February 12, 2026

Starting from the spring semester of the 2025–2026 academic year, master’s and doctoral programs that share the same names as specialization branches entered through the Dental Specialty Exam (DUS) will no longer admit students.

Within the framework of future planning by the Ministry of Health, the Council of Higher Education decided that, beginning with the spring semester of the 2025–2026 academic year, no students will be admitted to master’s and doctoral programs bearing the same names as specialization branches accessed through the DUS.

The decision, taken following consultations between the Council of Higher Education and the Ministry of Health, was officially communicated to universities through a correspondence issued by the Council of Higher Education.

What Does the Decision Introduce?

The decision will ensure that education in these fields is delivered through a single channel and with a standardized curriculum. Differences between programs titled “Doctorate” and “Specialization” that share the same name will be eliminated.

Faculty members and clinical resources will be fully directed toward specialization students instead of being divided, which is expected to improve the quality of education.

By preventing the training of more specialists than needed, the decision aims to protect graduates’ employability.

Continuing graduate programs outside the DUS framework will also pave the way for new and interdisciplinary fields within dentistry.

In addition, opportunities will increase to focus not only on clinical branches but also on different master’s and doctoral programs such as biomaterials, oral biology, or dental public health.

Universities may shift toward developing original programs focused on future technologies rather than traditional specialization branches.