Bachelor of Oral Health (Degree with Honours)

The Melbourne Dental School offers the Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH). This is a professional entry-level undergraduate degree providing graduates with qualifications registrable for practice as oral health therapists. The Bachelor of Oral Health (Degree with Honours) offers a research by higher degree pathway for this undergraduate degree.

The Bachelor of Oral Health (Degree with Honours) program is a prescribed 100 point program comprising 25 points of Advanced Coursework and a 75 point Research Project which uses a BOH (or equivalent) as 300 points of credit toward the 400 credit point degree.

This course comprises two subjects offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences to provide coursework research preparation at Honours degree level (both at 12.50 points each) and two (one 25 point + 50 points) Oral Health Research Project subjects linked to provide a 75 credit point research project specific to this degree.

The Bachelor of Oral Health Honours year provides students with the opportunity to integrate their previous oral health studies with advanced studies in their field of interest, and focus their knowledge, skills and intellect on an exciting piece of original research. The BOH(Hons) is comprised of two components:

༈ The advanced coursework components provide opportunities for increasing students’ depth of knowledge in their particular areas of interest and expanding the theoretical basis on which they will base their research work. It provides students with the opportunity to develop expertise in the broad scientific field in which their individual research project is placed, including the methodologies of the relevant fields, and the use of the scientific literature in their specialist area of study.

༈The research project provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and technical skills in a supervised research project and develop skills in research design, project implementation, data collection and analysis and in the communication of the outcomes of a research project. The project develops students’ technical and data acquisition skills, their problem solving and critical thinking capacities in the context of research, their skills in communicating to a variety of audiences and the application of appropriate risk assessment and ethical approval processes.

Honours also develops students’ capacity for independent study and research that will help build maturity and skills for transition to employment in a range of settings including entry pathways into research careers and academic leadership in the oral health therapy disciplines.

There are four subjects that comprise of the 100 points required for the Honours year.

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• either
within the last 5 years a University of Melbourne Bachelor of Oral Health with a weighted average mark of at least H3 (65%),
• or
within the last 10 years a Bachelor of Oral Health with a weighted average mark of at least H3 (65%), or equivalent, and at least four years of documented relevant professional experience.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance, and
• the availability of supervision and resources in suitable project areas.
Quotas may be applied and preference may be given to applicants with evidence of appropriate preparation or potential to undertake research.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. For applicants who have not completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the undergraduate English language requirements must be met.

Completion of all subject components.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Oral Health (Degree with Honours) need to obtain a minimum of 65% for both the Research Project subject and the Advanced Coursework subject to pass the year

Where clinical research is to be undertaken, students will be required to have:

 - current registration with the Dental Board of Australia, and

 - a current license with the Victorian Radiation Safety Branch (or national equivalent), and

 - credentialing for clinical dental practice with Dental Health Services Victoria.