University College London (UCL)
Special Care Dentistry MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The Special Care Dentistry MSc is designed for dental professionals who want to deepen their understanding of providing care to patients with complex needs. It covers a wide range of topics, including managing patients with disabilities, medical conditions, or behavioural challenges. The program combines both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, helping students develop tailored treatment plans and improve communication with vulnerable groups. Throughout the course, students explore the latest research and evidence-based approaches to ensure they can deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care for diverse patient populations.
The program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, encouraging students to work closely with other healthcare professionals. It offers flexible study options for those balancing work commitments, including part-time study. Students gain skills in clinical decision-making, ethics, and health promotion, all aimed at improving patient outcomes. The MSc aims to prepare graduates to work confidently in special care settings, whether in private practice, hospitals, or community clinics. Throughout, the focus remains on developing a deep understanding of patients’ needs, respecting their dignity, and enhancing the quality of care they receive.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, journal clubs and clinics organised by staff from the institute and its allied hospital. The more didactic elements of teaching are delivered via online and face-to-face lectures, seminars, and tutorials. All clinical teaching is provided via attendance at the many clinics of special care dentistry in UCLHT Eastman Dental Hospital.
Assessments / examinations include:
- Essay-type written examinations
- Completion of a logbook of clinical activities
- Completion of case reports
- Completion of written dissertation
- Viva-type examinations.
The programme is approximately 46 weeks long and extends over one academic year with students expected to attend in person throughout.
The workload will be roughly equivalent to a full-time job. Approximately 25% of your time (around 10 hours per week) is dedicated to lectures, seminars, and other teaching activities.
The remaining 75% is allied to clinical teaching via direct patient contact (around 20 hours per week) and personal study, which includes completing a research dissertation (around 10 hours per week).
In view of its clinical nature, students will attend the Bloomsbury Campus on most weekdays throughout the programme.
Modules
Full-time
You will take five compulsory taught modules and the research dissertation.
Areas covered include:
- Clinical Science and Research Methods
- Principles of Therapeutics and Treatment
- Clinical Care
- Applied Biology
- Systemic Disease and Behavioural Sciences of Relevance to Special Care Dentistry
- Ethics
- Governance and Public Health of Relevance to Special Care Dentistry
- A dissertation.
Modules are undertaken in parallel. You will receive conventional teaching as well as clinical teaching spread across each week of the programme. In the early stages, teaching is principally conventional to ensure you have the understanding to be able to manage patients appropriately.
Part-time
The programme can be taken part-time over two academic years. While we make every effort to accommodate the needs of students, it is essential that:
- In the first year, students always attend on a Monday, when the majority of lectures are delivered.
- Students attend for two or three consecutive days in the first year (with additional contact days during the induction period).
Compulsory modules
- Ethics, Governance and Public Health of Relevance to Special Care Dentistry
- Principles of Therapeutics and Treatment Core Course (Special Care Dentistry)
- Clinical Care Core Course (Special Care Dentistry)
- Applied Biology, Systemic Disease and Behavioural Sciences of Relevance to Special Care Dentistry
- MSc in Special Care Dentistry Dissertation
- Clinical Science and Research Methods
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Special Care Dentistry.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.
What this course will give you
- Teaching in new facilities in the heart of London. All clinical teaching takes place within the newly opened UCLHT Eastman Dental Hospital.
- Friendly, welcoming staff, and a highly experienced Professional Services team.
- A comprehensive education portfolio.
- Teaching by national and international leaders of special care dentistry and allied subjects who bring a wealth of experience in teaching at the postgraduate level and the clinical care of patients with complex needs.
- Access to a wealth of online material allied to the course and UCL library services.
The foundation of your career
Students establish important working collaborations with staff at the institute and other parts of UCL. They will be encouraged to present aspects of their work at international conferences, which provides further opportunities to collaborate with specialists from across the globe.
Employability
The course provides students with knowledge, skills, and collaborations to further their clinical careers. According to the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey (2018-2022), 80% of Special Care Dentistry graduates have remained in, or progressed onto, highly skilled work in dental practice. This includes roles in UK NHS Trusts and overseas in dental services and governments in Australia and Hong Kong. The remainder went onto further study.
Historically, former students have gone on to become specialists and/or consultants in special care dentistry in the UK and abroad. Some have gone on to establish special care dental services, create undergraduate or postgraduate programmes, and become leaders of specialist organisations relevant to special care dentistry.
Networking
There are regular networking opportunities, including events where you can hear from expert speakers. We encourage students to broaden their skills and expand their networks by attending and participating at conferences.