The MSc Dental Science (Thesis) program requires 45 credits for graduation. This includes required courses (6 credits), complementary courses (6-15 credits), and thesis courses (24-33 credits). Students are encouraged to spread required and complementary courses evenly throughout the first year of the program. In the second year, students complete their thesis research credits, conduct research, and write their thesis. Please consult the Typical Program Progression for more details.
All students must complete a mandatory Academic Integrity Tutorial by the end of their first semester. The Tutorial can be accessed through MINERVA’s student menu. If students do not complete the Tutorial, they will not be able to register for the following term.
Please remember that students are eligible to fast-track to the PhD Program after completing a minimum of 2 full-time terms and a maximum of 4 full-time terms. Given course offerings for the PhD program, the best time to fast track is so that students begin the PhD program in the Fall.
Master of Science (M.Sc.) Dental Sciences (Thesis)(45 Credits)
Program Requirement:
The Master of Science in Dental Sciences; Thesis program is a professional program of 45 credits. The program provides the opportunity to conduct research on a specific topic of interest (ranging from oral health research, biomaterials, mineralized tissues, nanobiotechnology, tissue engineering, pain, epidemiology, public health, Indigenous health, to dental education and more), follow the objectives of a research project, perform experiments, analyze data, and contribute new knowledge to the field.
Thesis Courses (24-33 credits)
-
DENT 650
Thesis Research 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research: Literature Review and Hypothesis Generation.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 651
Thesis Research 2
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research: Literature Review and Protocol Development.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 652
Thesis Research 3
9 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 653
Thesis Research 4
15 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research: Data Analysis & Thesis Preparation.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
Required Courses (6 credits)
-
DENT 505
Epid & Dat Analy in Prim Car 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: An introduction of epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite: Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
- Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 505.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Belinda Farias Nicolau, Alexandra De Pokomandy, Tracie A Barnett, Sreenath Arekunnath Madathil, Tibor Schuster
-
DENT 663
Principles of Health Research
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Research topics and methodology, including critical thinking and evaluating evidence, scientific responsibilities, academic integrity, scientific writing, and publishing basics.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken DENT 563.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Mari Tuulia Kaartinen, Francesca Frati
-
DENT 671D1
Advanced Research Seminar
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Topics in current research in Oral Health Sciences.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
-
Complementary Courses (6-15 credits)
6-15 credits chosen from the following courses:
-
DENT 504
Biomaterials & Bioperformance
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Biological and synthetic biomaterials, medical devices, and the issues related to their bioperformance. The physicochemical characteristics of biomaterials in relation to their biocompatibility and sterilization.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restrictions: Graduate and final year undergraduates from physical, biological, medical and dental sciences, and engineering.
-
DENT 509
Epid&Data Analy in Prim Care 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Intermediate epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite: DENT 505; permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
- Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 509.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Alexandra De Pokomandy, Belinda Farias Nicolau, Tracie A Barnett, Sreenath Arekunnath Madathil
-
DENT 610
Intro to Craniofacial Research
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Conducting craniofacial research projects using animal models, including molecular genetics as well as methodologies commonly used in a laboratory performing craniofacial research, generating and analyzing animal models, and performing comparative studies of multiple craniofacial anomalies in humans and animal models.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Registration priority will be given to students enrolled in a graduate program in Dentistry. Students from other departments may register with permission from the instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 654
Mechanisms&Management of Pain
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Presentation of the neurobiology of pain and analgesia, clinical pain conditions, basic and applied research methods in the study of pain, and the theory and practice of pain management. The course is designed for graduate students interested in pain mechanisms and clinical residents interested in pain management.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction: Open to all health professionals
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 664
Health Research Communications
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Practical training in written and oral communication skills for biomedical sciences and oral health research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite(s): DENT 663 or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken DENT 564.
- Students will participate in a series of lectures and workshops to develop and practice scientific writing and oral communication skills.
-
DENT 665
Lrdship & Mgmt Skills in Res
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Introduction to leadership theory, models and practice, as well as the development of project and time management skills, resource allocation, team and consensus building.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Only open to students enrolled in the MSc Dental Sciences (Thesis), MSc Dental Sciences (Non-Thesis) or the Faculty of Dentistry's PhD program, or with permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 672
Applied Mix Meth in Health Res
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Exploration of how to write a mixed methods research protocol or manuscript and some more advanced mixed methods data analysis applications.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite: Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
- Note: Contact hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Faculty of Dentistry: 514-398-7203, extensions 096455 & 00059); language of instruction: English.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 672. Only open to graduate students in the Faculty of Dentistry.
- Only open to students who have had prior graduate training in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 679
Epid&Data Analy in Prim Care 3
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced epidemiological concepts, data analysis and methods applicable to primary care research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite: DENT 509; permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
- Restriction: Open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 679.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Sreenath Arekunnath Madathil, Belinda Farias Nicolau, Tibor Schuster, Samira Abbasgholizadeh Rahimi
-
DENT 681
Readings in Dent&Health Res 1
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructors.
- Restriction(s): Open to students enrolled in a graduate program at the Faculty of Dentistry. In some circumstances, it may be opened to students from another Faculty.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 682
Readings in Dent&Health Res 2
2 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 683
Readings in Dent&Health Res 3
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructors.
- Restriction(s): Open to students enrolled in a graduate program at the Faculty of Dentistry. In some circumstances, it may be opened to students from another Faculty.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 685
Theory of Dental Public Health
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Theory and principles of public health, as applied to the concepts and determinants of oral health and disease, oral disease prevention and health promotion, dental care delivery systems and professional issues related to dental care delivery.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Only open to graduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Paul J Allison, Christophe Bedos
-
DENT 686
Illness Exp&Soc Determ of Hlth
2 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Exploration on the experience of illness and suffering, the social determinants of health, illness, access to care and broader contexts related to oral [and other] health. Critical reflection and challenge of assumptions in relation to the main themes.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
- Priority will be given to Dentistry graduate students; other students are requested to contact the instructor with an explanation of their interest in this course.
-
DENT 688
Bone Mechanobiology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Foundational theories in mechanobiology in the context of skeletal tissues (namely, bone, growth plate cartilage, and periodontal tissues). Brief introduction to structure-
function relations in bone, mechanical strain, and fluid flow. Emphasis is placed on the concepts of bone adaptation to biomechanical loading patterns, mechanobiology at the tissue level and mechanotransduction at the cellular level. Research
methodologies and applications to disease are discussed.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
-
EPIB 621
Data Analysis in Health Sci
4 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Epidemiology & Biostatistics: Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques for continuous categorical and survival data. Topics include generalized linear models, multiple linear and logistic regression, introductory survival analysis, model selection. Maximum likelihood and Bayesean approaches will be presented.
Offered by: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
EPIB 635
Clinical Trials
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Epidemiology & Biostatistics: Lectures and discussions on issues, approaches and techniques of clinical trials including assessment of feasibility, ethics, randomization, strengths and weaknesses of alternative designs, sample size requirements, protocol development, trial management and analysis, reporting and interpretation of trial results.
Offered by: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
EXMD 610
Molecular Meths in Medical Res
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Experimental Medicine: Different molecular methods used in biomedical research, including chromatography, purification and analysis of proteins and nucleic acids, various techniques in molecular biology, transgenic technology, and stem cells. Lectures, some demonstrations, and short seminars given by the students.
Offered by: Medicine
- Terms
- Instructors
- Simon Rousseau, Gregory J Fonseca
Other complementary 500- or 600-level courses may be taken with the approval of the supervisor or the research director and GPS.
Please check the
ecalendar for other complementary courses.
Suggested Courses for Students in Population Oral Health Research Cluster
Note: Course Failure Policy
A student will be withdrawn from McGill, if they:
- fail two courses (i.e., two different courses, one failed course plus a failed repeat of the same course or one failed course and a failed supplemental exam for that course); or
- fail one course, obtain one unsatisfactory Graduate Student Research Progress Tracking Report, and the academic unit in which the student is registered recommends that they be withdrawn.
The student’s transcript will indicate that the student was withdrawn from McGill. A student who is withdrawn according to this policy cannot apply for readmission to the program from which they were withdrawn.
See the Failure Policy for more information.