Pre-Health Advising Center

Pre-dental Prerequisite Courses

This list includes the minimum general requirements for dental school. Research the schools you wish to apply to for their admissions requirements. All coursework other than Physics must be completed prior to, or in progress when taking the DAT. To ensure proper course scheduling along with your major required course, seek guidance from your Academic Advisor.

Other Recommended Courses

BIOL 3010/3020: Molecular Genetics and Lab
SOC 1010: Introduction to Sociology

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Academic Guidelines

An overall GPA of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale) is the preferred GPA for consideration for admission to Dental School. The recommended science GPA average is 3.6.

Application Timeline

Applicants should plan to take the DAT exam and apply for the schools of their choice one year prior to the desired admission term. Students who begin taking prerequisite courses the first year, should be prepared to take their exam and apply for dental school by the end of the third year in order to matriculate after the fourth year of undergraduate school. Each student's pathway is unique. Processes for applying can be discussed with the Pre-Health Advising Center.

Application Process

All U.S. dental schools require applicants to take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). Most schools use the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) for initiating an application. Students should check the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools for application deadlines.

Entrance Examination Requirement (DAT)

It is preferred that the DAT is taken no later than June 1st of the calendar year preceding the year in which the applicant wishes to enroll in the Dental College. Students register online at www.ada.org. The test consists of four sections: a Survey of Natural Sciences (biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry), Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Reasoning, and Perceptual Ability. Two summary scores are reported, one on academic subjects and one for perceptual ability, as well as scores on individual sections. The scoring range is from 1 to 30. The current national average is 19-20 on the subtests with 20 or higher competitive for entry into Ohio's dental schools.

Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation

Letters of evaluation will be required of applicants. Letters from a faculty member, dentist or physician, academic advisor, or employer would be appropriate. Information about the non-academic character of a student would be most useful as academic information is already in the application. Students should have their evaluation letters submitted directly through AADSAS.

Useful Resources

American Dental Education Association
American Dental Association