Bachelor of Dental Science

includes:

Bachelor of Dental Science
AQF level 7

Awards

Academic Senate has approved the following awards for conferral at graduation on a testamur:

Bachelor of Dental Science BDentSc

Availability

Bachelor of Dental Science (4409DS)

On Campus - Orange

Availability is subject to change, please verify prior to enrolment.

Normal Course Duration

Course duration referenced below is the effective time taken to complete a course when studied full time (full time equivalent duration). At Charles Sturt the standard calendar refers to 32 points a session over a 2 session calendar year. The Actual Duration is the time taken to complete the course following the prescribed enrolment pattern. A course's actual duration can be affected by the session calendar (number of sessions undertaken per year) and/or mode (full time, part time or mixed) and credit packages which may have been granted upon admission. Therefore, depending on the prescribed enrolment pattern, mode, calendar utilised and credit awarded a course may take less time or more time to complete than the duration noted as full time equivalent years. Students are advised to consult the Enrolment Pattern to determine the actual duration of study.

Bachelor of Dental Science

Full-time: 5.0 years (or part-time equivalent)

Admission Criteria

CSU Admission Policy

Admission Criteria

Selection for entry to the Bachelor of Dental Science involves selection for interview based on University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) for Australia and New Zealand score or previous academic performance.  Offers are then made based on interview outcome. Each year at least 50% of places will be set aside for applicants who have a significant rural background or who are First Nation applicants.  Applicants who wish to apply for one of these places will upload an additional form with their UAC application which details their eligibility for this pathway.  These applicants will be ranked for interview and offers made separately to other applicants. All applicants must apply for entry in the Bachelor of Dental Science using UAC.

Selection for interview

Domestic students: Applicants who are current Charles Sturt students

Interviews will be granted to current Charles Sturt student who meet the following criteria:

  • Enrolled in any Charles Sturt course at the time of application
  • have completed a minimum of 6 standard subjects by the end of the academic year of application, with a GPA of 5.5 or better. Students who have not completed six (6), eight (8) point subjects in full by the time of application (for example, students who study 3 subjects per semester) are able to apply for entry into the course, however their selection to interview will be based on their current GPA of 5.5 or better. The final offers into the course will be conditional to obtaining a GPA of 5.5 or better by the end of the academic year of application. No final offer will be made, irrespective of performance during interviews, to students who did not achieve a GPA of 5.5 or better at the end of the academic year.

Current Charles Sturt students who do not meet the above criteria can apply via completing UCAT and, if appropriate, the Rural and Indigenous Pathway form.

Domestic students: Applicants who have significant rural background or who are First Nation applicants

To be considered for interview selection, First Nation applicants applicants must:

  • Submit a Rural and Indigenous Pathway form. This form is located on the Charles Sturt Bachelor of Dental Science Course brochure and is to be uploaded with the UAC application.

First Nation applicants do not need to complete UCAT. First Nation applicants will be interviewed using a culturally appropriate panel interview format. The panel will be composed of First Nation and non First Nation members and will:

  • Assess the academic abilities and the motivation of the applicant
  • Assess the support necessary (if at all) to ensure a successful learning experience
  • Assess the suitability of the applicant to practice as a dentist

To be considered for interview selection, rural domestic applicants must:

  • Submit a Rural and Indigenous Pathway form (available on Charles Sturt website) and uploaded with the UAC application
  • Complete UCAT, applicants should consult the UCAT website for information about registration, fees and test dates. 

Domestic students: Applicants who do not have significant rural background or who are not First Nation applicants

To be considered for interview selection, applicants who do not have a significant rural background or who are not First Nation applicants must:

  • Complete UCAT. Applicants should consult the UCAT website for information about registration, fees and test dates. 

Interviews of the domestic applicants who are not First Nation applicants:

  • Applicants will be notified if they have been selected for interview in the last week of October.
  • Interviews are held over 5 consecutive days in late November on the Orange campus of Charles Sturt with applicants required to attend the interview in person. Alternatively, the School may decide to use online interviews.
  • The interview will be a panel interview and provides applicants the opportunity to demonstrate their communication skills and to further explore their motivation for undertaking a career in dentistry and their commitment to rural and regional dental practice. Applicants problem solving, decision making and spatial awareness skills will also be assessed.

International applicants

International applicants, including those living or working in Australia, seeking entry to the course should apply direct to the University or via an agent and will be selected for interview based on previous academic performance. While there is no pre-determined grade point average (GPA) cut-off the approximate minimum GPA for consideration based on previous intakes is 6.0 on a 7 point scale. The actual cut-off may be higher depending on the pool of applicants in a given year.

International applicants studying their final year of school, including those studying in Australia, are required to provide school reports for the two final years of schooling.

The closing date for application is the last Friday in May with interview held online in late June/early July.

The interview will be a panel interview and provides applicants the opportunity to demonstrate their communication skills and to further explore their motivation for undertaking a career in dentistry and their commitment to rural and regional dental practice.

English language proficiency

This course has a higher English language proficiency requirement. Applicants should check the English language requirements by reading the 'Undergraduate courses' tab.

Credit

CSU Credit Policy

Standard Charles Sturt Credit rules apply

Graduation Requirement

To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 320 points.

Course Structure

The Bachelor of Dental Science has a single intake at the start of each year and is studied under a full-time load only.

This course has both year-long and single session subjects, please ensure that you enroll in all subjects for the respective year of study.

The course consists of 320 points, consisting of 1 x 48 point,1 x 32 point, 2 x 24 point, 2 x 16 point, 3 x 12 point, 15 x 8 point and 1 x 4 point subjects.

KEY SUBJECTS

DOH125 Foundations of Dental Practice 1 (12)
DOH115 Oral Anatomy & Histology (12)
DOH233 Pathological Basis of Human Disease (8)
DOH256 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 2 (16)
DOH255 Head & Neck Anatomy (8)
DOH244 Foundations of Restorative Dentistry (24)
DOH336 Prosthodontics 1 (12)
DOH337 Dental Clinical Practice 3 (24)
DOH346 Endodontics (16)
DOH347 Foundations of Oral Surgery (8)
DOH345 Oral-Maxillofacial Pathology (8)
DOH404 Dental Clinical Practice 4 (32)
DOH412 Medicine and Surgery for Dental Practice (4)
DOH417 Oral Surgery (8)
DOH418 Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry (8)
DOH419 Prosthodontics 2 (8)
DOH484 Dental Clinical Practice 5 (48)
DOH491 Gerodontics, Special Needs Dentistry, Dental Public Health (8)
DOH493 Advanced Clinical Options (8)


CORE SUBJECTS
BMS129 Physiological Sciences 1 (8)
BMS130 Physiological Sciences 2 (8)
CHM102 Chemistry for Dental and Veterinary Sciences (8)
DOH125 Foundations of Dental Practice 1 (12)
DOH133 Oral Microbiology (8)
DOH115 Oral Anatomy & Histology (12)
IKC100 Indigenous Australian Health (8)
DOH231 Dental Biochemistry (8)
DOH233 Pathological Basis of Human Disease (8)
DOH256 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 2 (16)
DOH255 Head & Neck Anatomy (8)
DOH244 Foundations of Restorative Dentistry (24)
DOH336 Prosthodontics 1 (12)
DOH337 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 3 (24)
DOH346 Endodontics (16)
DOH347 Foundations of Oral Surgery (8)
DOH345 Oral-Maxillofacial Pathology (8)
DOH404 Dental Clinical Practice 4 (32)
DOH412 Medicine and Surgery for Dental Practice (4)
DOH417 Oral Surgery (8)
DOH418 Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry (8)
DOH419 Prosthodontics 2 (8)
DOH484 Dental Clinical Practice 5 (48)
DOH491 Gerodontics, Special Needs Dentistry, Dental Public Health (8)
DOH493 Advanced Clinical Options (8)

Enrolment Pattern

This course has both year-long and single session subjects, please ensure that you enroll in all subjects for the respective year of study.
Note: Year-long subjects only need to be enrolled into at the commencement of the teaching period.

FULL TIME STUDY PATTERN

Year 1, Year-long Period 1 (31)
DOH115 Oral Anatomy & Histology (12)
DOH125 Foundations of Dental Practice 1 (12)

Year 1, Session 1 (30)
BMS129 Physiological Sciences 1 (8)
CHM102 Chemistry for Dental and Veterinary Sciences (8)
IKC100 Indigenous Australian Health (8)

Year 1, Session 2 (60)
BMS130 Physiological Sciences 2 (8)
DOH133 Oral Microbiology (8)

Year 2, Year-long Period 1 (31)
DOH244 Foundations of Restorative Dentistry (24)
DOH255 Head and Neck Anatomy (8)
DOH256 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 2 (16)

Year 2, Session 1 (30)
DOH231 Dental Biochemistry (8)

Year 2, Session 2 (60)
DOH233 Pathological Basis of Human Disease (8)

Year 3, Year-long Period 1 (31)
DOH336 Prosthodontics 1 (12)
DOH337 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 3 (24)
DOH346 Endodontics (16)
DOH347 Foundations of Oral Surgery (8)

Year 3, Session 2 (60)

DOH345 Oral-Maxillofacial Pathology (8)

Year 4, Year-long Period 1 (31)
DOH404 Dental Clinical Practice 4 (32)
DOH417 Oral Surgery (8)
DOH404 Dental Clinical Practice 4 (32)
DOH418 Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry (8)
DOH419 Prosthodontics 2 (8)

Year 4, Session 1 (30)
DOH412 Medicine and Surgery for Dental Practice (4)

Year 5, Year-long Period 1 (31)
DOH484 Dental Clinical Practice 5 (48)

Year 5, Session 1 (30)
DOH491 Gerodontics, Special Needs Dentistry, Dental Public Health (8)

Year 5, Session 2 (60)
DOH493 Advanced Clinical Options (8)

Workplace Learning

Please note that the following subjects may contain a Workplace Learning component. Further details for Workplace Learning requirements are located via the subject page

DOH256 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 2
DOH336 Prosthodontics 1
DOH337 Foundations of Dental Clinical Practice 3
DOH404 Dental Clinical Practice 4
DOH484 Dental Clinical Practice 5

Residential School

Please note that the following subjects may contain a Residential School component. Further details of Residential School requirements are located via the subject page

BMS129 Physiological Sciences 1
BMS130 Physiological Sciences 2

Enrolled students can find further information about CSU Residential Schools at About Residential School

Professional Accreditation

The Bachelor of Dental Science is accredited with the Australian Dental Council until December 2028.

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: July 2022. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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