The PhD in dentistry (PhD in Medical Sciences) is a thesis-based, graduate research program combined with advanced education in a dental specialty discipline. Applicants to this stream must hold a DDS degree or its equivalent and, through the graduate application process, gain acceptance to a specialty discipline.
The PhD/Specialty is appropriate for students with a record of academic and research experience that would qualify for direct entry to Ph.D. programs seeking a full-time career in research and education, either in a university or industrial/technology setting.
Selected majors/areas of research for a PhD in Medical Sciences (Dentistry) include
Oral Biology
Preventative Dentistry
Dental Materials
Dental Public Health
Endontics
Orthodontics
Pediatric Dentistry
Periodontology
Prosthodontics
Students in a dentistry doctoral program must pass a written and oral qualifying exam and then complete and formally defend a doctoral dissertation based on original research. In general, all dentistry PhD programs require that successful candidates for the degree demonstrate:
The ability to conduct independent research at a high level, leading to completion of a dissertation which is defended before a committee of scholars. Because examinations given as part of a PhD curriculum assess expert knowledge, they are created and evaluated by a committee of experts, each of whom holds a PhD degree.
Proficiency in the tools necessary to carry out this research, including but not limited to computer skills, bibliographic competence, and reading of one or more foreign languages
Mastery of general and specific subject matter in the field of study before a committee of scholars.
Part- and full-time study options, along with various delivery modes - residential programs, distance education programs and online programs - are also available. North American PhD programs in dentistry welcome foreign students. However, fluency in spoken and written English is critically important.
