New Zealand Dental Schools — Otago BDS Entry Pathway

New Zealand has one dental school: the Sir John Walsh Research Institute / Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago in Dunedin. It offers the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), a 5-year undergraduate programme. There is no dental school at the University of Auckland.

No. Otago BDS removed UCAT-ANZ as a requirement from the 2025 intake onwards. For 2027 entry, selection is based on Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) GPA (or equivalent academic standing) plus an interview. No admission test is required for domestic applicants.

Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) is the primary entry pathway to Otago BDS. Applicants enrol full-time at the University of Otago and complete 7 prescribed papers. Offers for BDS are based on academic rank (average of best 7 paper scores, scale 0–100) plus an interview — no admission test is required since UCAT-ANZ was removed from the 2025 intake. Competition for BDS is slightly less intense than for MBChB, but the competitive range is still very high.

Otago admits approximately 60–70 domestic BDS students per year. A small number of international places are available under the Graduate and Alternative Category pathways. Exact quotas are confirmed in the Otago prospectus each year.

Yes. International applicants may apply to Otago BDS under the Graduate or Alternative Category pathways. There is no first-year international entry via HSFY. Applicants must demonstrate equivalent academic standing and complete the structured interview. Otago confirms that UCAT-ANZ is no longer required for BDS from the 2025 intake onwards.