Master of Forensic Odontology

MFOdont

Forensic dentists are required in all countries to provide dental expertise to courts and legal systems. Dentists wishing to work in this field often find it difficult to gain the necessary skills.

This course addresses those aspects of forensic odontology which are most frequently the subject of expert testimony in courts and have the most relevance to forensic odontology internationally.

Status: This course is open for applications for September 2012.

Why
Teaching & Assessment
Careers
Entry Requirements
Fees/Funding
Your Application

Why study Forensic Odontology at Dundee?

Internationally, there are few opportunities for dentists to gain expertise in forensic odontology in a structured manner from a University with a dental school and an active forensic medicine department.

As a student in Forensic Odontology you will work closely with other postgraduate students in Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science and Forensic Toxicology. You will develop a deep understanding of the role of other forensic disciplines and identify when, where and how forensic odontology links with the wider forensic community. This provides a unique multi-disciplinary nature to the course.

What's so good about Forensic Odontology at Dundee?

Acquiring this qualification will be a key step in the development of professional expertise in forensic odontology. The programme will enable graduates to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills in forensic odontology and research. Uniquely, they will learn interdisciplinary skills that are essential for dealing with forensic issues in real life

Who should study this course?

This course is designed for dentists wishing to work in Forensic Odontology.

Aims of the course?

The aim of the course is to provide dentists with a professional qualification that delivers core knowledge, experience and intellectual skills in forensic odontology, forensic medicine, science and research.

Related courses

Teaching & Assessment

The course will be taught by experienced practitioners based at Centre for Forensic & Legal Medicine at the University of Dundee with guest tutors further enhancing the student experience. Research projects will be supervised by experienced researchers.

The teaching staff are:

Professor Derrick Pounder – head of department
Dr Andrew Forgie – forensic odontology and course lead
Dr Peter Maskell – forensic science
Dr David Sadler – forensic medicine

The start date is September each year, and lasts for 12 months.

How you will be taught

A blended approach to teaching is adopted to enable you to learn in a variety of ways. Methods of teaching include small group seminars, virtual learning environment (Blackboard) based case scenarios, lectures, guided self-directed learning, demonstrations and observation in a working forensic mortuary.

What you will study

The course consists of four taught modules:

Forensic Odontology (taught module) - topics include: dental identification, disaster victim identification, bite mark analysis, age estimation from dental sources, comparative dental anatomy, dental report writing and giving evidence, dental embryology and anatomy.
Forensic Odontology research project - which involves planning, executing and writing up a research project
Forensic Medicine*
Forensic Science*

*The latter two modules modules provide an integrated working knowledge of important subjects including wounds, post mortem changes, time of death, laboratory instruments, DNA analysis and serology.

How you will be assessed

There are a wide range of assessment methods within each module including: assignments, case based exercises, presentations and active participation. The poster abstract for a professional conference and the paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal are assessed in the research module.

Careers

Acquiring this qualification will be a key step in the development of professional expertise in forensic odontology.

The programme will enable graduates to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills in those aspects of forensic odontology which are most frequently the subject of expert testimony in courts and have the most relevance to forensic odontology internationally.

The interdisciplinary aspect, and the focus on the important aspects of forensic odontology will ensure that students are in a position to contribute to forensic service provision in their region/country.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have a primary dental qualification (BDS or equivalent).

English Language Requirement: IELTS of 6.0 (or equivalent), if your first language is not English. Please check our Language Requirements page for details of equivalent grades from other test providers, and information about the University of Dundee English Language courses.

Fees and Funding

Academic Year	Home/EU	Overseas
2012-13	£12,500	£12,500
2013-14	to be confirmed	to be confirmed

Living Costs

Dundee is ranked as one of the most affordable places for students to live in the UK, and the cost of living is around 15% cheaper than the UK average.
Increasing numbers of students are successfully undertaking part-time work to supplement their income. You can get advice from our Careers Service, both about job opportunities and how to find a suitable study/work/life balance. EU and international students are also allowed to work up to 20 hours per week.
As a student in Scotland, you have free access to the National Health Service. Visits to doctors and hospitals, as well as prescriptions, sight tests and dental checkups, are available free of charge.

Your Application

How to Apply

In your application, under "Personal statement" you must detail the personal benefits of this course and where it fits into your career plan. This will allow us to rank the value of the course to prospective students and ensure that appropriate ongoing mentoring will be available following completion of the course.

Apply online via UKPASS

Course Leader

Dr Andrew Forgie

Telephone: 01382 388 020 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 388 020 (from outside the UK)

Email: a.h.forgie@dundee.ac.uk

Admissions Contact

Postgraduate Admissions
Admissions and Student Recruitment
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland

Telephone: 01382 384 384 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 384 384 (from outside the UK)

Fax: 01382 385 500 (from the UK)
Fax: +44 1382 385 500 (from outside the UK)

Email: postgrad-admissions@dundee.ac.uk