Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry

  • Total # of Credit hours
    67

Welcome Message

The UAE needs well-trained specialists in Pediatric Dentistry.   Dental disease including caries among children  has the highest rate in the world. College of Dentistry, Ajman University offers a 3-year full time Master of Science program in Pediatric Dentistry (MSc - Pediatric Dentistry) which is validated and accredited by the Commission of Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Education, UAE. The faculty members are well-trained in the USA, Europe and Asia, which is in line with the vision and objectives of the college to provide the highest level of training possible. The postgraduate program also focuses on developing and expanding skills in behavior management using inhalation of anxiolysis analgesia with nitrous oxide and treating children under general anesthesia. Excellence in research is highly stressed, and students are required to submit their thesis results in a scientific professional journal format.

Dr. Tarun Walia 

Program Lead, Master of science in Pediatric Dentistry ( MPD)

Program Overview

The MSc in Pediatric Dentistry curriculum is based on guidelines from the Accreditation Standards for Advanced Specialty Education Programs in Pediatric Dentistry of the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, The European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Specialty Advisory Committee for Pediatric Dentistry of The Faculty of Dental Surgery of The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The program deploys curriculum integration with the aim of graduating candidates with knowledge, skills and competencies necessary at the specialist in pediatric dentistry level. The curriculum spreads over a span of 3 years with a total number of 67 credit hours. It includes 24 courses in addition to a clinical teaching experience during the final semester. The main components of the curriculum are didactic, clinical and research thesis components. There are 11 didactic courses with 11 credit hours spread over the first 4 semesters of the program. The clinical practice component of the program has 1408 clinical contact hours over 6 semesters, including hospital-based training. In most of the semesters, there is 16 or more contact hours of clinical training. The thesis component of the program spans over 4 semesters throughout the three-year program.

Mission

Our mission is to provide a post-graduate educational program in the UAE, in order to prepare highly qualified professionals to deliver compassionate and ethical oro-facial health care services. The mission of the Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry Program supports the Mission of Ajman University.

Admission Criteria for Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry (MSc – Ped. Dent)

All accredited university dental graduates will be considered for admission to the Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry (MSc – Ped. Dent) if they meet the admission requirements. The program’s admission criterion is delineated below. 

A) General Admissions: 
  1. Applicants for MSc - Ped. Dent must hold a bachelor degree in dentistry from a university accredited by the Ministry of Education, UAE.
  2. The minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its established equivalent, in the applicant’s bachelor degree in Dentistry.
  3. Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the language of instruction, are required to submit documented proof of competency in oral and written English prior to admission. A minimum score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 79 (internet-based) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required for admission to the program.
  4. Undergo an interview by two senior staff members to ascertain his/her suitability for the program.
  5. Two recommendation letters from professors who have known the applicant and are familiar with his/her work.
B) Conditional Admissions: 

A student will be considered for conditional admission to the MSc - Ped. Dent. program in one of the following situations; 

  1. Conditional Admission due to Non-fulfillment of Cumulative GPA Requirement: An applicant may be offered a conditional admission due to non-fulfillment of cumulative GPA condition, if he/she satisfies the following: 
  2. He / She is a holder of a bachelor degree in Dentistry issued from a university accredited by the Ministry of Education, UAE
  3. His / Her bachelor degree was completed with a minimum cumulative GPA between 2.0 and 2.99 on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent;
  4. He / She has attained English proficiency requirements as indicated in general admissions (see section A above). Such a student must meet the following requirements during the period of conditional admission or be subject to dismissal: 
  • May take a maximum of nine credit hours in the first semester of study;
  • Must achieve an overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale in the first nine credit hours of the proposed new program.
  1. Conditional Admissions due to Non-fulfillment of English Proficiency Requirement: An applicant may be offered a conditional admission due to non-fulfillment of English Proficiency requirement, if he/she satisfies the following:
  2. He / She is a holder bachelor degree in Dentistry issued from an accredited university by the Ministry of Education, UAE
  3. His / Her bachelor degree was completed with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3 on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent
  4. He/she has attained a score between 530 and 550 in TOEFL or its equivalent. Such a student must meet the following requirements during the period of conditional admission or be subject to dismissal:
  • Must achieve a TOEFL or IELTS score as specified in the general requirements (see A above) by the end of the student’s first semester of study;
  • May take a maximum of six credit hours in the first semester of the proposed new program;
  • Must achieve an overall grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale in the first nine credit hours of the proposed new program.
Graduation requirements

The dental students will be awarded the Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry (MSc) degree after fulfilling the following requirements:

  1. Completing successfully the required credit hours (67 credit hours) with Cumulative Grade Point Average (C.G.P.A.) not less than B, otherwise students should take, during the following semester(s), clinical subjects as suggested by the academic advisor to fulfill this graduation requirement.
  2. Completing successfully the required clinical cases during the clinical training.
  3. Submitting & defending a thesis before an academic committee of the College.

 

Program Learning Outcomes

The program learning outcomes of the MSc. Ped. Dent. program are a summary of knowledge, skills and competencies that a student is reasonably expected to achieve after successful completion of the program. These are:

Knowledge

On successful completion of the Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry, postgraduates will be able to:

  1. Identify and integrate the importance of knowledge from different dental specialties in prevention, diagnosis and management in pediatric patients.
  2. Describe oral and dental conditions in children that may require multidisciplinary approach and refer to appropriate specialist as needed.
  3. Critique the established protocols and recent developments in the field of pediatric dental literature.
  4. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of research concepts, theories and principles in different domains of pediatric dentistry.
Skills
  1. Shows advanced skills in interpreting pediatric dentistry literature and apply the acquired knowledge in the daily practice.
  2. Practice and promote oral health in different pediatric age groups.
  3. Perform complex pediatric dental procedures independently and consistently under various difficult situations at a high level of clinical care.
  4. Demonstrate high level of written and verbal communication skills with the child patients and their parents.
  5. Design and implement a comprehensive preventive dental care program for pediatric dental patients.
  6. Prepare a research proposal and conduct a research project using sound scientific and ethical principles of human or laboratory research and be able to publish the results.

Competence

Autonomy and Responsibility

  • Demonstrate practice management aptitudes and take responsibility for critical decisions and governance.
  • Recognize and employ time management strategies in order to successfully complete scheduled tasks and duties.

Role in Context

  • Demonstrate ethical and moral responsibility without prejudice when working within a team or as a leader.
  • Use professional approach and respect for peers and staff and recognize each other’s contribution to the dental and wider healthcare team.

Self-development

  • Practice ways of professional self-development apt for specialization of pediatric dentistry.
  • Develop critical thinking and self-directed learning to formulate solutions for complex clinical and/or research issues as part of professional development.