Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)

Entry criteria

Entry to the Health Sciences professional programmes First year – general entry requirements

If you have done no prior tertiary study, your first year at Otago will be the Health Sciences First Year (HSFY). The HSFY programme is subject to the same general entry requirements as general bachelors' degrees at Otago.

Second year – limited entry

Admission to the second year of the Health Sciences professional programmes is competitive, and will depend on your academic record. For most applicants, this will be based on your grades in Health Sciences First Year papers, but there are also application categories for people with other relevant academic or professional experience.

For detailed information about the application categories and their requirements, please refer to:

• Entry to Health Sciences professional programmes

General entry requirements

A university entrance qualification is essential for admission to the University of Otago for all types of programmes. You must also be at least 16 years of age by the first day of classes in your period of study and meet English language requirements.

Domestic students

You need to have met the New Zealand University Entrance standard, based on your achievement in secondary school or other prior study. Learn about the different categories for achieving University Entrance and what information you may need to provide with your application.

• University Entrance

International students

Check recognised entry qualifications by country, and find out what documents you need to provide for a successful application.

• International university entry requirements
• Documents required

English language requirements First year

All students must be proficient in the use of English. If your first language is not English, there are several ways you may provide evidence of English proficiency, including through prior secondary or tertiary study, internationally recognised English language tests, and foundation language programmes.

The level of English proficiency required for undergraduate study is equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0, with no individual band below 5.5.

For details about what is accepted as evidence of English proficiency, please refer to:

• English language requirements and evidence categories

Second year

All students enrolled in Health Sciences First Year who are planning to apply for Health Sciences professional programmes are required to take the HSFY English diagnostic.

For detailed information, please refer to:

• Health Sciences First Year English diagnostic