Bachelor of Dental Surgery

This is a five year full time degree that trains you to become a dentist.

Compare 3 providers

How long it takes: 5 years; full time
Entry ATAR: From 86.95; Lowest offered at James Cook University, 2026
How you can study: On campus; Includes a work placement
Leads on to: Dentist; $168,100 median pay, In demand
Taught by: 3 providers; QLD, SA

Is this course right for you?

What the Bachelor of Dental Surgery asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

an interest in helping people with their oral health
steady hands and good attention to detail
a calm and reassuring manner with patients
an interest in science and how the body works

Before you start

Each provider sets its own entry requirements, so check the ones you are considering.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

Dentist
Dentists examine, diagnose and treat problems with teeth, gums and mouths, from a routine check-up to a root canal.
What else you need
Complete a Board-approved professional dentistry programme and satisfy dental registration requirements. Oral-health, hygiene, dental-assistance and dental-technology awards are different routes. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Median pay$168,100
In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.

Where you can study this course

There are 3 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

James Cook University
Cairns, QLD
4.3from 591 Google reviews
ATAR
86.95 lowest
(86.95 median, 2026)
How you study
On campus
Next intake
Feb 2027
Fee
$11,200 a year
(Government-supported place)
Course page for James Cook University (opens in a new tab)
What students like
- Staff are friendly and helpful
- Support services and learning resources are useful
Adelaide University
Adelaide City, SA
4.5from 1,262 Google reviews
How you study
On campus
Next intake
Feb 2027
What students like
- Lecturers and staff are helpful and professional
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
The University of Adelaide
Adelaide, SA
4.4from 869 Google reviews
ATAR
93.95 lowest
(2024)
How you study
On campus
Course page for The University of Adelaide (opens in a new tab)