Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery with Honours (BDS(Hons))

1. Admission to the Programme

   1. Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) on the advice of the Faculty of Dentistry.
   2. Applicants must be current candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery in the Fourth Year of the programme.
   3. To be considered for admission to the programme, applicants must have passed the Fourth Year course for  the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery with a grade average of at least A-.
   4. Eligible applicants will be ranked according to their Fourth Year grade averages and a written application. The number of students admitted to the Honours programme shall be limited to a number determined by the University Council annually on the basis of available resources.

2. Structure of the Programme

   1. Every programme shall consist of the requirements of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Year courses for the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery together with the prescribed Fifth Year papers.
   2. No student may take a paper additional to those prescribed in the Fifth Year of the programme without the approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry.
   3. The Fifth Year course shall be undertaken only on a full-time basis.

3. Assessment

   1. Assessment for the various papers is formative and summative.
   2. Assessment may use a variety of oral, clinical and written examinations as required by examiners.
   3. For clinical papers, students are required to pass the theoretical and clinical components of the paper.

4. Division of Class for Final Year

   Facilities for the teaching of the final year of the programme are provided at the School of Dentistry in Dunedin and in Auckland. After completion of the fourth year, the class will be divided and students allocated to either Dunedin or Auckland for the final year.

   In dividing the class, account will be taken of each student's personal preference as far as possible. However, if the numbers of applicants for entry to either teaching centre exceeds the number of places available, a ballot will be held to determine which students will be required to take a place in each centre.

   The division includes international students who will be allocated between the two centres. Once class division has been finalised, exchanges between centres will be permitted only if there is a vacant place and with the approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry.

   Students applying for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery Honours programme, and who are completing their final year in the Auckland Dental facility, are required to have a research project that can be undertaken outside of Dunedin if necessary.

5. Withdrawal from the Programme

   1. Students whose progress is not satisfactory, based on their academic progress and supervisor's report, may be required to withdraw from the Honours programme by Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry.
   2. When a student withdraws from the Honours programme, voluntarily or otherwise, the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry may recommend that the student may proceed to the ordinary degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery, and determine the papers which shall be credited towards that degree.

6. Standard of Award of the Degree

   The degree may be awarded with First Class Honours, with Second Class Honours (Division I), with Second Class Honours (Division II), or with Third Class Honours. The class of Honours awarded shall be recommended by the Board of Examiners and approved by the Board of Studies for Dentistry on the performance of the student in the Fifth Year papers (DENT 570 and DENT 572).

7. Variations

   On the recommendation of the Faculty, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) may, in exceptional circumstances, approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.