Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy with Foundation Year BSc

Dental hygienists and dental therapists are integral members of the dental team. They educate, advise and treat patients, carrying out a range of procedures to preserve and improve oral health, such as applying topical fluoride, removing plaque, or placing fillings. 

Foundation year

The foundation year of this programme provides students with non-standard entry qualifications, a thorough and supportive academic preparation for successful degree level study in the School of Clinical Dentistry.

On successful completion of the foundation year, you will progress to our three year Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc.

The foundation year to this degree is carefully designed to build your confidence in your abilities, develop essential academic and study skills, and provide the subject specific knowledge essential for success. You will study with the Lifelong Learning Team in the School of Education, where we have nearly forty years’ experience working with adult learners, helping them to unlock their potential to succeed at degree-level study.

Entry requirements

As well as meeting the standard Foundation Year eligibility requirements, applicants to this programme will require:

• GCSE English Language Grade C/4
• GCSE Maths Grade C/4
• At least one year of full-time experience (or equivalent) in a dentistry setting within the last 5 years

English language requirements 

You must demonstrate that your English is good enough for you to successfully complete your course. For this course we require: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C; IELTS grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualification.

Equivalent English language qualifications

Potential applicants holding equivalent qualifications gained overseas should contact us for clarification of eligibility.

Casper test

All applicants are required to complete a Casper test as part of their application. Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test that takes 65-85 minutes to complete.

You will register for United Kingdom Casper 1: CSP-10500.

Casper measures different personal and professional skills that are important for successful students and graduates of our programme. It will complement the other tools we use for applicant selection.

Visit Accuity Insights to create an account, register to complete Casper, and learn more about this assessment, including important dates and technical requirements. Register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time.  All applicants should take the Casper test by the UCAS deadline for equal consideration in January. 

Screening

Applications are first screened based on your academic record, experience and your Casper performance.

Screening criteria:

• Meeting minimum academic requirements
• Meeting work experience requirements
• Equal to or above the 25th percentile on the Casper test

DBS check and Occupational Health Screening

Students will also be required to have a DBS check and Occupational Health Screening and will be interviewed by both the School of Education and the School of Clinical Dentistry.

Health clearance

If you are infected with hepatitis C or HIV, or if you have a disability, medical condition or learning difficulty, including dyslexia, you must disclose this on your application form. All potential students with significant support needs will be individually assessed to ensure that the University is able to support them on the course.

All new students will undergo health screenings known as an Occupational Health Check, which may require an individual assessment. This is to ensure that you meet the Fitness to Study standards detailed on the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners (HEOPS) guidance and is in accordance with the Department of Health National Guidelines. 

Occupational Health Checks

We offer support to students with additional needs, for example, through the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service or Student and Academic Services. You can find out more about the network of support services we provide. A very small number of conditions might, on health and safety grounds, affect your registration with the appropriate regulatory body and your ability to practise in certain clinical situations.

If you're offered a place, you'll need to comply with our immunisation requirements. Due to the early clinical exposure of our clinical courses, you will need to provide proof of your childhood vaccinations (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox and TB) at the start of the course during Welcome Week.

Additional clinical requirements

The School of Clinical Dentistry has a series of clinical requirements for clinical students. Before accepting an offer of a place, you must confirm that you will comply with these requirements. This includes reading and signing a clinical student entry agreement that sets out standards and behaviours that are expected of those working in the profession.

Visit the Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy BSc course page for further information.