Overview

If you’re looking for a rewarding, people-focused clinical career, Oral Health Sciences could be the perfect fit for you.

This course will prepare you to be a Dental Hygienist/Therapist (DHT), a highly skilled professional who works as part of the Dental Team. You’ll learn to provide clinical oral health treatment and education for adults and children. This includes preventative, periodontal and restorative therapies. You’ll play an essential role in tackling oral health issues such as gum disease, tooth decay and mouth cancer.

This is a hands-on course, combining clinical expertise with the communication and professionalism needed to support patients of all ages. From the start of your studies, you’ll develop practical skills in a real clinical environment and build confidence as part of a professional dental team. You’ll work alongside other dentistry students in the Glasgow Dental Hospital in clinical placements training on state-of-the-art dental technologies.

Throughout your studies, you’ll need to demonstrate a high level of maturity and professionalism in line with the General Dental Council (GDC) code of conduct. In Year 3, you’ll have the opportunity to attend diverse outreach placements or expand your studies into educational aspects of oral health science.

Best of all, you’ll leave with the confidence to become a full-fledged DHT or take your next path into teaching and research.

Why study Oral Health Sciences at GCU?

Train in Glasgow Dental Hospital using modern technologies, working alongside dentistry students as part of a real dental team.
Get further networking and learning opportunities through shared teaching with other Allied Health Professionals at GCU each year.
Broaden your experience through diverse outreach placements and opportunities to explore oral health education and research.
Spend around 50% of your time in clinical placements, building real-world experience and confidence from the start in a professional dental environment.

What you will study

Please note that full module information is in the process of being finalised for publication and will be made available here shortly.

In the meantime, you can view and download the Programme Specification at the bottom of this page. This document provides an overview of the course structure, including indicative modules, learning content and further key information. The modules listed on the Programme Specification are for the current academic year and are intended to give you an idea of what you may be able to study on this course.

Careers

Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for registration with the General Dental Council (GDC). You’ll be ready to work in all sectors of dentistry, from the public dental/hospital services to private and NHS general dental practices.

To teach at a dental school in the UK, you must complete a GDC-approved degree and complete a minimum of two years clinical experience. This course is an eligible academic degree if you are interested in teaching.

You may also pursue a career in research and oral health promotion through this course.

Course information

Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BSc	Full time	3 years	Sep 27	Glasgow	A990	Enquire Apply
Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BSc	Full Time	3 Years	Sep 26	Glasgow	A990	Enquire Apply

Please note that admission to GCU is considered on a competitive basis, and the academic entry requirements stated here may be the minimum required to be eligible for an offer.

International students can get information on entry requirements specific to their country in our International Study section.

Year 1

Standard entry requirement

UCAS Tariff: 108

Scottish Higher: BBBB including Biology or Human Biology plus Nat 5 English at C

A Level: BCC including Biology plus GCSE English at C/4

Minimum entry requirement

UCAS Tariff: 90

Scottish Higher: BCCC including Biology or Human Biology plus Nat 5 English at C

A Level: CCC including Biology plus GCSE English at C/4

English language

IELTS score of 7.0 with no element below 6.5 (or equivalent)

Interview

Due to significant demand for the programme, applicants who have been unsuccessful at interview twice within their applications, including current and past applications, will not be invited to interview for future intakes. If an applicant applies after having been unsuccessful at interview twice within previous cycles, their application will not be progressed to interview for the current cycle.

THIS PROGRAMME IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO SCOTTISH, REST OF UK AND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND DOMICILED APPLICANTS

Additional information for international applicants

Entry requirements by country
Application deadlines
English language tests
Knowledge of English - Applicants from a majority English speaking country may not be required to provide further proof of your English language proficiency. Information about this requirement is available on the Student Visa section of the gov.uk website.

Additional information for all applicants

Relevant experience (Recognition of Prior Learning)

GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.

If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements are for widening access students only. If you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education you may qualify as a widening access student. This includes living in a target postcode area, attending a target school or college, attending SWAP, are care-experienced or provide care for someone else, have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.

Teaching methods

The learning and teaching methods we use ensure that our course is both vocationally relevant and academically challenging. Our approach is student-centred, practical, participative and relevant to the needs of employers. We have moved away from the traditional teacher-centric learning to a more independent learning approach, where you’re encouraged to develop critical thinking skills.

This applies particularly in your final year, where you’ll be able to work with more autonomy beyond the Dental Hospital. You’ll also take part in various symposiums and create a research poster in your chosen area of dentistry.

Work placements

All years of this course are roughly 50% clinical placement and 50% academic learning:

In Year 1, your clinical placements take place within the Glasgow Dental Hospital
In Year 2, you’ll attend the Glasgow Dental Hospital and an outreach adult dental centre on a rotational basis
In Year 3, you’ll attend a variety of adult and paediatric placements in health centres across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire Health Boards.

All clinical placements are assigned to you.

Interprofessional Simulation Centre

Our Interprofessional Simulation Centre is a state-of-the-art teaching facility where health and social care students learn through realistic, hands-on experience. It includes lifelike hospital wards, simulated home and care environments, an ambulance and specialist spaces such as X‑ray, radiotherapy and physiotherapy clinics.

Using real healthcare equipment, advanced patient manikins and video recording, you'll be able to safely practise real-life situations and review your learning. The Centre supports nursing, paramedic, allied health and social care training, helping you learn how to work across specialties while building your confidence and practical skills before working with real patients.

We use video and audio recording of students during practical exercises in our teaching and assessment. If you’re applying to study a health-related course, you should be aware that you may be recorded. These recordings may be viewed by staff, students and external examiners for learning and assessment. This is not an optional component of the course.

Professional membership

As a current student or graduate, you’ll be eligible to apply for membership of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT) and The British Society of Dental Hygienists and Therapists (BSDHT).

Visit the BSDHT website.

Professional registration

Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the General Dental Council (GDC).

Visit the GDC website.

Download the programme specification

In addition to the core modules that all students must undertake, some courses offer students a choice from a selection of optional modules to shape the focus their degree. Optional modules where available, form part of the overall credit structure of the course.

Download the programme specification for a detailed breakdown of the course structure, including modules, what you'll learn and other useful information.

Terms and Conditions

Details of the University’s terms and conditions are available here.