Zahnmedizin (Dentistry)

State Examination

The Dentistry programme at the University of Freiburg provides a solid foundation of clinical and scientific knowledge, together with practical skills for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the teeth, mouth, and jaw. The programme features early integration of practical training from the first semester. Through the two introductory (propedeutic) courses, students acquire practical skills and apply them immediately. At the same time, the close interdisciplinary collaboration of all dental departments ensures exceptionally high-quality training, distinguishing the programme from comparable offerings. Graduates possess comprehensive dental expertise, well-developed practical and clinical competencies, and experience in interdisciplinary teamwork. The degree qualifies them for patient-oriented dental practice and provides the academic foundation for further qualifications, as well as for work in private practice, hospitals, and research.

Fast facts

Language of instruction

German

Programme start

Winter and Summer Semester

Standard Period of Study

11 semesters required for the full degree programme

Admission

Language requirements: Deutsch C1

First semester: Restricted admission (WS/SS: 43/42 places)

Non-EU citizens (without German school-leaving certificate) do not take part in the selection procedure via Hochschulstart. Study spaces are granted according to a quota of 5% of the available spaces. Applications are made directly via the application portal of the University of Freiburg.

These 5% of the study places are allocated according to the requirements of the selection statutes for foreign nationals and stateless persons.

Higher semesters: Restricted admission

The admission requirements are specified in the selection statutes (see section "Statutes" below).
For further information on the selection procedure, please refer to the selection statutes for higher semesters (see the section "Statutes" below) and this page.

Please note: University admission requirements may change up to the start of the application period.

Application period

First semester: Detailed information about the hochschulstart Application Deadlines.

Higher semesters: Winter Semester: 1 June - 15 July
Summer Semester: 1 December - 15 January

Application

Application for this degree programme is only possible during the application period and is done online.

Faculty affiliation

Faculty of Medicine

Academic content

Study Content

The study of dentistry is divided into three sequential stages.

First stage – Pre‑clinical phase (four semesters)
In this phase you acquire fundamental natural‑science knowledge in chemistry, physics and biology. In addition, several lectures introduce you to the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the human body, which is consolidated through practical anatomy courses.
You become familiar with the medical language in the course Medical Terminology. Already in the first semester, the dental propaedeutic modules give you an initial insight into dental working procedures. Accompanying placements enable you to apply the theoretical material early on in practice and to gain first experience of dental work.

Second stage – Clinical‑practical phase (5th and 6th semesters)
This stage is predominantly practice‑oriented. The main focus is work on the phantom, where you train core dental treatment techniques. In parallel you complete further practical courses, for example in orthodontics, dental surgery, emergency medicine and radiology. You also attend so‑called cross‑sectional modules, which run in both the second and third stages and provide close integration with human medicine.

Third stage – Clinical phase (three semesters)
This stage constitutes the clinical culmination of the programme. The central element is the independent treatment of real patients. You deepen your diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical skills and assume increasing responsibility in everyday clinical practice. The aim is to prepare you comprehensively for autonomous dental practice. The stage concludes with the third part of the Dental Examination.

In addition, the dental training includes a four‑week Famulatur (clinical internship), which must be documented as a prerequisite for the third part of the Dental Examination.

For a degree in Dentistry you should…

enjoy tackling medical problems,
have an interest in the natural sciences,
like working with, in and on people,
and, especially with a view to your future career, possess strong social skills.

Why you should study dentistry at the University of Freiburg:

practical training starts already in the first semester,
close, interdisciplinary collaboration across all dental departments,
a research intensive faculty,
the Dentistry programme at the University of Freiburg is currently ranked 2nd nationally (QS World University Rankings 2025).

Career perspectives

Career prospects
After completing your dentistry degree you will usually undertake a two year assistantship in a dental practice or dental clinic. In this phase you gain hands on experience, become familiar with everyday patient care and develop your clinical specialities. Afterwards you may:

open your own practice,
work as an employed dentist in a practice or clinic, or
pursue specialist training, which can last up to four years (e.g. orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontology).

Opportunities also exist in research, teaching or the dental industry.

Statutes

Disclaimer
The versions of statutes with relevance to teaching and learning provided on this page by the Department of Legal Affairs (in particular admission and selection regulations as well as subject and examination regulations) are primarily for information purposes. This means that all amendments subsequently agreed upon by the University Senate have been integrated into the respective text of the original statutes; in the case of the examination regulations for bachelor's and master's degree programmes, this generally relates to extracts of the respective examination regulations (framework examination regulations, subject-specific provisions, and appendices).
The greatest care has been taken in writing these versions. Nevertheless, it cannot be entirely ruled out that errors may have occurred. Consequently, it is solely the officially announced statutes and statute amendments that are legally binding, i.e. as published in the Amtlichen Bekanntmachungen der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau [de] or, up to the year 2000, in the official gazette of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.

Contact

Departmental Academic Advising

Organisation of the pre clinical study phase (including Z1 examination)

Martina Richter

zmk-studiendekanat-lehre@uniklinik-freiburg.de
+49 761 270-47960
Mon - Fri: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Visit website

Organisation of the clinical study phase (including Z2 and Z3 examinations)

Martina Feldmeier

zmk-studiendekanat-lehre@uniklinik-freiburg.de
+49 761 270-49210
Mon, Tue, Wed: 09:00 am - 13:30 pm

Home-office

Wed: 08:00 am - 16:00 pm

Fri: 08:00 am - 12:00 pm

Visit website

Service Center Studium

Advising and Counselling (ZSB)
The Advising and Counselling (ZSB) at Service Center Studium provides information and advice on all questions that may arise before, at the beginning of and during your studies. If you have any subject-specific questions, you can also contact the relevant subject advisory service.

Examination Office

Department für Zahn- Mund- und Kieferheilkunde
Studiendekanat Zahnmedizin
Hugstetterstr. 55
79106 Freiburg

Additional Infos

Results of the last selection processes

University selection procedure (AdH) - selection limits in previous award procedures
Detailed results of all universities are published by Hochschulstart

Winter Semester 2024/2025

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 80,4
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 46,9

Summer Semester 2024

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 81,7
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 51,0

Winter Semester 2023/2024

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 78,3
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 48,7

Summer Semester 2023

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 83,8
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 51,1

Winter Semester 2022/2023

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 78,2
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 47,9

Summer Semester 2022

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 75,8
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 44,9

Winter Semester 2021/2022

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 54,0
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 47,0

Summer Semester 2021

Selection procedure of the universitiesAdditional aptitude quota (ZEQ): 53,0
Selection procedure of the universities (AdH): 47,1

Lottery procedure

Applicants who are not nationals of EU member states or of signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or who are not equivalent to Germans pursuant to Section 1 (2) No. 2-3 HZVO (Baden-Württemberg University Admission Regulations) and/or do not hold a German higher education entrance qualification may not take part in the lottery procedure.

Lottery procedures are conducted in subjects with restricted admission where places are still available. Should places still be available after the final waiting list procedure, these are allocated in a lottery procedure. Application for participation in the lottery procedure must be made online and separately for each degree programme to which admission is sought. The application period for the winter semester is from 1 September to 30 September and for the summer semester from 1 March to 31 March. Applications received earlier or later than stipulated will not be considered.

The online application portal for the lottery procedure is only open during the application period.

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