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FAQs BDSc
What subjects do I need to study at secondary school to apply for entry into the BDSc program?
Applicants must have completed the following minimum subject prerequisites (Year 12 equivalent):
• English (4, SA)
• Chemistry (4, SA)
All domestic applicants (i.e. Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens) must also sit the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT). International students must sit the International Student Admissions Test (ISAT). There is no interview in the selection process.
Entry is directly into Year 1 and is open to both school leavers and students who have completed one year or more of tertiary studies.
What is the cut-off for entry into Dentistry?
The cut-offs for entry will vary each year according to the standard of applicants. However as a guide, the major round cut-offs for entry into the BDSc program in 2012 were:
(1) Entry rank 99 (OP 1/GPA 5.8 Group I tertiary institution*, GPA 6.5 Group II institution**) with minimum UMAT score of 181 for a Commonwealth Supported place;
(2) Entry rank 99 (OP 1/(GPA 5.8 Group I tertiary institution*) for an international full-fee paying place with minimum ISAT score of 176 for offshore applicants.
* Group I institutions (Group of Eight research-intensive universities) include University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of NSW, Australian National University (ANU), University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of Adelaide, University of Western Australia.
** Group II institutions in Queensland include Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Griffith University, James Cook University, University of Southern Queensland, University of Sunshine Coast, University of Central Queensland, Australian Catholic University. Contact UQ Admissions for other Group II institutions.
Is there any special consideration for mature-age applicants?
There is no special consideration or quota for mature-age entry. Selection is based on academic performance only. Mature-age applicants will be required to have met all entry requirements including UMAT and will be assessed in competition with all other applicants according to the selection procedures.
Is there any special consideration given for personal circumstances?
Applicants may apply for special consideration only on their QTAC application form; such cases will be processed and ranked by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). If highly ranked, the application will be forwarded to the Head of School for consideration.
I have already completed a Bachelor’s degree. What are my chances of gaining entry?
There is no special entry for graduates. Applicants who have completed pass degrees will have their results assessed on the basis of GPA. Applicants with honours or higher research degrees will be allocated an entry rank based on their honours/research degree or their coursework results, whichever is higher. Graduate applicants will be required to have met all entry requirements including UMAT. If admitted into the BDSc program, credit transfer is normally only considered for basic science courses in first year which are rated as being equal or identical to courses in the first year of the BDSc, at university level.
I am an overseas trained dentist. Are my chances of gaining entry increased? Will I receive any credit for my dental degree? Is there a bridging program available to overseas trained dentists?
There is no special entry or sub-quota for overseas trained dentists regardless of prior professional experience or qualifications. Selection for entry into the BDSc program is based on academic merit only. Applicants who are overseas dental graduates will be required to meet all entry requirements and will be assessed in competition with all other applicants according to the selection procedures. If admitted, applications for credit transfer will then be considered on an individual basis.
Please note that The University of Queensland does not offer a bridging program for overseas trained dentists.
I am a dental hygienist/therapist, dental technician or dental assistant. Are my chances of gaining entry increased?
There is no special entry or sub-quota for dental auxiliaries or technicians. Such applicants will be required to meet all entry requirements and will be assessed in competition with other applicants according to the selection procedures.
If I complete courses in another tertiary program, can I receive credit for them in the BDSc program?
Courses completed in another tertiary program may be considered for credit transfer, only where such courses can be demonstrated (e.g. from their detailed course profile) to be equivalent in content and workload to those courses in the BDSc program. Normally credit transfer is only granted for basic science courses in the first year of Dentistry. Prospective students should always plan their first year enrolment so that they complete courses which give acceptable options for further study in their present degree program. This allows them to continue a study plan for other future careers in the event of failure to gain entry into the BDSc.
I am a dental student enrolled at another University. Can I transfer to the BDSc program at UQ?
Dental students from other Australian Dental Schools seeking entry into the BDSc program must apply through QTAC for a quota place. Such students must meet all entry requirements including UMAT and will be assessed in competition with other applicants according to the selection procedures. If accepted, applications for credit transfer will then be considered.
If my application for credit transfer is approved, can I enrol in Year 2 of the program and carry any Year 1 dental courses that I haven’t completed?
Under the program’s progression rules, students are not permitted to progress to a subsequent year in the BDSc program unless they have obtained credit for all compulsory courses in the preceding year.
How much does the Dentistry program cost? What are the fees?
For Commonwealth Supported (HECS-liable) students, the student contribution fee in 2012 is approximately $8,000-$9,000 per year. It is anticipated that the contribution fee in 2013 will be similar. Please note there are no full-fee paying places available for domestic students.
Are there scholarships available to students enrolled in the program?
Queensland Health may offer scholarships annually to dental students through its Rural Scholarship and Allied Health Schemes. The Australian Defence Force also offers generous scholarships to dental students.
The University of Queensland offers a number of scholarship opportunities to full-time, undergraduate Commonwealth Supported (HECS-liable) students. For further information regarding UQ scholarships, go to the University’s website:
(www.uq.edu.au/study/scholarships/).
What is UMAT?
UMAT is the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test which has been developed by the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). The test is used to assist with the selection of students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level offered by the UMAT Consortium universities. UMAT can only be undertaken by students who are completing Year 12 studies in the current year, or who have completed Year 12 in previous years. The test is held each year by ACER in late July. Registration for UMAT opens in mid-April and closes at the beginning of June each year. All registration is taken on-line. Applicants can obtain a copy of the UMAT Information booklet and details on the application procedures and registration from the following website http://umatweb.acer.edu.au.
Where is the UMAT exam held?
UMAT exams are held each year in late July in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville, or at venues in other States and Territories as listed on the UMAT website. UMAT exams are also held in Auckland and Dunedin.
How is UMAT used in the selection process for the BDSc program?
UMAT is used as a secondary selector when there are more eligible applicants above the entry cut-off than there are available places. For example, if there are 100 applicants who are above the cut-off but there are only 50 places available, then UMAT will be used to separate these applicants for further selection.
How is UMAT scored?
UMAT consists of three sections:
Section 1. Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving
Section 2. Understanding People
Section 3. Non-Verbal Reasoning
The overall score from the three sections combined are used for selection purposes. The percentile rank is not used.
Do I need to provide my UMAT score to QTAC?
Scores will be obtained for applicants who have completed UMAT for entry into the BDSc program in the following year. Applicants will be required to quote their UMAT candidate number on the QTAC application form.
I have completed GAMSAT, can this score be used instead of UMAT?
GAMSAT scores are not acceptable in place of UMAT. Domestic applicants must sit UMAT only.
If I sit UMAT twice, can I choose which score to use in my entry applications?
Only the most recent UMAT test score will be used in the selection process.
How is the UMAT cut-off score determined?
The cut-off score for UMAT may vary each year depending upon the standard of applicants. If the test standard of the applicants is high, this will result in a higher UMAT score.
What is ISAT?
ISAT is the international Student Admissions Test which has been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The test is used to assist with the selection of international students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level offered by the UMAT Consortium universities. ISAT can only be undertaken by students who are completing Year 12 studies in the current year, or who have completed Year 12 in previous years. The test is held at various venues throughout the year until the end of October. ISAT scores are valid for two years. Further information regarding ISAT can be found on the following website http://www.isat.acer.edu.au/.
What should I do if I am unsuccessful in gaining entry into the BDSc program?
Students may be unsuccessful in gaining entry into the BDSc program for the following reasons: (i) they did not complete the prerequisite subjects (or their equivalent) at high school; (ii) they did not sit UMAT (domestic applicants) or ISAT (international students); (iii) they did not achieve an entry score (called a Rank) above the cut-off to be competitive; (iv) they did not achieve an overall UMAT/ISAT score above the cut-off.
If an applicant did not complete the necessary prerequisite subjects at high school, they may consider undertaking senior high school subjects either externally or though their local TAFE institution. Alternatively, they may enrol at a tertiary institution in another program (i.e BA or BSc) and complete courses which will satisfy the missing prerequisite requirements.
If an applicant did not achieve sufficiently high secondary school results then they may consider undertaking one full year (equivalent to 16 units of study) of university study in another program (i.e. BSc) in an attempt to upgrade their entry rank.
If a student is currently enrolled at UQ and did not achieve a GPA above the cut-off, then they may consider continuing for another year in their present degree program in an attempt to improve their GPA and upgrade their entry rank.
If a student has completed studies at a Group II tertiary institution (i.e. QUT, Griffith University, James Cook University) and did not achieve a GPA/entry rank above the cut-off, then they may wish to consider completing a year of full-time study at UQ or another Group I institution (i.e. University of Sydney, NSW, Melbourne, Monash, Adelaide, Western Australia, Australian National University) to increase their chances of entry.
If a student did not achieve an overall UMAT score above the cut-off, then they may consider re-sitting the test in the following year to improve their score. There is no restriction on the number of times that an applicant may undertake UMAT. However, only the latest test score will be used for selection procedures.
Can I defer my BDSc offer?
Domestic applicants can apply for deferment on their QTAC application form. Deferment may be granted for one year only. Students may not enrol at another tertiary institution during the deferment period.
I have heard that the last year of the BDSc program involves clinical placements. Is this correct?
The final year of the BDSc program involves 34 weeks (2 semesters) of clinical placement in State Government health clinics throughout Queensland, including rural, school, hospital and community clinics. These clinics are located in districts such as Ipswich, Gold Coast, Logan, Redcliffe, Kawana, Nambour, Caboolture, Mackay, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Charters Towers, Cairns and Townsville. Students will incur varying accommodation costs depending upon clinical placement and location.
FIND OUT MORE
Further information can be found at :
CONTACT US
Learning Support Office
School of Dentistry
The University of Queensland
Phone: (07) 3365 8022 / 3365 8071
Fax: (07) 3365 8199
Email: dentistry@uq.edu.au
UQ Admissions
The University of Queensland
Phone: (07) 3365 2203
Fax: (07) 3365 2061
UQ International
Phone: 1800 671 980 (Free call within Australia)
Email: study@uq.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Code 00025B
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