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Initial dental qualification (dentist pathway)

Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS)

University of the Witwatersrand School of Oral Health Sciences · Johannesburg, South Africa

OperatingBasic record
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Basic record. The school, its location, status and this qualification are verified on official sources. Admissions, language, tuition and program structure have not all been researched yet — missing items are marked “Not verified”.

Qualification and identity

Exact qualification
Bachelor of Dental Science Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026
Qualification purpose
Initial dental qualification (dentist pathway)
Awarding institution
University of the Witwatersrand
Faculty / school
University of the Witwatersrand School of Oral Health Sciences
Campus
Johannesburg
Country
South Africa
Award type
Not verified
Entry route
Not verified

Program structure

Duration
5 years, full-time Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026
Intake
Not verified
Graduation requirements
One year of community service after graduating; first-time registrants must register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026

  1. Years 1-3 · Years 1-3

    Years one to three focus on bioethics, health law, and dental sciences.

    Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026

  2. Years 4-5 · Years 4-5

    Years four and five focus on the medical, dental, social and community context of dental clinical practice.

    Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026

Teaching language

Classroom, clinical and patient-interaction languages are recorded separately when the school states them.
Teaching language not verified. An English-language website does not establish English teaching.

Admissions

Requirements are shown as the school publishes them, per applicant category. Examination requirements are never assumed from the country.

Domestic and general requirements

  • Grade requirements · RequiredNSC: English home or first additional language level 5, Mathematics level 5, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences level 5.Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026
  • Entrance examination · RequiredComposite index: matric average of five subjects 75% weighting, National Benchmark Test average 25% weighting; in-person NBT sessions only.Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026
  • Other requirement · RequiredJob-shadowing certificate of attendance, minimum 16 hours of observation.Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026

Examinations and language tests

  • NBT — RequiredIn-person sessions only; online results not considered; first attempt of most recent year; valid three years.Source: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026

International admissions: International admissions not verified

Deadlines

Deadlines belong to a stated intake year and are never rolled forward. A past date is shown as passed.
  • Application closing date (2026 cycle) · 2026 cycleJune 30, 2026PassedSource: wits.ac.za · verified October 14, 2026

Tuition and fees

Amounts are shown in the original currency, with their basis (per year, semester or whole program) and the student category they apply to. Different bases are never added together or compared.
Tuition not verified.

Instrument kit and laboratory fees: not verified. Do not assume tuition includes them.

Living costs, travel, insurance, instruments and clinical-stage charges are separate from tuition. Comparing costs across countries.

Clinical training

Patient-care requirements, simulation, supervision, placement responsibility, required travel and clinical language, as the school publishes them. Missing information stays visible.

Patient-care requirements, supervision and placement responsibility: not verified.

Clinical-training arrangements not verified.

Recognition and accreditation

National authorization or recognition

Permission from the national education or health authority to run the program or award the degree.

Not verified yet

Institutional accreditation

Accreditation of the university or institution as a whole.

Not verified yet

Dental-program accreditation

Accreditation of the dental degree program by a dental-education accreditor. Scope (program, campus, award) matters.

Not verified yet

Directory listing

An entry in a directory such as WDDS. A listing is not accreditation or endorsement.

No directory reference recorded

DentalSchools.app does not accredit or approve schools and is not affiliated with WDDS, KIDEE, CODA, the ADA or any regulator. A directory listing is not accreditation, and a pending application is not accreditation. A missing record means we have not verified it, not that it does not exist. For University of the Witwatersrand School of Oral Health Sciences, confirm current status with the accreditor or national authority named above. How recognition works.

Sources and verification

Last verified October 14, 2026.
  1. https://www.wits.ac.za/course-finder/undergraduate/health/dental-science · Official program page · verified October 14, 2026

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