B ChD at University of Pretoria

BChD, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae Dental, otherwise known as BDS Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Other dental degrees are DDS Doctor of Dental Surgery and DMD Doctor of Dental Medicine.

Admission requirements

The following persons will be considered for admission: a candidate who is in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; a candidate who is a graduate from another tertiary institution or has been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; a candidate who is a graduate of another Faculty at the University of Pretoria; and a candidate who is currently studying at a university.

Admission to Health Sciences programs is subject to a selection process.

Grade 11 final examination results will be used for the conditional selection of prospective students.

For selection purposes, the sum of the results in six subjects, including English, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, is calculated.

Life Orientation is excluded in the calculation of the Admission Point Score (APS).

Candidates should note that their conditional admission will be revoked if their APS drops by more than two points in their final school examination results.

PLEASE NOTE that compliance with the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to any program in this Faculty.

Selection queries may be directed to click here

A student who is made an offer but does not accept it cannot defer the offer and must reapply to be considered in the following year.

Transferring students (university experience)

The applications of students who are studying towards a tertiary qualification or have obtained a tertiary qualification must meet the following requirements regarding school subjects and performance levels: They must be in possession of an NSC for degree studies/full exemption certificate and must have attained a performance level of 5 (or 50% HG if completed prior to 2009) for Mathematics and Physical Sciences (or Life Sciences, if required).

If the subjects were not passed in Grade 12, the equivalent subjects (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) must be completed at the tertiary level. University students do not have to submit any non-academic performance record or CV. In their case selection is based on the results attained in the qualification(s) previously completed, ie they will be considered on the basis of their results achieved in higher education.

The completion of only a three-year diploma or certificate is not considered as university experience, but will be considered in the school-leaver category and admission will be based on the applicant’s Grade 12 results.

Qualifications from countries other than South Africa

A limited number of places are made available to citizens from countries other than South Africa, with those from SADC countries being given preference. Permanent residents of RSA are not categorized as foreign students. Applications from citizens from countries other than South Africa may also be considered if they are:

citizens or permanent residents of countries that have relevant government to government agreements with South Africa

asylum seekers or refugees

Minimum requirements
Achievement level
English Home Language or English First Additional LanguageMathematicsPhysical SciencesAPS
NSC/IEBAS LevelNSC/IEBAS LevelNSC/IEBAS Level
5C6B5C35

*  Cambridge A-level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects will be considered for admission. Students in the Cambridge system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with a performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

*  International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the IB system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with a performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

Note: If you accepted admission to BSc (Biological Sciences) with the intention to apply for MBChB or BChD in the second semester when places become available in these programs, you may register for BSc (Biological Sciences) modules in the first semester, replacing Mathematics (WTW 134) with Science and World Views (FIL 155), People and their Environment (MGW 112) and Medical Terminology (MTL 180) – provided that you have an APS of at least 35 and a minimum of 70% for Mathematics in the final NSC or equivalent qualification.

Additional requirements

Candidates are not allowed to complete their first year of study at another university.

In terms of the selection procedure, candidates must pass English, Mathematics, and Physical Science with at least a 5 rating code (60%- 69%), and achieve an APS of at least 35, in order to be considered for selection and/or admission.

At the conclusion of the selection process, candidates are informed in writing regarding the outcome.

Admission of foreign students to the BChD degree program is limited to one annually. Only applications of candidates from SADC countries are accepted.

School-leaving candidates with no previous tertiary exposure, who have not been admitted to the first year of study for the BChD degree programme may register for the BSc degree program in medical sciences or biological sciences at the University, provided that they comply with the admission requirements for the program in question.

A candidate who completes the first semester of such a degree program successfully may apply to be considered for admission to the second semester of BChD I on the grounds of this achievement. If successful, the student may be admitted to the second semester of BChD I.