Question 1

What admission tests do Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental use?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental uses UCAT-ANZ. Melbourne Dental uses GAMSAT. The test mismatch means you may need to prep two assessments simultaneously, or you can pick the school whose admission test you're stronger in. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sat in March/September; UCAT-ANZ is undergraduate-leaning and sat in July; some schools (notably Bond and JCU) run their own selection model with no national test.

Question 2

What GAMSAT score do I need for Griffith Dental vs Melbourne Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). Melbourne Dental — No minimum GAMSAT score — UoM publishes no DDS cut-off and ranks competitively. Domestic applicants and international applicants residing in Australia must use GAMSAT. International applicants residing outside Australia may use GAMSAT, UK GAMSAT, the US DAT, the Canadian DAT or the UK BMAT. UoM publishes no DDS-specific GAMSAT weighting — treat the section weighting as unstated (the equal-section rule that circulates belongs to the Melbourne MD). ACER computes the overall score as (1 × Humanities and Social Sciences + 1 × Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4; results are valid for up to four consecutive years in Australia, and admissions bodies automatically take the highest-performing whole score set rather than a mix of best sections. These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. GAMSAT results are valid for four years with ACER, but some graduate MD programs accept only the most recent two cycles — verify before relying on an older sitting.

Question 3

What UCAT-ANZ score do I need for Griffith Dental vs Melbourne Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith — UCAT ANZ Total Score alone decides who is invited to GUDAP. No Tier-1 source supports the "~78th percentile" or "90th+ percentile" figures, so both are dropped. For scale only, the official UCAT ANZ 2026 distribution (17,341 candidates, three cognitive subtests scored out of 2700) has a mean total cognitive score of 1,964, a median of 1,950 and a 9th decile of 2,340. Scores from the 2022–2024 sittings were on the retired /3600 four-subtest scale (2024 mean 2,588) and cannot be converted to the current scale. Melbourne Dental — does not publish a UCAT-ANZ cut-off (may not use UCAT-ANZ; check the admission-test question above). These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. UCAT-ANZ cut-offs are cohort-dependent, so the headline number from one cycle is not guaranteed for the next — use it as a planning anchor, not a guarantee.

Question 4

What ATAR do I need for Griffith Dental vs Melbourne Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — Griffith publishes no ATAR or selection-rank threshold for BDHS. QTAC renders both the "Minimum Selection thresholds (ATAR/Selection Rank)" and "ATAR/Selection Rank profile" sections for Trimester 1 2026 with no values, and records 0 recent-secondary students admitted solely on the basis of ATAR/rank and 0 admitted where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered — so neither a floor nor a median ATAR can be quoted. Academic attainment is only one weighted component alongside UCAT ANZ and GUDAP. Melbourne Dental — ATAR data not published in the structured AU requirements; see free-text admission requirements on the school page. These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. Selection rank typically includes Educational Access Scheme bonuses, rural-origin uplift, and (where applicable) Indigenous-pathway adjustments — your raw ATAR is rarely the final figure used.

Question 5

What GPA do I need for Griffith Dental vs Melbourne Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. Melbourne Dental — No fixed minimum — competitive ranking only. UoM ranks Standard and Indigenous pathway applicants on an entry score its Handbook calls a GPA and its course page now calls a Weighted Average Mark (WAM), computed the same way: the most recent bachelor degree (including Honours) regardless of later graduate study, over the last three undergraduate years, weighted 1 : 2 : 2 from the first of those three years to the final year. Guaranteed pathway applicants are exempt — their whole bachelor-degree WAM is the entry score. 2020 results are treated specially: honours completed in 2020 counts, and subjects completed before the pandemic count, but all other 2020 subject results are excluded. Offers — not interview invitations — are made on a combined ranked list where rank by GPA and rank by GAMSAT (or DAT/BMAT) are given equal weighting; there is no interview component at all. Up to 2 places per year may go to applicants re-ranked on strong cognate postgraduate study. These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. Many AU graduate MD programs treat the GPA as a hurdle (above the floor, all candidates are weighted equally on GAMSAT and interview) rather than as a sliding-scale rank — confirm each school's specific model.

Question 6

How do interviews differ between Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental uses: GUDAP — Griffith University Dental Admissions Process (recorded, asynchronous multi-scenario online interview via SAMMI; no live interviewer). Melbourne Dental uses: Academic ranking only (no MMI / no interview). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: 23–27 November 2026 (2027-entry cycle) (Griffith Dental); No interview (Melbourne Dental).

Question 7

What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental offer?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — QTAC student profile, Trimester 1 2026 intake: 125 students admitted in total — 52 (41.6%) international, 42 (33.6%) higher-education background, 0 VET, and fewer than 5 from work and life experience. Among recent secondary students, 0 were admitted solely on ATAR/rank and 0 where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered; the "other criteria only" cell is withheld (N/P) under QTAC's rule hiding figures that would allow back-calculation of a cell of fewer than 5 students. Domestic places are Commonwealth Supported, with a proportion set aside under the Rural Priority Access Scheme. QTAC lists the first-year student contribution as CSP/$11,000 for the March 2027 start; international tuition is $74,000 per year in 2027 ($71,000 in 2026). Melbourne Dental — UoM publishes a single course-wide quota of 91 places per year (2026 Handbook, MC-DDENSUR) and does NOT publish a CSP / Australian fee place / international breakdown. Commonwealth Supported Places are explicitly "limited" and to be considered you must submit a complete application before the deadline; domestic applicants are automatically considered for an Australian fee place if they meet entry requirements. There is no named bonded or rural DDS quota, but rurality is a recognised consideration — the Handbook directs the Selection Committee to weigh "evidence of rurality for rural applicants" under special entry schemes, and Graduate Access Melbourne lists a rural background as a category that may attract CSP consideration. CSP (Commonwealth Supported Place) is the lowest student contribution; BMP (Bonded Medical Program) adds a 1-year return-of-service obligation in a Modified Monash Model 2-7 area after Fellowship; Full-fee places carry no bond but the highest tuition.

Question 8

What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental offer?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — First Peoples Health Pathway — applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander on their QTAC application and preference the program by 30 September may be considered for admission via this pathway. Griffith does not publish a separate interview format or academic weighting for the dentistry pathway. Melbourne Dental — Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants are given priority access to the DDS via the University of Melbourne Indigenous pathway; a Confirmation document or Statutory Declaration goes to mdhs-indigenous-admissions@unimelb.edu.au. Unlike the Melbourne MD's Indigenous pathway, DDS Indigenous-pathway applicants are still assessed on the standard entry score — UoM states the WAM is used for "eligible Standard and Indigenous pathway applicants". UoM publishes no GAMSAT waiver and no minimum GPA for the DDS Indigenous pathway; the GAMSAT-waiver and GPA 5.0 rules that circulate belong to the Melbourne MD, a separate course with a separate selection process. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Question 9

Does Griffith Dental or Melbourne Dental offer bonded / rural-entry places?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — Rural entry is via the Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme — reserved Commonwealth Supported Places for MM 2–7 applicants, with proof of residence lodged through QTAC by 30 September; the number reserved is not published. There is no bonded place: the Commonwealth Bonded Medical Program applies to medical courses only, so BDHS carries no return-of-service obligation. Melbourne Dental — bonded/rural data not published in the structured AU requirements. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Question 10

When does each school release decisions?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental typically releases dentistry offers January. Melbourne Dental releases dentistry offers October (first round); November-December (subsequent rounds). AU MD offers run through GEMSAS (graduate consortium) or direct school portals; if one is earlier than the other you may need to defer a decision while waiting for the second.

Question 11

What curriculum style do Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental use?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. Melbourne Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Griffith Dental specifics: Integrated pathway: 3-year Bachelor of Dental Health Science (BDHS, 1577) → 2-year Master of Dentistry (MDent, 5703). No direct-entry BDS or DMD. Both programs are anchored at the Gold Coast (Southpor Melbourne Dental specifics: 4-year (48-month) graduate DDS, listed by UoM as on campus at Parkville. Year 1 is foundations plus pre-clinical simulation, including a haptic virtual-reality laboratory, at the Melbourne Dental Scho

Question 12

Should I apply to both Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental?

Accepted Answer

Yes — AU medical applicants typically lodge preferences across multiple schools via GEMSAS (graduate) or direct-undergraduate portals + state TACs (UAC for NSW, VTAC for VIC, QTAC for QLD, etc.). The two schools' selection mechanics differ enough that listing both is a legitimate diversification strategy. A common mistake is over-indexing on schools with the same test-and-interview profile; Griffith Dental and Melbourne Dental differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.

Comparison field	Griffith DentalGold Coast	Melbourne DentalParkville
Quick comparison
Location	Gold Coast, Australia	Parkville, Australia
Entry pathway	Undergraduate	Graduate
Admission tests	UCAT-ANZ	GAMSAT
GAMSAT	-	No minimum GAMSAT score — UoM publishes no DDS cut-off and ranks competitively. Domestic applicants and international applicants residing in Australia must use GAMSAT. International applicants residing outside Australia may use GAMSAT, UK GAMSAT, the US DAT, the Canadian DAT or the UK BMAT. UoM publishes no DDS-specific GAMSAT weighting — treat the section weighting as unstated (the equal-section rule that circulates belongs to the Melbourne MD). ACER computes the overall score as (1 × Humanities and Social Sciences + 1 × Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4; results are valid for up to four consecutive years in Australia, and admissions bodies automatically take the highest-performing whole score set rather than a mix of best sections.
UCAT-ANZ	No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith — UCAT ANZ Total Score alone decides who is invited to GUDAP. No Tier-1 source supports the "~78th percentile" or "90th+ percentile" figures, so both are dropped. For scale only, the official UCAT ANZ 2026 distribution (17,341 candidates, three cognitive subtests scored out of 2700) has a mean total cognitive score of 1,964, a median of 1,950 and a 9th decile of 2,340. Scores from the 2022–2024 sittings were on the retired /3600 four-subtest scale (2024 mean 2,588) and cannot be converted to the current scale.	-
ATAR	Griffith publishes no ATAR or selection-rank threshold for BDHS. QTAC renders both the "Minimum Selection thresholds (ATAR/Selection Rank)" and "ATAR/Selection Rank profile" sections for Trimester 1 2026 with no values, and records 0 recent-secondary students admitted solely on the basis of ATAR/rank and 0 admitted where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered — so neither a floor nor a median ATAR can be quoted. Academic attainment is only one weighted component alongside UCAT ANZ and GUDAP.	-
Interview format	GUDAP — Griffith University Dental Admissions Process (recorded, asynchronous multi-scenario online interview via SAMMI; no live interviewer)	Academic ranking only (no MMI / no interview)
Post-interview chance	Not published. For scale only: Griffith interviews around 300 candidates, and QTAC records 125 BDHS admissions for Trimester 1 2026, of whom 52 were international and 42 came from a higher-education background. These are not comparable populations and must not be divided into an interview-to-offer conversion rate.	N/A — no interview.
Decision date	January	October (first round); November-December (subsequent rounds)

ATAR	Griffith publishes no ATAR or selection-rank threshold for BDHS. QTAC renders both the "Minimum Selection thresholds (ATAR/Selection Rank)" and "ATAR/Selection Rank profile" sections for Trimester 1 2026 with no values, and records 0 recent-secondary students admitted solely on the basis of ATAR/rank and 0 admitted where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered — so neither a floor nor a median ATAR can be quoted. Academic attainment is only one weighted component alongside UCAT ANZ and GUDAP.	-
Contextual ATAR	Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme (GURPAS) sets aside Commonwealth Supported Places in BDHS for rural applicants — it reserves places rather than applying an ATAR adjustment. Eligibility: five consecutive years, or ten cumulative years since birth, lived in an MM 2–7 area (2023 Modified Monash Model); boarding-school students may use the family address. Evidence is uploaded to QTAC by 30 September (30 September 2026 for Trimester 1, 2027 admission). The number of places reserved is not published.	-
GAMSAT	-	No minimum GAMSAT score — UoM publishes no DDS cut-off and ranks competitively. Domestic applicants and international applicants residing in Australia must use GAMSAT. International applicants residing outside Australia may use GAMSAT, UK GAMSAT, the US DAT, the Canadian DAT or the UK BMAT. UoM publishes no DDS-specific GAMSAT weighting — treat the section weighting as unstated (the equal-section rule that circulates belongs to the Melbourne MD). ACER computes the overall score as (1 × Humanities and Social Sciences + 1 × Written Communication + 2 × Biological and Physical Sciences) ÷ 4; results are valid for up to four consecutive years in Australia, and admissions bodies automatically take the highest-performing whole score set rather than a mix of best sections.
UCAT-ANZ	No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith — UCAT ANZ Total Score alone decides who is invited to GUDAP. No Tier-1 source supports the "~78th percentile" or "90th+ percentile" figures, so both are dropped. For scale only, the official UCAT ANZ 2026 distribution (17,341 candidates, three cognitive subtests scored out of 2700) has a mean total cognitive score of 1,964, a median of 1,950 and a 9th decile of 2,340. Scores from the 2022–2024 sittings were on the retired /3600 four-subtest scale (2024 mean 2,588) and cannot be converted to the current scale.	-
CASPer	-	-
ISAT	-	-
GPA	-	No fixed minimum — competitive ranking only. UoM ranks Standard and Indigenous pathway applicants on an entry score its Handbook calls a GPA and its course page now calls a Weighted Average Mark (WAM), computed the same way: the most recent bachelor degree (including Honours) regardless of later graduate study, over the last three undergraduate years, weighted 1 : 2 : 2 from the first of those three years to the final year. Guaranteed pathway applicants are exempt — their whole bachelor-degree WAM is the entry score. 2020 results are treated specially: honours completed in 2020 counts, and subjects completed before the pandemic count, but all other 2020 subject results are excluded. Offers — not interview invitations — are made on a combined ranked list where rank by GPA and rank by GAMSAT (or DAT/BMAT) are given equal weighting; there is no interview component at all. Up to 2 places per year may go to applicants re-ranked on strong cognate postgraduate study.
Prerequisites	-	-
Place types	QTAC student profile, Trimester 1 2026 intake: 125 students admitted in total — 52 (41.6%) international, 42 (33.6%) higher-education background, 0 VET, and fewer than 5 from work and life experience. Among recent secondary students, 0 were admitted solely on ATAR/rank and 0 where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered; the "other criteria only" cell is withheld (N/P) under QTAC's rule hiding figures that would allow back-calculation of a cell of fewer than 5 students. Domestic places are Commonwealth Supported, with a proportion set aside under the Rural Priority Access Scheme. QTAC lists the first-year student contribution as CSP/$11,000 for the March 2027 start; international tuition is $74,000 per year in 2027 ($71,000 in 2026).	UoM publishes a single course-wide quota of 91 places per year (2026 Handbook, MC-DDENSUR) and does NOT publish a CSP / Australian fee place / international breakdown. Commonwealth Supported Places are explicitly "limited" and to be considered you must submit a complete application before the deadline; domestic applicants are automatically considered for an Australian fee place if they meet entry requirements. There is no named bonded or rural DDS quota, but rurality is a recognised consideration — the Handbook directs the Selection Committee to weigh "evidence of rurality for rural applicants" under special entry schemes, and Graduate Access Melbourne lists a rural background as a category that may attract CSP consideration.
Indigenous pathway	First Peoples Health Pathway — applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander on their QTAC application and preference the program by 30 September may be considered for admission…	Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants are given priority access to the DDS via the University of Melbourne Indigenous pathway; a Confirmation document or Statutory Declaration goes to md…
Bonded / rural	Rural entry is via the Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme — reserved Commonwealth Supported Places for MM 2–7 applicants, with proof of residence lodged through QTAC by 30 September; the…	-

Interview window	23–27 November 2026 (2027-entry cycle)	No interview
Interview details	Griffith uses GUDAP — a recorded, asynchronous multi-scenario interview delivered online through the SAMMI platform. You are shown a scenario and invited to respond to a question (or questions) on it,…	Melbourne DDS runs no interview of any kind — no MMI, no panel, no communication-skills screen. Selection is a single combined ranked list in which rank by GPA/WAM and rank by GAMSAT (or, for internat…

Specialities	General Dental Practice, Oral Health Therapy, Rural Dentistry, Public Dental Health	Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Public Dental Health, Dental Research
Established	2004	1897
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Griffith offers a single integrated dental pathway: 3-year Bachelor of Dental Health Science (BDHS, program 1577) → 2-year Master of Dentistry (MDent, program 5703). There is no direct-entry BDS and n…	Melbourne's dental school traces to the Australian College of Dentistry, founded 1897 and affiliated with the University in 1904; the graduate 4-year Doctor of Dental Surgery itself dates from the 201…
Official course page	https://www.griffith.edu.au/study/degrees/bachelor-of-dental-health-science-1577	https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/graduate/doctor-of-dental-surgery/

Griffith Dental vs Melbourne Dental

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Griffith Dental

Melbourne Dental

Griffith Dental vs Melbourne Dental - in detail

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What makes each distinctive

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