On-campus program Dentistry (Staatsexamen) – MHB

What will you study at MHB Dental Medicine?

The Brandenburg Model Curriculum in Dental Medicine (in German: Brandenburgischer Modellstudiengang Zahnmedizin, BMZ) covers 5 years and 6 months of standard study time and is state-recognised by the Brandenburg Ministry for Science, Research and Culture. It is one of only two integrated model curricula for Dental Medicine in Germany — alongside the University of Hamburg — meaning natural-science foundations, dental and medical content are interwoven from the first semester onward, rather than separated into pre-clinical and clinical phases.

First study phase: foundations, simulators and early practice (semesters 1–6)

The first study phase teaches the basic functioning of the human body, systemic and oral diseases, and the foundations of dental treatment methods. From the first week of semester one, you work on dental simulators — the dentist's working posture and motor patterns are practised from day one. Four practical elements run alongside theory:

• Semester 2: practical placement in human medicine
• Semester 3: practice in dental offices, plus communication training with simulated patients
• Semester 4: placement in dental laboratories — direct insight into the dentist-technician interface
• Semester 5: scientific internship with your own scientific paper as a foundation for a later doctorate
• Semester 6: further practice in dental offices

Unlike a classical curriculum, there is no central Z1 examination after two years. Instead, you build the Z1 equivalence step by step through module and semester examinations distributed across the first study phase — the same approach that has been refined in MHB's Human Medicine model curriculum for over a decade. Measurably higher pass rates, measurably lower risk of failing at the threshold.

Second study phase: patient treatment in MHB's dental clinic (semesters 7–10)

From the seventh semester, you treat your own patients under supervision in MHB's dental clinic in Brandenburg an der Havel — with a 3-to-1 supervision ratio: three students per supervising dentist. The treatment scope progresses from routine procedures to increasingly complex cases.

The second study phase complements clinical training with a dedicated practice management module — covering business, organisational and regulatory foundations of running a dental practice. Together with the State Dental Chamber of Brandenburg (in German: Landeszahnärztekammer Brandenburg), MHB has developed "Day 1 Competencies": defined skills you need from your first day in dental practice after the state examination.

Third section of the dental state examination and licensure

The second study phase leads directly into the third section of the dental state examination. After successfully passing it, the State Examinations Office issues the certificate of dental examination per § 18 of the German Dental Licensure Regulation (in German: ZApprO) — the prerequisite for applying for the medical licence as a dentist (in German: Approbation). MHB additionally holds full doctoral rights in dentistry, allowing you to continue directly into a doctorate (Dr. med. dent.) in any area of dental research at the university.

Longitudinal curriculum TRIK and the Skills Lab

As in Human Medicine, TRIK runs as a longitudinal curriculum across all semesters — training communication skills with simulated patients. The handling of anxiety-inducing treatments and the delivery of difficult diagnoses are rehearsed in a protected environment. The Skills Lab in Brandenburg an der Havel provides supervised training of clinical-practical skills under controlled conditions.

Science and research from semester one

The scientific curriculum runs across all semesters. You acquire methods of academic work, complete the scientific internship in semester five, and can actively participate in poster congresses and journal clubs. For students aiming at early research engagement, MHB's small faculty allows direct supervision by professors — a short path from coursework to a doctoral dissertation.

How does the no-NC admission process work?

The selection process is three-stage and individual. There is no grade-based pre-selection — every applicant with a recognised secondary school qualification has the same opportunity. 48 study places per year are awarded, with admission only for the summer semester (study start in April).

Step 1: online application with complete documents

Through MHB's online application portal, you upload the following documents (each as PDF, max. 2 MB):

• Detailed motivation letter (max. two A4 pages, Times New Roman 12pt, single line spacing) — describe your path to the career decision and your specific motivation for studying Dental Medicine at MHB
• Detailed tabular CV without photo, with explicit mention of practical dental experience, special skills, activities and social engagement
• Higher education entrance qualification — for foreign certificates, with prior recognition by the German credential evaluation office
• Additional certificates and references (optional): internship records, vocational training certificates, recommendation letters — particularly relevant for applicants from dental professions
• For international applicants: proof of German language skills at C1 level

Late submissions or incomplete applications are not accepted. The €225 application fee is paid through the online portal during submission.

Step 2: assessment and evaluation

MHB's reviewers check your documents for completeness and assess them substantively. You then receive an email confirming whether or not you are invited to a selection day.

Step 3: personal selection day in Brandenburg an der Havel

At the selection day, you complete several stations and meet faculty members. The focus is on motivation, personality and — specific to Dental Medicine — additional skills relevant to clinical dentistry, including manual dexterity and spatial reasoning. No specific medical or dental knowledge is tested. The selection committee responds shortly afterwards by email.

Where will you study Dental Medicine at MHB?

Unlike Human Medicine, which is distributed across four locations, Dental Medicine at MHB is concentrated in Brandenburg an der Havel. The entire programme runs here, complemented by practical placements in cooperating dental practices across the state of Brandenburg.

Campus Brandenburg an der Havel and the MHB Dental Clinic

Teaching and clinical practice take place on the Brandenburg an der Havel campus (currently at the interim location Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 36) and at the MHB Dental Clinic — the university's outpatient dental facility, where you treat your own patients under supervision from the seventh semester. Brandenburg an der Havel offers urban character, good rail connections to Potsdam and Berlin, and affordable housing. The municipal housing association WOBRA has dedicated student offerings, and the Brandenburg University Hospital (UKB) rents 28 furnished shared-flat rooms to medicine and dental medicine students for around €350 per month including utilities.

Cooperating dental practices and laboratories

Practical elements in semesters 2 to 6 take place in a network of cooperating dental practices, general medical practices and dental laboratories across the state of Brandenburg. MHB has built a mentoring system with dentists and dental technicians as partners — connecting practical learning with networking opportunities for the post-graduation career.

Living in Brandenburg an der Havel: costs and life

Brandenburg an der Havel is a medium-sized city of around 70,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Brandenburg, situated on the Havel river roughly 65 kilometres west of Berlin. The city has a clear urban character with medieval old town, lake and river settings, and growing student presence thanks to MHB.

Cost of living range

• Accommodation: €350–€600 for a room in a shared flat (in German: Wohngemeinschaft, WG); €500–€800 for a small studio. The MHB partner WOBRA offers dedicated student housing options at the lower end of this range
• Food and groceries: €250–€350 per month if you cook at home
• Public transport: covered by the Germany-wide semester ticket included in the semester fee
• Health insurance: mandatory; public student health insurance (in German: gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) costs around €130 per month for students under 30

Connectivity

Brandenburg an der Havel is around 50 minutes by regional rail from Berlin Hauptbahnhof and 30 minutes from Potsdam. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is reachable within roughly 90 minutes. This makes commuting between studies and Berlin life feasible, and supports international travel for students from abroad.

English-friendly daily life

Brandenburg an der Havel is a German city where daily life happens primarily in German. Within the MHB community, English is widely spoken among younger faculty and international students. Outside the campus context — in dental practices, with patients, in administrative offices and shops — fluent German is essential. This is exactly why MHB requires C1-level proficiency at admission, and why the entire programme is taught in German.

Visa, residence permit and what to do before you arrive

For non-EU applicants, the path to studying at MHB looks as follows:

• Apply for a German student visa at the German embassy or consulate in your country of residence at least three months before the semester start. Required documents include the MHB admission letter, financial proof and health insurance.
• Financial proof — the blocked account (in German: Sperrkonto): currently around €11,904 per year as evidence that you can finance your stay. The amount is updated periodically by the German Federal Foreign Office.
• Health insurance: mandatory for visa issuance and enrolment. Public student health insurance is the default for students under 30.
• After arrival: register your address (in German: Anmeldung) at the local registry office within 14 days, and apply for a residence permit at the local foreigners' authority (in German: Ausländerbehörde) within 90 days.
• Key resources: the German Federal Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de), the local foreigners' authority of Brandenburg an der Havel, and the DAAD information portal for international students

EU and EEA applicants don't need a visa — registering with the local registry office within 14 days of arrival is sufficient.

What does Dental Medicine at MHB cost — and how can you finance it?

Tuition for the Brandenburg Model Curriculum in Dental Medicine is €132,000 in total, distributed across ten semesters. Per semester, this works out to €13,200. In addition, you should budget approximately €4,500 for personal dental instruments, the one-time €225 application fee, and around €268.80 per semester for the Germany-wide student transit ticket and a social contribution. Tuition can be paid monthly or per semester.

MHB is a state-recognised university in municipal and non-profit ownership. As with Human Medicine, the university operates as a social business without profit motivation, financing the cost-intensive model-curriculum teaching through tuition fees and contributions from its shareholders.

Special student loan from Sparkasse Ostprignitz-Ruppin

The regional savings bank Sparkasse Ostprignitz-Ruppin offers a dedicated student loan for MHB students, covering tuition, materials and even living costs. Terms are negotiated directly with the bank; MHB's student advisory team facilitates the introduction.

Municipal scholarships in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt

Several municipalities in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt offer scholarships for dental medicine students who commit to working in the respective region as a dentist for several years after graduation. This mirrors the rural medical care programme in Human Medicine and is a core mechanism for ensuring regional dental care.

Other financing pathways

• Studienfonds der Deutschen Bildung — partial study financing with later income-dependent repayment, similar to the reverse generation contract in Human Medicine
• Deutschland-Stipendium — €300 per month, awarded based on merit and engagement
• BAföG — possible for first-degree students within strict income and age limits, typically covers living expenses only
• Individual scholarships — the platform mystipendium.de helps identify suitable programmes; MHB accepts applications from all major German state and church-affiliated scholarship organisations
• MHB social fund — grants or interest-free loans for students in financial hardship
• Tax deductibility — tuition fees can be claimed as work-related expenses or special expenses against taxable income, particularly relevant from your first year of dental practice

MHB's student advisory team helps actively with financing planning, typically combining several sources — for example BAföG, municipal scholarship and bank loan. The explicit goal is that no qualified applicant is rejected because of finances.

Career options after MHB Dental Medicine

After the dental state examination and the German medical licence as a dentist (in German: Approbation), you have access to all dental career paths — private practice, hospital, research, or specialisation. MHB places particular emphasis on preparing students for clinical practice, but does not exclude other paths.

• Preparatory assistant (in German: Vorbereitungsassistent:in) at a contract dental practice — the typical first station after licensure, with a minimum two-year duration as the prerequisite for later panel-doctor admission
• Independent dentist in your own practice or by acquiring an existing one — particularly with municipal scholarships that include a regional service commitment
• Employed dentist in a larger practice, a Medical Care Centre (in German: Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum, MVZ) or a clinic
• Specialised practice after further training — orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontology or endodontology
• Academic research career with a doctorate (Dr. med. dent.) and habilitation at MHB itself
• Industry roles — dental technology, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers

Entry-level salaries for preparatory assistants in Germany typically range between €3,500 and €4,500 gross per month. After admission as a panel dentist, salaries as employed dentist rise to €5,500–€8,000 per month, with larger practices and MVZ paying significantly more. Independent dentists with their own practice earn substantially higher amounts depending on practice location, specialisation and patient mix — alongside the corresponding entrepreneurial responsibility and investment requirements.

Panel doctor admission and patient mix

To treat patients with statutory health insurance — the majority of patients in Germany — you need admission as a panel dentist (in German: Vertragszahnärzt:in) from the regional Statutory Dental Insurance Association. The prerequisite is a minimum of two years as a preparatory assistant in a contract dental practice. Without panel admission, you can only treat private patients, which is rarely commercially viable as a sole income source.

If you plan to stay in Germany after graduation

Non-EU graduates of accredited German dental degrees can apply for an 18-month residence permit for job search after completing the programme. Once you secure a position as preparatory assistant, the route to longer-term residence opens. Germany's dental care system is actively recruiting in many regions, particularly in rural Brandenburg and surrounding states.

For whom is MHB Dental Medicine the right choice — and for whom not?

MHB Dental Medicine is a small, personally oriented private dental school with a clear regional service mission. It has clear strengths and equally clear limits. Here's the line:

MHB Dental Medicine is the right choice if you …

• … want to study Dental Medicine independently of the German numerus clausus system, with admission based on motivation, manual aptitude and personality
• … prefer the integrated model curriculum — alongside Hamburg the only one in Germany, with patient contact early and continuous integration of natural sciences, medical and dental content
• … value small group teaching with a 3-to-1 supervision ratio at the university dental clinic
• … come from a German dental profession (ZFA, ZMP, DH, ZT, ZTM) and want to enter dentistry through the vocational route without Abitur
• … have German at C1 level or higher — including German-speaking expatriate families, international school graduates with German-language education, and applicants who have invested seriously in German preparation
• … are interested in a doctorate (Dr. med. dent.) alongside the dental licence — MHB holds full doctoral rights in dentistry

The programme is less suitable if you …

• … cannot demonstrate German at C1 level (CEFR) — this is a non-negotiable threshold, not a flexibly assessed criterion. Other German private dental schools at this point do not offer English-taught programmes; English-taught dental programmes in Hungary, Poland or the Czech Republic are alternative routes
• … cannot finance the €132,000 tuition plus around €4,500 in instruments through bank loans, municipal scholarships or comparable mechanisms — German state universities remain the tuition-free standard path
• … seek a large-city university experience with a single central campus and dense urban student culture — Brandenburg an der Havel is a medium-sized city with focus on the dental clinic
• … prefer a classical curriculum with central Z1 examination after two years — the model curriculum runs on continuous Z1-equivalence assessments distributed across the first phase
• … don't have strong manual dexterity and spatial reasoning — these are tested explicitly in the selection process and are central to clinical practice
• … are aiming at a research-heavy international academic career with very high publication output and large third-party funding — MHB is research-active but is not a flagship dental research university

Frequently asked questions about MHB Dental Medicine