Dental Public Health MSc

London, Bloomsbury

UCL's Dental Public Health MSc programme has an outstanding national and international reputation. Students will be taught by members of the internationally renowned UCL Dental Public Health Research Group, which is a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Oral Health Inequalities and Public Health, led by Professor Richard Watt.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£12,700
£6,350
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£34,400
£17,200
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 28 Jun 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

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 applies public health principles and philosophy to oral diseases. It is the science and practice of preventing oral diseases, promoting oral health, and improving quality of life through population-based approaches.

We offer a challenging and innovative programme of study. The programme provides students with a thorough grounding in the factors determining oral health, as well as evidence-based ways of promoting oral health and reducing oral health inequalities. Apart from studying the philosophy and principles of dental public health, students are equipped with knowledge and transferable skills in epidemiology, statistics, research methods and the planning and evaluation of oral health promotion interventions and dental health care systems. The programme is designed to engage and inspire, and to encourage maximum participation and involvement. Large parts of the programme are delivered via small group teaching, where students are actively encouraged to ask questions and challenge prevailing paradigms.
Our programme has been running since 1983, making it the first and oldest Dental Public Health MSc in the UK. It has trained hundreds of international students, who have subsequently worked in senior positions around the world. 

The programme is based in the Research Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, which is part of UCL's Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, a friendly, thriving, and multidisciplinary environment.  
Quote by Prof. Sir Michael Marmot (Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity and Past President of the World Medical Association):
"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." 

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.

What this course will give you

You will be taught by members of UCL's Dental Public Health Research Group, which is a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre. The group has led the international dental public health agenda on the social inequalities in oral health, as well as the risk factors that are shared between oral and general health, such as the overconsumption of sugar. The group also works with and advises other key international and national organisations such as the World Dental Federation (FDI), the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in the UK, and NHS England, among others.

Professor Richard Watt co-leads the Lancet Commission on Oral Health, which was established in 2020 following the publication of the ground-breaking Lancet Oral Health Series that highlighted the global public health importance of oral diseases and the need for a radically different policy agenda. Read Professor Richard Watt’s profile in The Lancet.

Professor Georgios Tsakos is currently Chair of the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe and has served as President of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR), Behavioural Epidemiological and Health Services Research group, and the European Association for Dental Public Health (EADPH). 

UCL is among the world's top ten universities (QS World University Rankings 2024) with a reputation for high-quality research. Located in the heart of London, it is a stimulating and exciting environment in which to study.

  • UCL is rated No.1 for research power and impact in medicine, health and life sciences (REF 2021)
  • 9th in the world: among the top universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • 6th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRanking's 2023 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects)

UCL can bring the full power of a multi-faculty university to bear on discussions of population health, involving academics from the wide range of disciplines necessary to tackle some of the most difficult issues in public health.

The foundation of your career

Our former students have become dental public health academics, planners of dental services, and even Chief Dental Officers. Many of our completing students go on to work within governing bodies, healthcare institutions, or third-sector organisations. Others have commenced research degrees and embarked on academic careers at higher education institutions around the world. Several of our past students are now lecturers, Professors, or Consultants in Dental Public Health.

Employability

Graduates will have gained a range of specific practical and transferable skills, such as:

  • written and oral communication skills including report writing and oral presentations,
  • quantitative and qualitative research methods,
  • statistical analysis skills,
  • critical appraisal skills, and
  • planning and evaluation of interventions and services.

Networking

The Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care 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)

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.

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.

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.

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.
 

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 accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £12,700 £6,350
Tuition fees (2024/25) £34,400 £17,200

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

There are no additional costs for this programme.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

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.

MPH IMPACT Scholarship

Value: £19,300 towards tuition fees ()
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

MSc Health Psychology Jane Wardle Studentship

Value: £3,750 towards tuition fees (1yr)
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

The MSc Dental Public Health Aubrey Sheiham Scholarship

Deadline: 28 June 2024
Value: £2,500 (home students); £5,000 (overseas students) (1 yr)
Criteria Based on academic merit
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 and £115 for paper 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: 2024-2025

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.