Clinical Dentistry

Postgraduate coursework courses are available for a general dental practitioner to further develop their skills and clinical techniques in general practice, or to attain required competency for specialist clinical practice as stipulated by the Dental Board of Australia.

Each stream is governed by the course resolutions for Clinical Dentistry. Further information and the pattern of enrolment requirements for each stream are outlined in the following sections.
Streams to develop clinical skills for a general practitioner (Graduate Diploma of Clinical Dentistry):

• Conscious Sedation and Pain Control
• Oral Implants
• Oral Surgery

Streams to attain specialist qualification (Doctor of Clinical Dentistry):

• Oral Medicine
• Oral Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics
• Special Needs Dentistry
• Endodontics

Academic calendar

In this course teaching and learning takes place in accordance with the University’s approved semesters and teaching blocks, and as set out in the 2024 Sydney Dental School Academic Calendar, approved by Academic Board.

Course resolutions

The course resolutions detailed in this page apply to all courses included in the table below under section 1 (course codes).

These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Coursework Policy 2021 (the 'Coursework Policy'), the Learning and Teaching Policy 2019, the Resolutions of the Faculty, University of Sydney (Student Academic Appeals) Rule 2021, the Academic Integrity Policy 2022 and the Academic Integrity Procedures 2022. Current versions of all policies are available from the Policy
Register: http://www.sydney.edu.au/policies

1  Course Codes

2  Attendance pattern

(1) The attendance pattern for these courses is normally full time unless determined otherwise by the Faculty.

3  Streams and embedded courses in this sequence

(1) The Clinical Dentistry program is a postgraduate coursework award course available in an embedded sequence, at the level of doctor, graduate diploma or graduate certificate, and must be completed in a designated stream. Candidates who wish to transfer between streams should contact the Student Centre.

(2) A candidate for the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry may elect to discontinue study and graduate with a shorter award from the embedded sequence, provided the requirements of the shorter award have been met. Only the highest award completed will be conferred.

(3) The following table shows the course levels and the streams awarded at each level of the embedded sequence.

4  Admission to candidature

(1) Available places will be offered to qualified applicants based on merit, according to the following admissions criteria.

(2) Direct admission to the Graduate Certificate (Advanced Restorative) requires:

(a) a Doctor of Dental Medicine, Bachelor of Dentistry or Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Sydney or equivalent institution;

or

(b) an equivalent qualification that is registerable with the Dental Board of Australia and with a curriculum acceptable to the Faculty;

and

(c) a pass in any written or practical entry examination and/or performance in an interview to a standard considered satisfactory by the School may be required;

(d) Local applicants must be registered with the Dental Board of Australia for practice.

(e) International applicants must have limited registration for postgraduate training or supervised practice with the Dental Board of Australia.

(3) Direct admission to the Graduate Diploma (Advanced Restorative, Surgical Dentistry, Conscious Sedation and Pain Control, and Oral Implants) and Doctor of Clinical Dentistry requires:

(a) a Doctor of Dental Medicine, Bachelor of Dentistry or Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Sydney or equivalent institution;

or

(b) an equivalent qualification that is registerable with the Dental Board of Australia and with a curriculum acceptable to the Faculty;

and

(c) unless exempted by the relevant delegate, at least two years of general dental practice experience;

(d) a pass in a written or practical entry examination and/or performance in an interview to a standard considered satisfactory by the relevant delegate may also be required; and

(e) if applying for the endodontics stream, a submission of a portfolio.
Note: Requirements for the portfolio are specified on the Sydney Courses page.

(f) Local applicants must be registered with the Dental Board of Australia for practice.

(g) International applicants must have limited registration for postgraduate training or supervised practice with the Dental Board of Australia.

(4) Applicants for the Graduate Diploma of Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation and Pain Control) stream are required to submit three referees reports and a letter of intent outlining reasons for applying for this Graduate Diploma course.

(5) Applicants for the Graduate Diploma of Clinical Dentistry (Oral Implants) stream are required to have experience in dento-alveolar surgery.

(6) Admission to the Graduate Certificate (Child Health, Hospital Dentistry, Oral Biology, Tooth Mechanics and Surgical Dentistry, Pulp Biology) and the Graduate Diploma (Child Health, Hospital Dentistry, Oral Biology, Tooth Mechanics, Advanced Pulp Biology) is only permitted by transferring from the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry.

5  Deferral

(1) Applications for deferral of enrolment following an offer of a place in the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, and require the approval of the Faculty of Medicine and Health.

6  Requirements for award

(1) The units of study that may be taken for the awards are set out in table A.

(2) To qualify for the award of the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Dentistry a candidate must complete the prescribed 24 credit points of units of study listed for the relevant stream.

(3)  To qualify for the award of the Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry a candidate must complete the prescribed 48 credit points of units of study listed for the relevant stream.

(4) To qualify for the award of the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry a candidate must:

(a) complete the prescribed 144 credit points of units of study as listed for the relevant stream; and

(b) submit a research treatise that meets the requirements of the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry Research Provisions.

7  Time limit

(1) A student must complete all the requirements for the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry within six calendar years of their first enrolment.

8  Reassessment

(1) Reassessment may be offered to students, consistently with the progression requirements for the award course, on the basis of a student’s academic achievement across the relevant program and the nature of the relevant assessment.

(2) Where reassessment is offered, one reassessment will be offered.

(3) Reassessment will not be offered for the following components:

(a) continuous sessional clinical or pre-clinical assessment;

(b) attendance requirements; or

(c) clinical experience.

(4) Students are responsible for ensuring their availability for remediation and reassessment during the period specified by the School. No further opportunities for remediation or reassessment will be provided.

(5) The grades awarded for reassessments are Pass or Fail.

(6) Any student who fails a reassessment will be considered to have failed the year and will be required to repeat it.

(7) The Faculty of Medicine and Health - Sydney Dental School Assessment Provisions contains further information about reassessment.

9  Progression Requirements

All Years

(1) These progression requirements should be read in conjunction with the relevant Unit of Study outlines, Local Provisions and Faculty Resolutions.

(2) Satisfactory performance in a unit of study requires a mark of 50 per cent, unless otherwise stated in the relevant unit of study outline.

(3) Where a student fails a component of a unit of study, which results in the student being considered to have failed the whole unit of study, a grade of Fail (FA) and a mark of 45 percent will be awarded for that unit of study.

(4) Any student who fails a reassessment will be considered to have failed the relevant year or semester and will be required to repeat it.

(5) Any student who fails to meet the requirements of:

(a) continuous sessional clinical or pre-clinical assessment; or

(b) attendance; or

(c) adequate depth and breadth of clinical experience will be considered to have failed the year and will be required to repeat. No remediation or reassessment will be offered.

(6) The Doctor of Clinical Dentistry Program Director or the relevant Progression Committee will consider the case of each student who does not meet the attendance requirements specified in the Faculty of Medicine and Health - Sydney Dental School - Attendance Provisions and refer them to the relevant delegate as not meeting the academic progression requirements. Note: Refer to the Coursework Policy.

(7) Any student who successfully completes a reassessment, and has not yet reached the maximum period for meeting course requirements will be permitted to progress.

(8) Students who have reached the maximum period for meeting course requirements, as prescribed in the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule, will not be permitted to re-enrol in the course.

(9) When repeating a year or semester, no exemptions from normal course requirements will be permitted.

10  Cross institutional study

Cross institutional study is not available in this course.

11  International exchange

International exchange is not allowed in this course.

12  Recognition of prior learning

(1) Candidates may be granted a reduction in volume of learning for previous studies, except that study must have been completed no more than five years before admission to candidature for this course.

(2) Candidates admitted to the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry may be eligible for a reduction in the volume of learning of up to 48 credit points for an AQF level 8 or higher qualification or overseas equivalent in a cognate discipline, as defined by the Faculty.

(3) In determining whether or not to grant a reduction in the volume of learning or credit the Faculty will consider the following factors:

(a) the clinical experience of the candidate, which must be at least five years to be eligible for a reduction in the volume of learning;

(b) the equivalence of units taken in prior study with units in this course; and

(c) the completion of a research project as part of prior study which may include the publication of a paper arising from such a project.

(4) The maximum reduction in the volume of learning for prior study granted to a candidate will not exceed 50 per cent of the requirements of the course.

13  Transitional provisions

(1) These resolutions apply to persons who commenced their candidature after 1 January 2024 and persons who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January 2024 who elect to proceed under these resolutions.

(2) Candidates who commenced prior to 1 January 2024 may complete the requirements in accordance with the resolutions in force at the time of their commencement.