Postgraduate study
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Doctor of Dental Surgery DDS

Awards: DDS

Study modes: Part-time

Programme website: Doctor of Dental Surgery

The Doctor of Dental Surgery is a research based qualification that can be taken either full time or part time.

The programme is aimed at those in the dental profession who wish to develop high level research skills by pursuing original research in the field of study, relating particular research to the general body of knowledge in the field, and presenting the results of the researches in a critical and scholarly way.

Edinburgh Dental Institute (EDI) works in partnership with two major organisations to deliver high quality education, research and patient care.

The activities of EDI are as a result of strong cooperation and collaboration between the University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, NHS Education for Scotland and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Our welcoming and friendly environment offers great opportunities for high quality education and research.

Our transferable skills programme delivers generic training in presentation, project management and writing skills.

The EDI was established in 1999 to develop education opportunities for dental postgraduates and the dental team.

We have excellent facilities and are situated centrally within the historic and vibrant capital of Scotland.

We are located in Lauriston Place in central Edinburgh and occupy the top three floors of the Lauriston Building, a dedicated out-patient centre for dentistry and a number of other medical disciplines.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, and a qualification that can be registered with either the General Dental Council or the General Medical Council. You should also have at least two years' experience in scientific work bearing directly on your profession, or be in the practice of dentistry or other related disciplines.

You should be employed by the University of Edinburgh or the NHS, or be a research worker employed, self-financed or grant-funded at the University of Edinburgh, an associated institution or an NHS establishment.

You must undertake your research in Borders, Fife or Lothian Health Boards.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
DDSDental Surgery3 YearsPart-timeTuition fees
DDSDental Surgery4 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Edinburgh Dental Institute
  • 4th Floor, Lauriston Building
  • Lauriston Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH3 9HA

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit two references with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Edinburgh Dental Institute
  • 4th Floor, Lauriston Building
  • Lauriston Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH3 9HA