Many students undertake their research topics abroad. The integration of non-clinical and clinical sides of the programme means that the relationship of science subjects to the treatment of patients and disease elimination is immediately apparent to students. This philosophy allows for the rapid transfer of relevant research findings to the clinics. The University Dental Hospital is justly proud of its reputation as an international centre of excellence in research. Among the dental undergraduate institutions Manchester attained a rating of 5 in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise.
All students undertake a non-clinical research elective in their final year.
Some students may wish to undertake further degrees with more scientific content. At the end of the second year, high-flying students can take an extra year to study for an Intercalated B.Sc. This is partly taught and partly research based. To date all students undertaking intercalated degrees have received funding from the Medical Research Council or other sponsors. Following an intercalated B.Sc. outstanding students can enter a fast track combining clinical studies with Ph.D. research thus equipping them for a subsequent academic or hospital career.