Bachelor in Dental Hygiene at University of Parma
Three-year English-taught bachelor in Dental Hygiene (L/SNT3, 180 ECTS) at the University of Parma's Department of Medicine and Surgery, with clinical training and a focus on prevention, periodontology and digital dentistry.
Bachelor
3 years
Parma
English
University of Parma
Dental Hygiene at the University of Parma is a three-year, 180 ECTS health professions bachelor (L/SNT3) taught in English in Parma. Entry is through a written admission test, with 8 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. Fees are income-based, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Parma’s English-taught Dental Hygiene bachelor has nationally limited admission. For 2026/27, candidates needed the English health-professions test, the appropriate applicant-category ranking and B2 English evidence or a permitted exemption at matriculation. The latest admissions page was updated after the September test.
Selection test and available places
- The English admission test took place on 17 September 2026. Its 60 multiple-choice questions, with five answer choices each, had to be completed in 100 minutes, subject to approved additional time.
- The question distribution was 4 reading comprehension/study knowledge, 5 logical reasoning/problem solving, 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics/mathematics.
- The published final allocation was 12 places for Italian/EU/equivalent applicants and 8 for non-EU applicants living abroad. Separate rankings apply. An applicant must compete in the correct category.
- The page’s September result notices concern candidates who already took the test. They are not evidence that a new admission-test application remains open.
B2 English at matriculation
- All admitted Dental Hygiene students, irrespective of quota, must establish at least B2 English at matriculation, unless they meet a specified exemption.
- The 2026/27 language annex lists IELTS General Training or Academic 5.5 or above; TOEFL iBT 60 or above; Cambridge First or Business Vantage; and Trinity ISE II or above.
- It also lists TOEIC with all required components: Listening 275, Reading 275, Speaking 160 and Writing 150. For LanguageCert ESOL B2 Communicator, the annex gives the specified written and speaking score bands.
- The listed certificates must have been obtained no earlier than 2021. Other evidence, including Invalsi attestations, requires assessment by the programme board rather than automatic acceptance.
- Certificate exemptions cover applicants from a country where English is an official language and applicants who attended a school with English-medium teaching for at least one year. We prepare the evidence supporting the applicable exemption.
Application, preferences and documents
- Applicants had to complete test registration by the deadline. Applicants interested in both the English and Italian health-professions procedures had to register for each separately.
- The call permits up to three ordered course preferences and makes confirmed preferences binding, including for vacant-place recovery. Admission and final enrolment also require the appropriate school qualification and foreign-document checks where applicable.
- Disability or specific-learning-disability adjustments are requested with the prescribed supporting evidence by the test-registration deadline. A later request may not receive the same arrangements.
- We follow the latest official ranking and enrolment instructions after selection. The school-qualification check, B2 English proof and any visa/recognition procedures remain separate from the test score.
Sources and verification
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery. Dental Hygiene: admission test, final places and results notices. 2026/27; page updated 28 September 2026; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of Parma. Health-professions admission call, Annex 3: Requisiti linguistici. 2026/27 annex; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of Parma. Bando di ammissione ai Corsi di Laurea Triennali delle Professioni Sanitarie, registration, preferences and adjustments sections. 2026/27 call; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Dental Hygiene is a three-year health professions bachelor in class L/SNT3, run by the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Parma and taught in English. It carries 180 ECTS, and attendance is mandatory.
The course trains providers of preventive oral health care who work to international professional standards. It puts weight on digital dentistry, periodontology, implant dentistry and dental sleep medicine, and it suits school leavers with a strong interest in biology and hands-on clinical work.
What you will study
The first year builds the science base, the second moves into oral pathology and specialist dentistry, and the third focuses on community care and professional practice:
- Anatomy, chemistry, physiology and microbiology
- Patient assessment, communication strategies and oral disease prevention
- General pathology and psycho-pedagogical sciences
- Periodontology and implantology
- Orthodontics and gerodontology
- Community dentistry, health management and legal medicine
- Professional workshops and the final thesis
How the programme is taught
Practical activities and clinical internships run in university facilities under professional tutors, in line with EU directives for the health professions. Lectures, workshops and supervised clinical practice are spread across all three years, ending with a thesis and the qualifying exam.
Career paths
Graduates can work as employed or self-employed dental hygienists. The course page lists these settings:
- Private dental practices and clinics
- National and regional health services
- Research in oral health
- Advisory roles for companies in the dental sector
Fees and scholarships
Parma sets a personalised contribution based on your family's economic situation, merit and years enrolled, so the degree can be tuition-free for eligible students. Students with income abroad apply for the reduction through ER.GO and upload translated, legalised income documents. ER.GO also runs the regional scholarship and housing call; eligible students can apply.
How to apply from outside the EU
This is a restricted-access degree, so you need a place in the admission ranking. For 2026/27, 8 places were reserved for non-EU citizens living abroad and the test was held in English on 17 September 2026. Non-EU applicants first complete the university's pre-assessment, then pre-enrol on Universitaly so the consulate can issue a type D study visa. At enrolment Parma asks for your legalised diploma with a translation and a declaration of value or CIMEA statement. The 2027/28 call is not out yet.
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your school results against Parma's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your pre-assessment, admission-test registration and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ER.GO Emilia-Romagna scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
Is the admission test in English?
Yes. Dental Hygiene uses the English health-professions test.
What is the test format?
60 questions in 100 minutes, covering reading, reasoning, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
How many places were published for 2026/27?
12 for Italian/EU/equivalent applicants and 8 for non-EU applicants living abroad.
What English scores are listed?
The annex includes IELTS 5.5 and TOEFL iBT 60, with other permitted B2 routes.
Can I use an older certificate?
The listed certificates must date from 2021 or later for this call.
Are there certificate exemptions?
Yes, including the specified official-English-country and at-least-one-year English-medium-school routes.
Can someone handle my whole application to Dental Hygiene at Parma?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Parma's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ER.GO Emilia-Romagna scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Dental Hygiene?
You need an appropriate school-leaving qualification, checked with your foreign documents [3], and a place in the non-EU ranking through the English health-professions test, which had 8 non-EU places in 2026/27 [1]. B2 English is required at matriculation, for example IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 60 [2]. The steps are the university's pre-assessment, the English admission test and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Dental Hygiene are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: the university's pre-assessment, the English admission test and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Dental Hygiene are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: the university's pre-assessment, the English admission test and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Dental Hygiene are the same whatever your nationality, and your school results are assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: the university's pre-assessment, the English admission test and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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