environment at the forefront of oral health, state-of-the-art technologies and international collaborations. According to the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject (Dentistry), the University of Melbourne is ranked at #1 in Australia and at #25 in the world.

Shaping the future of oral healthcare, the Melbourne Dental School is renowned for its excellence in dental and oral health education, clinical training, and translational research, offering diverse programs and advancing knowledge in gum oral diseases, inflammation and wound healing, the oral microbiome, public health, and material science and implant surgery.

Meet Deepak, a former OzTREKK student who’s now a Melbourne Dental School graduate!

Program

Students in the Melbourne Doctor of Dental Surgery will learn through a multi-disciplinary teaching structure, based around lectures, research projects, and practice-based program. Your learning will be framed around an employment specific model, preparing you for life in dentistry post-graduation.

As a Melbourne dental student, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art technologies and new learning infrastructure, including a 100-seat pre-clinical laboratory and the new Melbourne University Dental Clinic for advanced clinical teaching.

As part of the degree, you’ll spend significant time in provision of patient care and clinical methods, as well as undertake a 2-year research project in oral health. In the final year, you’ll have the unique opportunity to experience working in a private practice setting, where you’ll learn how to run a small dental clinic.

Teaching Blocks 1 & 2
In the first 3 years, the course is structured around 8-week teaching blocks. Teaching Blocks 1 and 2 are in the first half of the year followed by 1 week of revision and examination preparation, 2 weeks of assessment, and 2 weeks of vacation/supplementary assessment.

Teaching Blocks 3 & 4
Teaching Blocks 3 and 4 are in the second half of the year with 1 week’s vacation scheduled between the end of Teaching Block 3 and the commencement of Teaching Block 4. Teaching Block 4 is followed by 1 week of revision, 2 weeks of assessment, then a period of vacation/supplementary assessment.

Final Year
The final year of the degree is structured around 9-week teaching blocks. It comprises one subject in Teaching Blocks 1 and 2 and one subject in Teaching Blocks 3 and 4.

Clinical Practice
In the final year subjects, you’ll spend 36 weeks in clinical settings, including the planned University of Melbourne private dental clinic, community health centres, and rural community clinics, which will include provision of oral health care to the aboriginal community. In addition, you’ll learn how to run a private practice based on a small business model.

Admission Requirements

1. Completed bachelor’s degree
You must have successfully completed an undergraduate degree in any discipline at a recognized international university within the past 10 years. GPA weightings will be applied by weighting the final year x2, third year x2, second year x1.

2. Prerequisites
Melbourne requires students to have completed 1 semester for each of the following subjects:

  • Human anatomy
  • Human physiology
  • Biochemistry

Prerequisite courses must be approved by Melbourne and have been completed no more than 10 years prior to commencing. Please follow the following steps to see if your courses meet the prerequisites:

1. Visit Melbourne’s prerequisites page.
2. Select the Dentistry dropdown under “List of assessed subjects.”
3. Click “International Institutions” to download the current list of approved subjects.
4. Find your Canadian university and ensure it has “approved” beside the courses you’ve taken.

Don’t meet the prereqs? Please read our Meeting the University of Melbourne’s Prerequisites article for tips.

3. Admissions test
You must have completed either the Canadian DAT, US DAT (Melbourne does not list minimum score; however, competitive average is generally 20–21), or GAMSAT. Carving portion of the Canadian DAT is neither required nor considered. Exam results must be from within the last 4 years (January 1, 2021 to July 30, 2024). OzTREKK will not submit Melbourne DDS applications with scores below 16 overall and 16 in each section.

Admission Timeline

*Applications for the 2025 intake closed July 26, 2024. For information about the 2026 intake, please contact OzTREKK.

2025 Intake Application Timeline

Application deadline: July 26, 2024
Last date to submit prerequisite for assessment: July 11, 2024
Offers issued: Expected early October

1/18

“There are lots of hands-on preclinical sessions”

Great cohort size, almost evenly split between Aussies and Canadians. There are lots of hands-on preclinical sessions (but I still wish there were more!). The demos are very approachable and are here to help you succeed. It is a hard course but you need to know when to reach out when you need help. In first year I would highly recommend taking time to get to know your classmates. You will be seeing each other almost everyday through classes, around the city, at social events, e... Read More

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Anjali B
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2024

“The facilities are really good!”

The facilities are really good! Maybe just the computer lab can be more upgraded. Everything about it is good. It is important to stay on track but it is also important to have fun during the process.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Joe Z
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“All the instructors in the first year are very keen to help you succeed”

I like the area the university is in, I also like the faculty staff who are very understanding and helpful. The dental school isn't very accommodating to international students, especially considering we make up half the cohort. I like that it's a combination of both the scientific and technical aspects of things but dentistry is also a very creative profession. Some days it feels like I'm in art school! All the instructors in the first year are very keen to help you succeed. W... Read More

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Samreen V
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“The instructors are really nice and keen to answer your questions.”

Like - the new university facilities and location close to the city centre. The instructors are really nice and keen to answer your questions. We  have loads of online and asynchronous lectures and classes this year and I wish we had more in person!

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Zak S
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“Hands on experience very early in the program was good.”

Some lecturers are very knowledgeable and willing to help as much as they can. Hands on experience very early in the program was good. We have to pay for our own dental equipment when a lot of US and Canadian schools have it incorporated in the tuition. Have fun when you're here! Uni Melb and probably the other Australian universities has lots of breaks/holidays allowing you to relax and explore the city more. Be prepared for lots of lectures, labs, and tutorials and try not to... Read More

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Terry V
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“I love my class and the diversity”

I like the resources and commitment available. I wish the school/program was more organized. I love my class and the diversity.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Disha N
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“low to moderate stress level”

Likes: location, accessibility, transportation, adequate class size, low to moderate stress level. Dislikes: poor administration in some areas; lack of didactic course materials; rushed schedules.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Jonathan P
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“I like the hands on aspect”

[I like the ] Campus, Program, People. I like the hands on aspect of [Dentistry]. As with all programs, the administrative/organizational side of things could definitely be improved.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Desmond F
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2023

“Class size is good, course material is relevant”

Good staff, early hands on experience and pre clinical hours, no open lab hours/clinic hours. Class size is good, course material is relevant, teaching methods are okay all lectures are mainly pre recorded and some of them are bad quality. But flexibility to complete content on your own time helps with having a job.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Stephanie N
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2022

“Teachers are top tier.”

Teachers are top tier. Teaching Facilities are good. There are so many place to eat around campus. There are always activities going on to connect students out side the classroom. Expectations are higher than you may be used to in an undergraduate. Dental school is tough. Class size is good at around 90ish. Mix of caring and awful teachers. Mostly caring and great but the ones that are not great stand out. LOTS of material to cover and little time to do even some of the recommended reading. 1st year is all base knowledge.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Travis L
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2022

“It has an amazing hands-on program with great professors.”

I love it! It has an amazing hands-on program with great professors. The University campus is also very beautiful.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Sydney S
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2019

“Professors are great and highly knowledgeable… very approachable and supportive”

University of Melbourne is amazing. It's very comprehensive and have most of specializations. Professors are great and highly knowledgeable, experienced and helpful! The school has access to a dental hospital which makes it even more desirable to study dentistry here as you get such more in-depth experience during your clinical sessions. The program is amazing! they recently made it full-year terms instead of semesters. This is very good as it allows students to connect and bet... Read More

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Ali E
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2019

“…they emphasize clinical work, and really want us to push ourselves to be the best clinicians possible”

I like it because they emphasize clinical work, and really want us to push ourselves to be the best clinicians possible. Educating students is one thing, but to inspire students to reach a certain level of clinical excellence is a whole new ball game. I'm living the dream every single day that I wake up. How many people can say that!

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Kunal M
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2019

“We are very advanced in terms of exposure to patients and simulation clinic”

I really love UniMelb, the campus is gorgeous and the atmosphere is great. It's a world renowned university and I am proud to be a student here. Only downfall is that there is not a lot of student spaces in the Dental Hospital for us to study or relax, since it is shared with all other staff working in the hospital. I am enjoying my program a lot, it's intense but manageable in my opinion. I love the mix of hands-on labs/simulation clinic, and the education side learning about ... Read More

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Brittany T
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2019

“This university definitely sets students up for returning back to Canada…”

I like that UoM focuses a lot on clinical practice. But they also focus a lot on theoretical knowledge in order for us to become knowledgeable and practical clinicians. This university definitely sets students up for returning back to Canada such as my colleague.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Kaho H.
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2018

“There are also plenty of Canadians to ease the potential struggle of being away from home.”

My experience at the Dentistry program at the University of Melbourne has been wonderful so far. The cohort is relatively small at around 100 students so you get to know most of the people in your program. There are also plenty of Canadians to ease the potential struggle of being away from home. The program while demanding, does afford you the time to enjoy what Melbourne has to offer. It has a nice balance of theory mixed in with practical application of dentistry skills.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Ramiz A.
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2018

“Professors are approachable and care about student progress and learning.”

The program has been a really smooth transition from undergrad. The pre-clinical experience has been challenging but great and the facilities are top notch. Exams are fair and I really feel like I am learning a lot. Professors are approachable and care about student progress and learning.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Alannah Anita-marie C.
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2018

“The highlight of my degree was when I… began seeing my first patients”

Studying at the University of Melbourne gave me an opportunity to travel to another continent and experience a different culture without having to take a break from school. The highlight of my degree was when I entered my second year and began seeing my first patients. It was daunting at first to be seeing real patients, but it was also exciting to be able to use what we have been learning for the past year.

University of Melbourne horizontal logo Dominique L
Doctor of Dental Surgery
The University of Melbourne, 2018