UCFSMDDFT-2024-5-O - L-Università ta' Malta

Course Title

Certificate in Foundation Studies in Medical and Dental Sciences

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

1 Year

62 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-time

Information for International applicants

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

The Course shall be open to all applicants who:ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">

present a secondary and/or high school certificate issued abroad and who studied within an educational system that is not comparable to the Maltese educational system (in terms of curriculum, years of study, etc.) and

satisfy the University's English language requirement as published on the University's official website at the time of applications and

are in possession of qualifications allowing access to an undergraduate course in the selected discipline in the country where such qualifications originate, but

are deemed to require further study to be admitted to undergraduate degree courses at the University of Malta,

provided that the Medical and Dental Sciences programme, referred to in paragraph (1) of regulation 6 of the regulations for the Course, shall be open only to qualified applicants from non-EU/EEA countries in terms of agreements signed by the University with the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to qualified nationals from other non-EU/EEA countries.

At the discretion of the Board, applicants shall be required to pass an interview and/or a written test.

Applicants who are deemed ineligible to join the Course may be allowed by the Board to enrol as students in the Foundation Commencement Programme which is detailed in Appendix I to the regulations for the Course.

EU, non-EU and Maltese dual citizens who previously studied abroad and then join higher secondary schools in Malta for more than one year shall not be admitted to the Course.

The Course is limited to a maximum number of students.

You are viewing the entry requirements for International applicants. Switch to Local qualifications.

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You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

The Certificate in Foundation Studies in Medical and Dental Sciences will provide you with the knowledge, personal and inter-personal skills and organisational framework, upon which to base your undergraduate medical, dental or allied health studies. The primary aim of the course is to provide you with the knowledge base, transferable skills, linguistic skills and general competence to allow you to progress successfully onto the University of Malta's undergraduate Medicine and Surgery and Master of Dentistry courses. The course offers specific training and support in those core health science and English areas where you require further assistance. The course will provide teaching in the subject areas of human biology, biological chemistry, human anatomy, genetics, cell biology as well as Medical English and Maltese. Successful completion of this course guarantees you a place on the course of Medicine and Surgery. Restrictions may apply in Dentistry.

The Certificate in Foundation Studies in Medical and Dental Sciences will provide you with the knowledge as well as the personal and inter-personal skills and organisational framework, upon which to base your future undergraduate medical, dental or allied health studies. The primary aim of the course is to provide you with the knowledge base, transferable skills, linguistic skills and general competence to allow you to progress successfully onto the University of Malta's undergraduate Medicine and Surgery and Master of Dentistry courses. The course offers specific training and support in those core health science and English areas where you require further assistance.

The course will provide teaching in the subject areas of human biology, biological chemistry, human anatomy, genetics, cell biology as well as Medical English and Maltese. In addition, you will be expected to attend regular tutorial sessions for each subject. During the tutorial sessions, you will be expected to show evidence of adequate revision of the week's work. At the same time, tutorials are intended as scheduled learning sessions in which students will receive training in how to apply their knowledge base and practice their language and communication skills.

The course will include continuous assessments to build up a realistic profile of your abilities. Tutors will be required to assess students periodically. As the course progresses and the level of spoken and written English improves and the mastery of subject content improves, you will be expected to show evidence of higher analytical and evaluation skills.

Skills such as the ability to apply your knowledge base, to show evidence of self-directed learning and attitude during tutorials will be assessed in the first and second semesters.

Student performance will be monitored continuously by the area coordinator and feedback will be provided through the course tutors. This will allow an awareness of your approach to learning and the identification of students who are encountering difficulties, so that remedial action such as the offer of small group coaching can be provided.

Successful completion of this course guarantees you a place on the course of Medicine and Surgery. Restrictions may apply in Dentistry.


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

DSG0001*	An Introduction to Dentistry	8 ECTS
FST0511	Research and Reasoning	2 ECTS
IFS0512	Medical and Academic English Reading	5 ECTS
IFS0514	Medical and Academic English Listening	5 ECTS
IFS0516	Medical and Academic English Writing	5 ECTS
IFS0517	Grammar and Medical Terminology	5 ECTS
MAL0015*	Medical Maltese	8 ECTS
*Pre-dental students may register for study-unit MAL0015 instead of study-unit DSG0001.

Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

FST0606	Human Biology 1	6 ECTS
IFS0610	Cell Biology and Fundamentals of Genetics	4 ECTS
IFS0703	Introduction to Clinical Biochemistry 1	6 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

FST0607	Human Biology 2	6 ECTS
IFS0608	Introduction to Anatomy	4 ECTS
IFS0704	Introduction to Clinical Biochemistry 2	6 ECTS

This programme of study is governed by the Certificate in Foundation Studies Course Regulations, 2014 under the auspices of the International School for Foundation Studies.

The course will provide you with:

A sound scientific knowledge of human biology, biological chemistry, anatomy, genetics and cell biology
The reading, writing, listening and critical thinking skills necessary to function effectively as a student of Medicine or Dentistry at the University of Malta;
Training to apply scientific reasoning and analytic skills;
Grounding in the use of grammar and logic together to precisely understand questions in English and differentiate between similar statements and ideas;
An understanding of how to apply formal logic to scientific problems;
Opportunities to think and reason more effectively in the abstract.

Non EU Applicants:

Total Tuition Fees: Eur 16,000

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

Upon successfully completing the course, you will be eligible to enrol in any course provided by the Department of Medical and Dental Sciences, which will prepare you for a career in the field.