Dental Technology

Entry requirements

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.

Student must have Bachelor of Dental Technology or PGDip in Dental Technology or equivalent.

If your first language is not English you need to meet our English language requirements by obtaining IELTS score of 7.5 with no band below 7.0 or Internet-based TOEFL of 102 or better with a minimum of 24 in each section; or Paper-based TOEFL of 600 or better with a TWE (Test of Written English) of 5.0 or better. Due to COVID-19, we currently accept Duolingo English Test (DET), IELTS Indicator Test, and TOEFL iBT Special home Edition.

Don’t meet the English language requirements? The University of Otago Language Centre "English for Otago" programme offers a pathway for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students to meet the English language requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Months of entry

February, July

Course content

Dental Technology is a global profession. Throughout the world there is a high demand for skilled dental technicians.

In New Zealand and Australia, dental technicians are employed by commercial dental laboratories which provide the bulk of the work for the private dental industry, the defence forces, hospitals and state health dental services. The ratio of employer to employee is approximately 1:3 and many dental technicians ultimately set up business for themselves. There are no barriers to becoming self-employed.

Programme Requirements

• DTEC 501 Advanced Dental Materials Science

Two of:

• DTEC 502 Advanced Fixed Prosthodontic Techniques
• DTEC 503 Advanced Implant Prosthodontic Techniques
• DTEC 504 Advanced Maxillofacial Prosthodontic Techniques
• DTEC 505 Topics in Advanced Dental Technology

Thesis: DTEC 5

Structure of the Programme

The programme of study shall consist of DTEC 501; two of DTEC 502, DTEC 503, DTEC 504, DTEC 505; and a thesis (DTEC 5).

A candidate whose qualification for admission to the programme is a postgraduate diploma (other than the Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Technology) or equivalent may be exempted from papers to a maximum of 60 points, provided that the candidate's previous study is directly relevant to the proposed and approved programme of study.

The programme of study, the topic of the thesis, and the supervisors of the research, shall be approved by the Faculty of Dentistry.

A candidate may not present a thesis which has previously been accepted for another degree.

For the thesis, the research should be of a kind that a diligent and competent student should complete within one year of full-time study.

Information for international students

Otago offers students an unrivalled campus experience and a vibrant, social student culture. The majority of Otago’s 21,000 students live, work and play in Dunedin - New Zealand’s only true university city. Otago is home to over 3,000 students, from over 100 countries.

Fees and funding

New Zealand is a relatively affordable country to live in. Dunedin, being a student-focused city, has living and entertainment options for all budgets.

Students are eligible for the Otago International Excellence Scholarship.