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Dental Public Health MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Study dental public health on UCL’s internationally renowned MSc, the longest-running course of its kind in the UK. You will be taught by experts from the UCL Dental Public Health Group, a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Oral Health Inequalities and Public Health.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£13,500
£6,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
£18,250
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

All applicants must normally hold an approved dental or medical qualification.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


Dental public health is the science and practice of preventing oral diseases, promoting oral health, and improving quality of life through population-based approaches.

You will learn from renowned academics who are members of UCL's Dental Public Health (UCL DPH) Group, a group that has led the global dental public health agenda on social inequalities in oral health, as well as the risk factors shared between oral and general health, such as the overconsumption of sugar.

The programme covers the philosophy and principles of dental public health, while also building your expertise in epidemiology, statistics, research methods, and the planning and evaluation of oral health promotion interventions and care systems. 

You will gain a detailed insight into the factors that influence people’s oral health, and evidence-based ways to promote oral health and reduce oral health inequalities. 

The programme is designed to engage and inspire, and to encourage maximum participation and involvement. Large parts of the curriculum are delivered via small group teaching, where you will be actively encouraged to ask questions and challenge prevailing paradigms.

Many graduates from the programme have gone onto work in senior positions around the world and have been recognised for their efforts and commitment to improving dental public health. 

"The UCL Dental Public Health master’s has an outstanding reputation. At international conferences around the world, I have met many dentists who have studied at UCL and been very impressed by their commitment to public health." Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity and past President of the World Medical Association.

Who this course is for

The programme is suitable for graduates of dentistry or a related discipline who wish to develop a comprehensive understanding of the principles of dental public health and its application in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

  • A thorough grounding in the factors determining oral health, as well as evidence-based ways of promoting oral health and reducing oral health inequalities.
  • A strong emphasis on applying knowledge and developing in-demand skills for your career.
  • Access to a highly interactive and engaging learning community of like-minded peers, researchers and academics, with regular networking opportunities for academic and professional development.
  • You will benefit from a blended taught and research-informed curriculum delivered by leaders in the field, including members of the UCL DPH group, a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre. The group, which is led by Professor Richard Watt, also advises key international and national organisations such as the World Dental Federation, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in the UK, and NHS England.
  • Study at a university ranked 9th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2025), 6th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRankings 2023) and ranked number one for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021).
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The international nature of this Master’s degree makes it the ideal springboard for progressing into work as a dental public health specialist globally. 

You could go on to work in a variety of roles within governing bodies, healthcare institutions, or third-sector organisations, or embark on an academic career at higher education institutions around the world. Our former students have become dental public health academics, planners of dental services, and even Chief Dental Officers.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including the NHS, Public Health Foundation of India, Humble Smile Foundation, University of La Frontera, and international governments. Several of our past students are now lecturers, professors or consultants in dental public health.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 cohorts.

I now work as a public health and quantitative researcher in Bihar. 50% of the population in Bihar is considered as multidimensionally poor. I'm part of several multidisciplinary projects aimed to improve and develop the state. I use my epidemiology and applied statistics skills to understand and analyse the impact of multidimensional determinants of health.

Miyola

Dental Public Health MSc

Read more

Employability

You will go away with a range of practical and transferable skills in areas such as:

  • Written and oral communication skills including report writing and oral presentations
  • Quantitative and qualitative research methods
  • Statistical analysis
  • Critical appraisal
  • Planning and evaluating interventions and services

Networking

The UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (IEHC) offers four on-campus MSc programmes and a fully online MPH programme encompassing a wide range of topics. Our students come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, from the UK and overseas, providing great networking opportunities within and across programmes. Each programme holds social events during the year to enable networking between students. Students have the opportunity to join the newly formed Population Health Sciences Student Society, two of the founding members of which were from the MSc in Population Health. During the year, online, hybrid, and in-person seminars are hosted by the research departments. These cover a variety of topics and provide an opportunity to hear from national and international experts and to network with attendees and speakers. 

Teaching and learning

The programme is designed to encourage maximum participation and involvement, and is mainly based upon interactive small group teaching, where a questioning approach is actively encouraged, enabling you to challenge the basis for current dental policy and practice. 

The programme is taught through the following methods:

  • Larger group teaching on some modules shared with other MSc programmes
  • Small group teaching on DPH-specific modules
  • Practical sessions
  • Group work
  • One to one supervision (research dissertation)

Meet the academics currently leading this programme on the UCL IEHC website.

Assessment in this programme is through both formative (unmarked) and summative assessment methods. Summative assessments (i.e. grades are taken into account for the degree classification) include essays, oral presentations, oral exams, unseen written exams and the completion of a research project.

It is expected that students will spend approximately 150 hours on each taught module. This time includes formal learning and teaching activities such as lectures, seminars and tutorials (normally about 45 hours), as well as independent study. Additionally, it is expected that students will spend about 600 hours preparing their dissertation projects.

Full-time students will typically spend 15-20 hours per week in face-to-face learning, including lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Overall, we expect full-time students to spend a full 35-hour week studying, with time outside classes spent in self-directed study. Part-time and flexible students study at a pro-rata rate.

Every student will be assigned a personal tutor who is a member of staff. Your personal tutor is someone you can come to for advice and support on academic and any other matters.

Modules

You will complete modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of eight compulsory modules (120 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

 

You will take eight compulsory modules across two years, which include philosophy and principles of dental public health, basic statistics, epidemiology, research methods, regression modelling, oral health promotion, evidence-based practice, and planning for better oral health, and finally a dissertation to be completed in the second year.

Part-time students should consult with the Programme Directors regarding the order in which to complete their modules. You are required to complete the basic statistics module before enrolling on the regression modelling module.

You will take eight compulsory modules across two to five years, which include philosophy and principles of dental public health, basic statistics, epidemiology, research methods, regression modelling, oral health promotion, evidence-based practice, and planning for better oral health, and finally a dissertation to be completed in the final year.

Flexible students should consult with the Programme Directors regarding the order in which to complete their modules. You are required to complete the basic statistics module before enrolling on the regression modelling module.

Compulsory modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Dental Public Health.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £13,500 £6,750
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500 £18,250

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional costs for this programme.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Aubrey Sheiham Scholarship

The UCL Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health is pleased to offer two one-year Scholarships for full-time students undertaking the MSc in Dental Public Health. The awards will commence in the September of each academic year and the Scholarships will consist of £2,500 towards tuition fees for home students and £5,000 for overseas students. The recipients will be expected to secure the remaining part of their tuition fees and to cover their living costs.

More information

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

The MSc Dental Public Health Aubrey Sheiham Scholarship

Deadline: 27 June 2025
Value: £2,500 (home students); £5,000 (overseas students) (1 yr)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Dental Public Health at graduate level.
  • Why you want to study Dental Public Health at UCL.
  • How your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme.
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care
Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care

dentalpublichealth@ucl.ac.uk

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