Studying dentistry in Ukraine in English: tuition, exams and registration in the UK

Why future dentists choose Ukraine

Dentistry is one of the most competitive degrees there is, and a place often depends on a few points in your final school exams. For years Ukraine has attracted people who want to become dentists, study in English and pay a reasonable price for it. At our partner universities a year of dentistry costs between USD 4,300 and 5,500.

• The programme lasts 5 years and has 300 credits in the European ECTS system.
• Classes are in English, in international groups.
• The subjects with the most credits are clinical: restorative dentistry, prosthodontics and oral surgery.
• You graduate with a master’s degree in dentistry and the qualification of a dentist.

What the programme looks like

Dentistry in Ukraine is a single-cycle master’s programme. One example from our partner universities: in Ivano-Frankivsk the programme has 300 ECTS credits, lasts 5 years and leads to the qualification “Master of Dentistry. Dentist”. You start with the basic sciences, such as anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry and microbiology. Then come the introductory courses in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics, prevention and, finally, the clinical subjects themselves.

Subject	ECTS credits
Restorative dentistry	20.5
Prosthodontics, including implantology	19.5
Oral surgery	19
Orthodontics	10
Paediatric dentistry (restorative and surgical)	16
Work placements	21

The programme also covers internal medicine, surgery and general medical subjects such as neurology and dermatology, because a dentist treats the whole patient, not just the teeth. Placements, including a clinical placement, add up to 21 ECTS credits.

The KROK state exams

In Ukraine, students of medical programmes take a single state qualification exam. The KROK tests and the English exam are prepared by the testing centre of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, so every dentistry student in the country sits the same test. Practice questions for the KROK 1 and KROK 2 exams in dentistry are available on Medmigrant, our learning platform.

1. Year 3: KROK 1 A test of the basic sciences, together with an exam in English for professional purposes.
2. Year 5: KROK 2 A test of clinical knowledge in dentistry.
3. Year 5: practical exam An objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) in which you show your skills on a patient or a model.
4. Degree Once you have passed every part, you receive your master’s degree in dentistry with the qualification of a dentist.

How much does dentistry in Ukraine cost?

Tuition depends on the university. This is what a year of dentistry in English costs at the universities we work with:

University	City	Dentistry
Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University	Ivano-Frankivsk	$4,300
Ternopil National Medical University	Ternopil	$4,400
University of Medicine and Social Sciences (UMSS)	Rivne, Kharkiv	$4,300
Lviv National Medical University	Lviv	$5,200
Odesa National Medical University	Odesa	$5,500
Luhansk State Medical University	Rivne	$5,500

On top of tuition come accommodation, food, document translations and travel. We go through the current terms of each university with you during a free consultation.

Online study and placements in your own country

Current Ukrainian rules allow you to study remotely, so you do not need to move to Ukraine. Students who study online do their summer placements in the country where they live, and we help to arrange them. In our experience, such degrees are recognised without problems, for example in Poland and Romania. Before you start, we check with you how the General Dental Council (or the Dental Council in Ireland) assesses this way of studying.

Some of the Ukrainian universities we work with also have campuses in Romania and in Poland. During your consultation we check where you can start dentistry in a given year.

Registering as a dentist in the UK with a degree from Ukraine

Ukraine is outside the EEA. According to the General Dental Council (GDC), most applicants whose primary dental qualification was not gained in the UK or the EEA need to pass the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) before applying for registration. The route has clear steps:

1. Application You apply to the GDC to sit the ORE. The application processing fee is £115, and processing takes around 60 working days.
2. ORE Part 1 A test of how you apply your knowledge to clinical practice. The fee is £485.
3. ORE Part 2 An assessment of your practical clinical skills. The fee is £6,967. You must pass it within five years of your first attempt at Part 1, and you have up to four attempts at each part.
4. Registration Once you have passed the ORE, you apply for registration with the GDC and can work as a dentist in the UK.

Registering as a dentist in Ireland

In Ireland, dentists with a qualification from outside the EEA take the Dental Council’s examination. It has two parts, usually held about two months apart once a year: Part 1 (three written papers and a practical bench test in operative dentistry) in March or April, and Part 2 (written papers, an OSCE and clinical vivas) in June or July. You have up to two attempts at Part 1 and up to three at Part 2. Passing the examination entitles you to registration in the Register of Dentists for Ireland.

You also show your English with OET (Dentistry, grade B in each module) or Academic IELTS (7.0 in each module) taken within the previous two years. The Dental Council says a test may not be required if your whole dental degree was taught in English and you can prove it.

Start in Ukraine, graduate in the European Union

Many students graduate where they started, simply because it is cheaper, and the formalities after graduation are clearly manageable. There is also a second, optional route: you start dentistry in Ukraine and, during your studies, transfer to an English-taught programme in the EU, for example in Poland.

1. Good results You pass each year and collect your syllabuses and transcript.
2. Choosing universities Together we choose several preferred EU universities that accept transfers in that year.
3. Application We prepare the documents, translations and the comparison of curricula.
4. EU degree You graduate in the EU. In Poland, the full qualifications of a dentist are the diploma together with the final dental exam LDEK, which can be taken in English, and the postgraduate internship.

We transfer students from universities outside the EU even into the fifth year. In our experience the transfer always works out, although not always to the university chosen first, which is why we always choose several. The GDC’s exam requirement concerns degrees gained outside the UK and the EEA, so a dental degree from Poland follows a different route, which we check with you. Ask about a transfer.

Frequently asked questions

How long does dentistry take in Ukraine?

Five years. The programme has 300 ECTS credits and leads to a master’s degree in dentistry with the qualification of a dentist.

Do I need to speak Ukrainian?

No, our programmes are taught in English. Basic Ukrainian does help when talking to patients during clinical classes and in everyday life.

Can I work as a dentist in the UK with a degree from Ukraine?

Yes. Most dentists with a degree from outside the UK and the EEA pass the GDC’s Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) and then apply for registration.

And in Ireland?

With a degree from outside the EEA you take the Dental Council’s examination. Passing it entitles you to registration in the Register of Dentists for Ireland.

Can I study dentistry in Ukraine online?

Current Ukrainian rules allow remote study, and you do your summer placements in the country where you live. We help to arrange them and check with you beforehand how the regulator in your country assesses this way of studying.

Where should I start?

With a conversation about where you want to work after graduation and what your budget is. Based on that, we choose the university and the plan, with the later recognition of your degree in mind. Each of our partner universities has its own requirements, and we guarantee our applicants a place on the list of students.

Universities in Ukraine with dentistry

Read also: Studying medicine in Ukraine: is it a good idea?. You will find more on the Ukraine page, on the Dentistry page and in the university directory. Not sure which university to choose? Book a free consultation.