Fast Facts
Location
Commencing
- Cairns: February
Fees
$11,460+
+
estimated annual Commonwealth Supported Fee for a full-time study load. Please note this estimate is variable and subject to fluctuation depending on choice of elective subjects.
Plus Student Services and Amenities fee. Fee deferral and scholarships available if eligible
Currently displaying fees for 2026, which are subject to change in following years.
Duration
5 years full-time
Entry Requirements
English (Units 3/4,C), Mathematical Methods (Units 3/4,C), Chemistry (Units 3/4,C)
Recommended Knowledge
Biology (Units 3/4,C)
QTAC Codes
- 327091
Course detail
Study the foundational theory of dental science and the promotion of oral healthcare in underserved communities. Train alongside experienced, supportive professionals and explore issues of concern, particularly relating to tropical, rural and indigenous practice. Develop the fundamental skills required to learn how to become a dentist in Queensland or in metropolitan and regional areas across Australia.
Be equipped with practical work skills in JCU’s world-class dental teaching complex, with a state-of-the-art clinical simulation laboratory. Apply your theoretical knowledge as you assess, diagnose and perform dental work on real patients. Expand your network and experience through extensive professional placements.
Discover the strength of JCU’s continued commitment to empowering regional communities and the students within them through the Rural Access Scheme (RAS). If you live or have previously lived in a rural or remote area of Queensland, you may be eligible for a rural place in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery at JCU. Learn more about the Rural Access Scheme and the application process today.
JCU Dental Surgery students graduate in high demand, with a broad range of knowledge and skills to stand out in a competitive field.
Additional information
About JCU's Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Do you have a passion for improving health? Are you especially dedicated to those with poor health access, such as Indigenous communities and remote populations? With your Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from JCU, you will be equipped with a world-class education that prepares you to work anywhere, including rural, tropical, and with Indigenous populations.
A Dental Degree with Abundant Opportunities
You want to make a difference, but you also appreciate the importance of having a solid foundation for your career. In Australia, dentists have the highest starting salaries of any profession, and with your dental degree, you will be able to make a difference and work almost anywhere.
With your BDS degree, you can work in private practices across the nation. You will also be able to work in state dental health services or move into teaching or research. After graduation, you will be ready to take advantage of the high demand for dentists throughout Australia, and particularly in Queensland.
By studying a Bachelor of Dentistry in Queensland, you will position you as a leader in facing the challenge of the state’s oral health.
Proper Preparation to Study Dentistry
With your dental degree, you will be ready for any dental career you choose. Becoming a dentist requires the right preparation, and you can be sure of getting everything you need when you study dentistry at JCU.
As you prepare with your BDS degree, you will be able to take advantage of JCU’s world-class dental teaching complex, including a clinical simulation laboratory for practical experience and observation. You will also gain real-life experience at the university’s public dental clinics. By the time you graduate, you will have considerable real-world experience in a variety of environments, from rural community health centres, to state-of-the-art training complexes.
Not only will you have useful practical training, you will also acquire the accredited degree you need to move into any dentistry career. JCU’s Bachelor of Dental Surgery, like a Bachelor of Dentistry, will be accredited by the Australian Dental Council, and you will be ready to register with any dental board in Australia or New Zealand.
A Dental School Offering Comprehensive Learning
As you earn your Bachelor of Dental Surgery, you will learn from the best with over 2000 hours of supervised clinical placements in private practices as well as rural and remote clinics across northern Queensland. As you train alongside experienced professionals, you will gain crucial insight into the dental health issues of rural, tropical and Indigenous people.
Your undergraduate dentistry courses will help you grasp a wide range of important aspects of dentistry. You will gain extensive training in subjects like:
- Health care in Australia
- Communication skills for health professionals
- Dental science
- Clinical dentistry experience
- Issues in rural and remote health care
- Anatomy and physiology
- Biological chemistry
- Operative dentistry
- Research for health professionals
- Clinical practice issues
- Lifespan development
- Biological science
Your comprehensive understanding of the issues facing modern health care and dentistry will prepare you for any dental career. You will have a strong mastery of the safety requirements and scientific principles needed to work across all population groups. You will be able to communicate clearly, and critically evaluate situations to attend to the specific needs of your patients.
Become a Dentist and Help Communities
With your BDS degree, you will have the social justice principles necessary to work effectively with people across the social and economic spectrum. You will also be able to work in all contexts, and move effortlessly from remote rural environments to urban environments.
You will also know how to communicate clearly, assess patient needs accurately, and make the right decisions for patients and their families. Equipped with the right training, you will become effective at promoting the oral health of individual patients and the community as a whole.
A Bachelor of Dental Science That Can Lead to Career Success
With your Bachelor of Dental Surgery (similar to a Bachelor of Dentistry), you will be able to take advantage of the high demand for dental services. At the same time, you will be ready to meet any challenge, whether it comes from a fast-moving urban practice or a remote tropical clinic. You will be ready to fulfill your dream of a profitable career while making a positive difference to people across Australia.
Hide additional information
View the Handbook for a detailed overview of available subjects, as well as pre-placement requirements.
Inherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery.
Honours
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (Honours) degree is available for high-achieving students. It consists of extra study and the development of a personal research project and thesis. An Honours degree is usually essential for entry to research higher degrees. For eligibility information go to the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (Honours) Handbook page. Complete an application through our Online Application Portal.
JCU Dental Surgery graduates are healthcare practitioners who are sought-after in a variety of healthcare settings.
Graduates pursue careers as dentists in various areas including private practice, hospitals, community health services, The Australian Defence Force, education, or research.
This course is accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC) and graduates can apply for membership of the Dental Board of Australia.
Entry score threshold
These are the lowest adjusted scores we made an offer to in Semester 1, 2025. Entry scores are based on the most recent Semester 1 intake and are updated in June each year. Meeting the threshold doesn't guarantee admission.
ATAR/Selection Rank: Special entry requirements
Entry score range
This table shows the range of entry scores for recent secondary students offered a place in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery for Semester 1, 2025. The table includes offers deferred to Semester 1, 2025 which may have been assessed using the entry score threshold of an earlier year.
JCU Cairns
Without adjustments | With adjustments* | |
|---|---|---|
Highest | 99.8 | 99.8 |
Median | 97.95 | 97.95 |
Lowest | 87.00 | 87.00 |
Notes:
<5 – indicates less than 5 OP/ATAR-based offers made.
* Refer to Adjustment Factors
Find out more about who you might study with by viewing this course’s student profile.
Estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee: $AUD11,460.00
A variety of Scholarships are available to suit different student types.
Learn more about fees and financial support
Interested applicants who do not meet the prerequisites are encouraged to complete a bridging course at JCU or other suitable locations.
We encourage applicants who are unsuccessful or whose GPA is insufficient to complete studies in one of the health sciences courses at JCU, and to continue applying.
Contact our friendly JCU Future Students Team to find out more.
The application process and deadlines for Dentistry are different to other JCU courses.
Application deadlines
Applications for the 2026 intake have now closed. Applications for the 2027 intake will open later in 2026. View our Domestic Applications for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science and FAQs page for information on the application process, entry requirements and key dates.
Before applying ensure you have
- Checked the Inherent Requirements
- Checked the placement requirement checklist
Real stories
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Alumni
Dr Murray Macpherson
Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Through simulation clinics, the practical side of dentistry is modeled out and is super helpful rather than just reading it in a textbook. The amount of clinical placement we do has made me feel prepared to enter workforce.
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Alumni
Dr Tanner Pachal
Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Employers know we are work-ready as we have had so many different experiences treating patients and a really high volume of clinical hours. All the graduating students I speak to feel confident and ready to start their career. JCU is how all dental schools should be.
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Alumni
Dr Joa Son
Bachelor of Dental Surgery
JCU’s program made sense because it offered lots of clinical hours and hands-on experience, and my dentists always said JCU graduates were very well prepared. It was my first choice, and it’s lived up to every expectation.
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Lecturer
Professor Peter Thomson
Head of Dentistry and Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences
The Bachelor of Dental Surgery program is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to become effective dental practitioners. The work-ready training concludes with clinical placements in regional and rural Australia, as well as the opportunity to undertake an International placement.