Program Overview

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Advanced Restorative Dental Therapy (Top-up) MSc

Overview

This one-year distance learning MSc in Advanced Restorative Dental Therapy is tailor-made to boost your clinical career. Distance learning lets you minimise the time you spend away from family and practice, as you top-up your existing Advanced Restorative Dental Therapy PGDip (or equivalent) to a full Master’s qualification. We work in partnership with the Academy of Dental Excellence to validate a PgDip in Advanced Restorative Dental Therapy – meaning you'll have the necessary qualification to progress onto this Master's top-up degree course.

This is a comprehensive way to deepen your knowledge of restorative dentistry. You’ll evaluate studies and technological innovations, and produce a unique piece of research linked to your own practice.

Developing your knowledge and refining your clinical skills will give you a new professional edge. Reflecting on your practice will make you a particularly insightful and perceptive specialist.

Along the way, you’ll get expert guidance from researchers and clinicians at a University that is helping to shape the dental industry’s future.

The combination of clinical rigour and research innovation aligned to your interests means this MSc can open up a range of rewarding career possibilities.

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

Course Highlights

• Gain the knowledge and confidence to treat more complex cases
• Learn professional research methods and apply them to a clinical area of your choice, to deepen your knowledge and specialist capabilities
• Build your confidence in practice and research with support and guidance from dedicated supervisors
• Enrich your expertise by exchanging ideas with a global team of clinicians and researchers in dental public health, dental education and clinical innovation
• Make an original contribution to knowledge in the field of restorative dentistry through your dissertation project, adding your voice to the conversation on dental practice advancement
• Explore options for career progression by networking with experienced registered clinicians
• Save time and money: study in your own time, from anywhere in the world, at a course cost that is highly competitive

Study a Master's at the University of Portsmouth Dental Academy

Explore the postgraduate courses we offer at the University of Portsmouth Dental Academy.

We work in partnership with the Academy of Dental Excellence to ensure you can go straight onto a Master's top-up degree with us after completing your PgDip in Advanced Restorative Dental Therapy.

Entry Requirements

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

September 2025 / March 2026 start

• UK qualifications: This course is available to Applicants with current registration with the Dental Council, or equivalent Professional body to practice dentistry clinically. Students who have previously achieved the PgDip in Advanced Restorative Dental Therapy are able to apply to the MSc to complete the final research year.
• Non-UK qualifications: If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
• English language requirements: English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 5.5.

Course Costs and Funding

Tuition fees (September 2025 / March 2026 start)

• UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man students: £8,800 per year
• EU students: £8,800 per year (including Transition Scholarship)
• International students: £8,800 per year

Funding your studies

Explore how to fund your studies, including available scholarships and bursaries.

If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Master's Loan , which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.

Modules

You'll be responsible for determining your own learning needs on this course.

You'll spend most of your time:

• Outlining the full background of your chosen project
• Submitting an ethics proposal
• Writing a comprehensive literature review supporting your research
• Investigating approaches to research design and processes, and data collection and analysis
• Collecting data and analysing results

Core modules

• Advanced Research Project - 60 credits: The module will guide you through the process of choosing a research topic and framing appropriate research questions.

How you'll spend your time

We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.

We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.

Course structure

This Master’s degree will take:

• 1 year part time by distance learning

Each week you’ll spend:

• 10 hours studying, on average, depending on the phase of the course

During the academic year, you can expect 28 hours of contact, approximately:

• 6 hours of tutorial support
• 10 hours of project supervision
• 12 hours of virtual lecture-based activity

Career Development

Careers this Master’s prepares you for

As a graduate of this course, you’ll have the skills and expertise to develop your career in a range of rewarding directions.

You’ll demonstrate the ability to critically assess scientific and technological innovations in dentistry. As well as improving individuals’ oral health, you’ll be able to enhance collective knowledge across the field of restorative dentistry.

What’s more, you'll have developed skills that are valued beyond the clinical environment – including communication, project management and critical thinking.

In developing your career, you might choose to:

• broaden your clinical offer to include restorative dental therapy at an advanced level
• develop your practice in restorative dental therapy
• become a professional dental researcher, for example at a product manufacturer or government agency
• pursue further study and research, such as MPhil or PhD
• enter academia and educate future generations of dental professionals
• use your new knowledge in an expert role with an accreditation agency, insurance company or healthcare service provider

Supporting you

Types of support

• Personal tutor: Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to postgraduate study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your Master's.
• Learning support tutors: You'll have help from a team of faculty learning support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study in one-on-one and group sessions.
• Academic skills support: During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
• Wellbeing and mental health support: Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
• Disability advice and additional support: If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
• Library support: Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
• Mathematics and stats support: The Maths Cafe offers advice and assistance with mathematical skills in a friendly, informal environment. You can develop your mathematics skills at a workshop or use our online resources.
• Support with English: If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.