A person in dentistry training)

Dentistry

Bachelor of Dental Surgery, BDS (Hons)
School of Dentistry

Entry requirements

All applicants to RCSI Undergraduate programmes are categorised as either EU or Non-EU, depending on whether or not they meet the EU applicant criteria (which includes nationality and residency criteria). If you do not meet the criteria for EU applicant status, you will be deemed a Non-EU applicant for fees and application purposes.

If you fall under the EU applicant category, please follow the links below under ‘Irish and EU applicants’ to view the relevant entry requirements. If you fall under the Non-EU applicant category, you should follow the link under ‘Non-EU applicants’ to view the relevant entry requirements.

To determine your EU or Non-EU applicant category, please consult RCSI’s EU vs Non-EU policy. 

Irish and EU applicants – School Leaver

To be eligible for consideration for an Irish or EU School Leaver place, you must:

  • Meet the minimum entry (matriculation) and specific subject requirements.
  • Achieve the minimum Irish Leaving Certificate (ILC) points or equivalent. 

Minimum academic entry requirements

All students who qualify for EU admissions are eligible to apply. The local high school examinations that you complete will be used to assess competitiveness for admission. European examinations will be converted into the equivalent Irish Leaving Certificate (ILC) points.

The applicant with the highest points score receives the first offer, the second highest receives the second offer and so on until all EU seats are filled. The allocation of School Leaver places is purely based on points.

Applicants completing school leaving examinations other than the Irish Leaving Certificate may be required to submit additional documentation as part of their application, or be subject to minimum English language requirements. The below document, 'Entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA/UK applicants (other than the Leaving Certificate)', outlines this in further detail.

If you have additional questions about the application process, please refer to the Application FAQs section.

Entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA/UK applicants (other than the Irish Leaving Certificate) PDF | 1440.3 KB

Applicants must present a minimum of six subjects (2 x H4 and 4 x O6/H7) in the Irish Leaving Certificate, to include a minimum of an O6/H7 in Irish (unless exempt), English, Mathematics and a third language, plus a minimum of a H4 in Chemistry and a H4 in either Physics or Biology.

  • H indicates minimum grade at Higher Level Leaving Certificate
  • O indicates minimum grade at Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate

Eligible applicants are awarded Irish Leaving Certificate points on the basis of their best six recognised subjects, from a single Irish Leaving Certificate sitting, as follows:

Irish Leaving Certificate points calculator
Pre-2017 Leaving Certificate grading scale Post-2017 Leaving Certificate grading scale New points at Higher Level New points at Ordinary Level
A1 H1/O1 100 56
A2/B1 H2/O2 88 46
B2/B3 H3/O3 77 37
C1/C2 H4/O4 66 28
C3/D1 H5/O5 56 20
D2/D3 H6/06 46 12
E H7/O7 37 0

Note:

  • Bonus points for Mathematics: Students presenting a H6 or above in Higher Level Mathematics have 25 points added to their score for Mathematics. The six highest subject scores will be counted to achieve a cumulative points score. The bonus points for Mathematics will only be relevant in cases where the subject Higher Level Mathematics is scored as one of the applicant's six best subjects for points scoring purposes.

Non-EU applicants – School Leaver

RCSI aims to maintain a broad geographic spread to ensure that students are educated in a truly multicultural environment. Currently, there are over 60 different nationalities represented within the Undergraduate Medicine programme in RCSI Dublin.

If you are unsure whether you are an EU or Non-EU applicant, please consult the EU vs Non-EU policy for guidance. You can also contact the RCSI Admissions Office directly to verify your fees status, however, this must be done well in advance of the closing date.

The list below contains the most frequent academic programmes with which Non-EU students apply for the Dentistry course. If your educational programme is not covered on this list, please email the Admissions Office directly for further information.

Please note: The entry requirements outlined below are relevant for those applying for entry in September 2025 only. These entry requirements are subject to annual review and applicants for 2026 onwards should ensure to check the most up-to-date requirements prior to commencing their application.

Minimum academic entry requirements

Applicants must present a minimum of three A-Level subjects* with minimum grades of AAB, to include Chemistry, one additional laboratory science subject (Biology or Physics), plus one other from the following group: Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology.

All applicants must also have completed a minimum of six subjects at GCSE level, which must include a minimum Grade 4 / C in English and Mathematics.

*All A Level subject examinations must be taken within two consecutive academic years (i.e. school years 12 and 13). Any repeat examinations taken outside of these two years will not be considered.

Applicants must present a minimum score of 36 IB Diploma points (inclusive of bonus points). The IB Diploma must comprise a minimum of six subjects* (three subjects at Higher Level and three subjects at Standard Level), which must include Chemistry at Higher Level (with a minimum score of 5) and another laboratory science subject (Biology or Physics) or Mathematics** at Higher Level.

If Mathematics is presented with Chemistry at Higher Level, another laboratory science subject (Biology or Physics) must also be presented at Standard Level.

*All IB Diploma subject examinations must be taken within two consecutive academic years (i.e. school years 11 and 12). Any repeat examinations taken outside of these two years will not be considered.
**Both Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches and Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation are acceptable for application to RCSI.

ATAR required: minimim 95%

Applicants must present a minimum of 80% in Chemistry and in two of the following three subjects: Physics, Biology or Mathematics in Year 12.

Applicants presenting the CAPE examinations must have achieved the following scores in unit 2:

CAPE Exam scores of I, I, II (subjects must include Chemistry and two from the following group: Mathematics, Biology, Physics or Environmental Sciences).

All applicants will be expected to take the four core subjects plus three elective subjects. Applicants must present Chemistry with a minimum score of Level 5. In addition, they must achieve a minimum Level 5 score in two subjects from the following group: Biology, Physics and Mathematics. A minimum score of Level 3 must be achieved in all remaining subjects.

Applicants must also achieve a minimum score of Level 5 in HKDSE English Language or an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with no individual band score less than 6.0.

Applicants must hold a bona-fide certificate of completion issued by the CBSE or CISCE.

Candidates applying with the IB Diploma or A Levels may be eligible for consideration for either the five or six-year track, depending on their final year subjects and grades (see IB Diploma and A Levels sections above).

Applicants must achieve a minimum average score of 90% or above across five subjects in Grade 12, to include minimum scores of 75% in Chemistry, Biology and either Physics or Mathematics. 

Choueifat International School graduates are eligible for consideration for entry to the Undergraduate Dentistry programme, depending on their combination of subjects/education systems presented at the time of application.

Five-year track (exempt from Foundation Year)

 Applicants eligible for entry to Dentistry must present three subjects (in any combination) as follows:

  • Chemistry (A Level, International Baccalaureate (HL) or Advanced Placement)
  • Biology or Physics (A Level, International Baccalaureate (HL) or Advanced Placement)
  • A third subject from Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology (A Level, International Baccalaureate (HL) or Advanced Placement)

Applicants must present minimum grades of AAB at A Level or equivalent (International Baccalaureate HL665 or AP 554). 

Students from the Middle East and Gulf countries who have taken internationally recognised high school programmes (such as A Level or International Baccalaureate) are eligible to apply directly to RCSI for the Dentistry programme.

Students who graduate from government/public and bilingual high school programmes that are delivered throughout the Middle East cannot apply for direct entry to Dentistry at RCSI.

Non-EU applicants – Graduates

Applications to RCSI's Dentistry programme are invited from those who hold (or expect to hold by July prior to entry), a competitive GPA* from an accredited, science-based, undergraduate bachelor degree.

Students who enter via this route will be required to complete all five years of the programme.

*GPAs have different scoring systems and can vary from one country to the next. As a consequence, RCSI does not specify a minimum cut off GPA score and all transcripts are individually reviewed to determine if the GPA is competitive for entry.

Please note

The following information is relevant to all Undergraduate Dentistry applicants.

Minimum English language requirements

IELTS

Teaching in RCSI is through the medium of English. As a consequence, all applicants are required to demonstrate a high level of English language competence. Applicants whose first language is not English must present a minimum overall average IELTS score of 6.5 with no individual band (reading, writing, listening and speaking) lower than 6.0. IELTS Certificates must be less than two years old at the time of admission. Equivalent scores in TOEFL are also acceptable.

Applicants presenting programmes that are delivered entirely through English (e.g. International Baccalaureate or A Levels) are not required to supply an IELTS certificate as part of their initial application. Please note that applicants presenting A Levels must hold a GCSE English grade 4 / C or above to meet RCSI's English language requirement. 

Good Standing

Applicants who have been previously discontinued from any academic institution are deemed not to be in 'good standing' and are ineligible to apply to RCSI.

Fitness to Practice

Students will be subject to the University's Fitness to Practice policy, full details of which can be found in our policies section.

Minimum age requirement

For 2025 entry, Non-EU applicants must normally have attained the age of 18 years by 1 December following entry to RCSI.

Student vetting

Police clearance or 'Garda vetting', as it is known in Ireland, is required for all students who will be in contact with children and/or vulnerable adults during the course of their studies. All students on primary healthcare qualification programmes will be required to complete Garda Vetting in advance of their clinical placements. The Registry team at RCSI will contact registered students with instructions on how to complete the process at the appropriate time. The process will require students to complete a form outlining all of the permanent addresses that they have lived in from birth.
 
Additionally, any student joining the Dentistry programme whose normal place of residence is not Ireland will be required to provide a Police Clearance Certificate from their country of origin in order to complete the registration requirements for the programme. Those holding an offer to join the programme will be contacted directly in relation to this process. 

Transfers from other dentistry schools

RCSI has a 'no transfer' policy, more details of which can be found in our policies section.

Health screening

All RCSI Undergraduate programmes are delivered (in part) in clinical settings and exposure to infection is a risk. As part of the University's overall approach to minimising the risks associated with blood-borne viruses, all students must complete a blood-borne virus risk assessment. This is coordinated through the University Health Facility during the first year of attendance. All students admitted to the Dentistry programmes must consent to immunisation at the RCSI Travel Health Centre at the Mercer's Medical Centre.

Applications from students with disabilities

RCSI welcomes applications from students with disabilities. However, it is strongly advised that applicants disclose their disability on their application and contact the RCSI Admissions Office to discuss any appropriate supports/reasonable accommodations. Applicants may also be required to provide relevant information which will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

International students are encouraged to contact the Learning Access Team in advance of accepting your place in the RCSI so we can advise you of the types of supports and reasonable accommodations which may be available to you. However, please be advised that supports you may have received in your home institution may differ from those provided here in the RCSI.

Evidence of your disability is also required to register with the Learning Access Service. Please note that the evidence of disability must be provided in English, and if not originally in English must be translated by a professional translator.