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Orthodontics

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Apply for this course

The deadline for UK students to apply for this course for entry in 2024 was 31 January 2024.

The deadline for international students was 31 January 2024.

UK students

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There is no fee to apply for our courses.

What you'll need

Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) or an equivalent and 2 year post qualification relevant clinical experience.

All entrants to the programme will have completed foundation training or equivalent.

You'll also need to submit:

  • School or college transcripts/certificates
  • University transcripts and certified translations if applicable
  • Degree certificates
  • Personal statement outlining your learning ambitions

Our application process

  • Sign into our online portal, Apply Yourself, and start your application
  • Submit your application
  • We'll email you to let you know we're processing your application
  • Track the progress of your application using the Postgraduate Application Tracker (we'll send you a link to the tracker)
  • We'll email you when a decision has been made
  • If you've been made an offer, you can then accept or decline it using the Postgraduate Application Tracker.

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Related courses

There are two courses related to Orthodontics that you might be interested in.

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Doctor of Dental Science

A Doctor of Dental Science (DDSc) is a professional doctorate awarded in dental science.

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Course overview

This Programme fulfils the need for dental practitioners to have access to a higher dental degree which provides specialist clinical training in Orthodontics.

Introduction

The Professional Doctorate is a research qualification that contains Professional Skills Training.  In addition, the Doctorate prepares candidates for the examinations of surgical Royal College leading to the award of Membership in Orthodontics or further orthodontic qualifications.  You should have already passed the FDS/MFDS examination or an equivalent.

Who is this course for?

This Programme is designed for those who are already a Graduate of Dental Surgery and wish to specialise. This is a 3-year full time Doctorate programme comprising 540 credits. The programme has 120 credits at Level 7 and 60 credits at Level 8 in year one and 360 credits at level 8 in years two and three, totalling 540 credits, therefore making the DDSc a higher degree than a Masters degree. The programme consists of 5 core modules common for all pathways and 5 specialty modules.

What you'll learn

  • Orthodontics
  • Communication skills
  • Patient management skills
  • Preparation for MOrth exam

Course content

Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.

Year one

The DDSc is a 3-year full time Doctorate programme comprising 540 credits. The programme has 180 credits in year one mostly at master’s level and 360 credits in years two and three at doctorate level.  All modules are mandatory i.e. must be passed, and make up the taught, clinical and research components of the programme.  The programme consists of 5 core modules and 4 speciality specific modules.

Compulsory modules

RESEARCH METHODS ONLINE (15 CREDITS) (CDEN207)

Credits: 15 / Semester: whole session

This module will provide students with insight to the overarching strategy and process involved in the application of research to their professional field. The module will be delivered wholly online and supported by interactive eLectures/audio-visual presentations, quizzes and case based interactive discussion boards. For the final assessment, students will be required to p roduce a plan for a research project. The assessment will be school specific and examples will include: experimental design; research design; grant application; ethics application etc. Each assigment must include a full plan of the research including a discussion of any ethics, propsed data collection and analysis and include a justification of the proposed methodologies including any statistics. ​Successful students will be able to understand and appropriately implement all elements of ‘the research journey’ from conception of an idea, through development/approval, execution, analysis, application and dissemination of such work.

COMMUNICATION, HEALTH PROMOTION AND CLINICAL GOVERNANCE (CDEN233)

Credits: 15 / Semester: continuing professional development,whole session

To understand Health Service structures and clinical governance and effectively communicate with the dental team.

Research Protocol (CDEN299)

Credits: 60 / Semester: research session

To produce a postgraduate capable of the general ability to design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of professional practice, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems

ORTHODONTIC PATIENT CLINICAL ASSESSMENT (CDEN201)

Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 1

To acquire the skills of taking a history from a patient

To undertake an intra oral examination of the head and neck

To examine the occlusion of the patient

To acquire the skills of clinical information gathering by way of relevant clinical investigations and be able to interpret the clinical data including study models

To acquire the skills of gathering images of patients at appropriate stages of treatment and interpreting these images

To acquire the skills of prescribing, reporting and interpreting relevant radiographic images with particular emphasis on the tracing and interpretation of cephalometric radiographs

ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT PLANNING (CDEN202)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

To identify the general principles of treatment planning for an orthodontic patient

To acquire the skills of formulating an orthodontic treatment taking medical problems into account and identify treatment procedures that will guide the developing malocclusion

To identify the biological principles of treatment, the development of the dento-facial complex and the importance of psychology in patient care

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES A (CDEN203)

Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 2

To acquire the knowledge of dental materials that will inform clinical decisions of appliance selection.

To develop the knowledge and skill to use a range of  fixed and removable orthodontic appliances.

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES B (CDEN204)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

To acquire the knowledge of dental materials that will inform clinical decisions of appliance selection and adjustment

To develop the knowledge and skill to use a range of  fixed and removable orthodontic appliances

Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.

Our curriculum

The Liverpool Curriculum framework sets out our distinctive approach to education. Our teaching staff support our students to develop academic knowledge, skills, and understanding alongside our graduate attributes:

  • Digital fluency
  • Confidence
  • Global citizenship

Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:

  • Research-connected teaching
  • Active learning
  • Authentic assessment

All this is underpinned by our core value of inclusivity and commitment to providing a curriculum that is accessible to all students.

Your experience

The DDSc orthodontics is a professional doctorate programme with heavy emphasis on clinical skills.

The Orthodontics pathway prepares students for the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (RCS) examinations (MOrth) and has a research component required to become a specialist. The MOrth curriculum is embedded into the programme. The RCS set out the learning outcomes expected of an MOrth graduate. These, combined with the learning outcomes expected of a Doctoral student form the Learning Outcomes of the DDSc programme.

Supporting your learning

From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:

An exciting place to study

  • One of the largest dental schools in the UK
  • State-of-the-art facilities with £6million recent investment
  • Provides specialist clinical training with taught and research components
  • Internationally recognised qualifications with a wide range of programmes
  • Committed to technologically innovative teaching
  • Active research environment.

Careers and employability

The DDSc orthodontic programme prepares students to become specialists in their field.

Career planning

Three career coaches standing outside the Careers Studio

Our campus Career Studio is a space for students and graduates to drop into and talk to a career coach. Career coaches are highly trained to help no matter what stage you are at in your career planning. You can access support to find and apply for full-time and part-time roles, placements, internships and graduate schemes. You will also find the help you need if you have a start-up idea or want to create a business plan. You can explore the world of work, prepare for job interviews, and access careers events and workshops. The Career Studio is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm, simply drop in at a time that works for you.

From education to employment

Two graduates in postgraduate robes.

We develop our programmes with employers in mind. You will be supported to enhance your long-term employment prospects as you learn. We do this by exposing you to professionals, a variety of sectors and supporting you to work collaboratively with others to develop transferable skills. You are equipped with a clearer view of what to focus on in your area of interest, and to reflect on your studies. Our digital employability tools give you a tech-enhanced curriculum experience and make it easy for you to prepare for the world of work. You can use tools like the Handshake platform to connect with employers and message the Career Studio 24/7.

Networking events

Postgraduate students hold a discussion while sat round a table in in the Liverpool Guild of Students.

You can start building good professional networks by attending events and employability activities. Our events are designed to develop your skills and expose you to many different employers, as well as to help you make contacts in your field. We help you improve your confidence when speaking to employers and give you access to unique opportunities. Our networking events also boost your understanding of the competencies and skills that employers are looking for in their recruitment process, giving you a competitive edge.

Your future

We accommodate many specialist dentistry interests through our partnership with the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Together we’ve created state-of-the-art facilities for specialist dentistry resThe Clinical Research Support Costs help towards supporting students research and will cover the cost of consumable materials used during the course.  This includes dental-materials, dental nurse support for clinical practice, research lab support & consumables and digital design suite support, consumables and service.  This is a compulsory payment required each year.earch and education, including the management of clinical trials to a high level of clinical governance.

Likely career destinations for graduates include:

  • Specialist Orthodontic Practice (Orthodontist)
  • Hospital Orthodontist or Consultant
  • Clinical academia (University researcher/lecturer)

Fees and funding

Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.

Tuition fees

UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
Full-time place, per year £22,150
International fees
Full-time place, per year £45,250
Please contact dentenq@liverpool.ac.uk for more information.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.

If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan worth up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs. Learn more about paying for your studies..

Additional costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.

Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this course.

Additional study costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.

The Clinical Research Support Costs help towards supporting students research and will cover the cost of consumable materials used during the course.  This includes dental-materials, dental nurse support for clinical practice, research lab support & consumables and digital design suite support, consumables and service.  This is a compulsory payment required each year.

Find out more about additional study costs.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition and living expenses.

We've set the country or region your qualifications are from as United Kingdom. Change it here


ANID Chile Scholarship

  • International students
  • Chile

Postgraduate taught and research students from Chile are eligible for this scholarship.

Chevening Scholarships

  • International students

The University, in partnership with Chevening, is delighted to offer this generous scholarship to students who are studying a master’s programme and who have future leadership potential. Please note that there is a fee cap applied to MBA programmes that requires applicants to cover any additional tuition costs over £18,000. You will still receive all additional allowances.

CONACYT Award

  • International students
  • Mexico

The University of Liverpool has an agreement with CONACYT to support postgraduate taught and research students from Mexico.

FIDERH Award

  • International students
  • Mexico

20% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate taught and research programmes. Must be Mexico national.

Fulbright Scholarship

  • International students
  • University of Liverpool alumni only
  • United States

One scholarship is available for a master’s student from the US and another is available for a postgraduate research student to undertake a three to six month research stay from the US

FUNED Awards

  • International students
  • Mexico

Up to ten awards are available for Masters or Research students from Mexico in receipt of FUNED loans. The award gives students a 20% reduction in fees for all applications received.

Graduate Association Hong Kong & Tung Postgraduate Scholarships

  • International students
  • China
  • Hong Kong

The University is able to offer competitive scholarships for both postgraduate taught master’s and research programmes.

HRM Princess Sirindhorn University of Liverpool Scholarship (Thailand)

  • International students
  • Thailand

The University is able to offer one award to a new postgraduate taught master’s student from Thailand.

The scholarship is open to all subjects offered as a one-year taught master’s programme.  However, priority will be given to those students who wish to study in a subject area associated with HRH Princess Sirindhorn such as science, IT, medicine, the arts, geography, history and languages.

JuventudEsGto Scholarship

  • International students
  • Mexico

Residents of State of Guanajuato, Mexico, wishing to study at postgraduate taught and research levels are eligible for this scholarship.

Marshall Scholarship

  • International students
  • University of Liverpool alumni only
  • United States

One scholarship is available for a master’s student from the US to cover the cost of tuition fees. Another, to the value of £20,000, is available for Doctoral study visit: https://www.marshallscholarship.org/

Turkish Ministry of Education Scholarship

  • International students
  • Turkey

Postgraduate taught and research students from Turkey are eligible for this scholarship, see the Turkish Ministry of Education website https://meb.gov.tr/ for more information.

University of Liverpool Humanitarian Scholarships for Master’s Programmes

  • International students

The three awards available cover full tuition fees, visas and support for accommodation and living expenses.

This scholarship is open to support people who have recognised status as either refugees or are under humanitarian protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention. This status must be held outside of the UK.

The scholarship is open for all postgraduate-taught programmes, excluding medicine, dentistry, veterinary and nursing.

University of Liverpool International College Excellence Scholarship

  • International students

The University of Liverpool will award five University of Liverpool International College students, who achieve the highest academic excellence (minimum 75%) in their UoLIC Pre-Master’s programme, the prestigious UoLIC Excellence scholarship.

University of Liverpool International College Impact Progression Scholarships

  • International students

University of Liverpool International College recipients of the Kaplan awards will receive the £3,000 Progression Impact Scholarship, deducted from first-year tuition fees, on successful progression to their UoL degree programme.

To be eligible for our Impact Progression Scholarships, students must apply for one of the Kaplan Impact Scholarships demonstrating their commitment to making an impact across issues of importance to the University and Kaplan. Themes include:

Sustainability
Women in STEM
Community
Career Focus (Employability)

Vice-Chancellor’s International Attainment Scholarship for China

  • International students
  • China

Details are:
1 (one) Full scholarship
2 (two) £10,000 scholarships
5 (five) £5,000 scholarships
10 (ten) £1,000 scholarships
All scholarships will be awarded after the formal registration at the University and will take the form of a fee waiver.

Please note: This scholarship cannot be combined with any other scholarships or bursaries provided by the University.

Entry requirements

The qualifications and exam results you'll need to apply for this course.

Entry requirements are essential.  Applicants who do not meet the entry requirements will be rejected.

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Your qualification Requirements

About our typical entry requirements

Postgraduate entry requirements

The programme is intended for graduates of BDS/BChD programmes or equivalent, with some vocational experience.

Candidates for whom English is not their first language need to provide documentary evidence of their competency in English. The English Language Requirement for this programme is 7.0 in IELTS (minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests) or equivalent. Please see the English Language Unit website for further information (http://www.liv.ac.uk/elu/index.htm).

International qualifications

To be a Graduate of Dental Surgery, have at least 2 years post qualification experience, have MFDS/MJDF qualification or equivalent, have achieved at least a 7.0 IELTS with no lower than 6.5 in any individual category.

English language requirements

You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.

We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.

International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.

English language qualification Requirements
IELTS 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5
TOEFL iBT 100 overall, with minimum scores of listening 21, reading 21, writing 21 and speaking 23
Duolingo English Test 130 overall, with no component below 120
Pearson PTE Academic 69 overall, with no component below 61
LanguageCert Academic 75 overall, with no skill below 70
PSI Skills for English C1 Pass in all bands
INDIA Standard XII National Curriculum (CBSE/ISC) - 75% and above in English. Accepted State Boards - 80% and above in English.
WAEC C6 or above

PRE-SESSIONAL ENGLISH

Do you need to complete a Pre-Sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?

The length of Pre-Sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.

Find out the length of Pre-Sessional English course you may require for this degree.

Pre-sessional English

If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests, to determine the length of Pre-Sessional English course you require.

Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.

Your most recent IELTS score Pre-Sessional English course length On campus or online
6.5 overall, with no component below 6.5 6 weeks On campus
6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0 10 weeks On campus and online options available
6.5 overall, with no component below 5.5 12 weeks On campus and online options available
6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5 20 weeks On campus
5.5 overall, with no component below 5.0 30 weeks On campus
5.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.0, and no component below 4.5 40 weeks On campus

If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-Sessional English course length you require.

Please see our guide to Pre-Sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.5, for further details.

About our entry requirements

Our entry requirements may change from time to time both according to national application trends and the availability of places at Liverpool for particular courses. We review our requirements before the start of the new application cycle each year and publish any changes on our website so that applicants are aware of our typical entry requirements before they submit their application.

We believe in treating applicants as individuals, and in making offers that are appropriate to their personal circumstances and background. Therefore the offer any individual applicant receives may differ slightly from the typical offer quoted on the website.

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Fees and Finance

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Changes to Orthodontics DDSc

See what updates we've made to this course since it was published. We document changes to information such as course content, entry requirements and how you'll be taught.

23 March 2023: New postgraduate taught course pages

New course pages launched.