Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)

View Requirements

The first step in the admissions process is to ensure you’re on track to complete both the course prerequisites and application requirements in time to apply for your preferred year of entry. 

Prerequisite Courses
Printer friendly version of all prerequisite and admission requirements

Prerequisite
Qualifier
Semester
Units
Quarter
Units
  • All prerequisites must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution (exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis) or its equivalent abroad. 
  • All prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or better (a grade of “C-” or lower is not acceptable)
  • Prerequisite courses must be designated for baccalaureate credit by the institution offering the courses
  • All prerequisites must be completed by the spring term prior to matriculation.
  • Only English may be taken on an advanced-placement basis
  • Prerequisites may not be satisfied by CLEP or credit for experiential learning
  • Prerequisites will not be waived or substituted
  • All coursework taken from non-US institutions (including Canada) must be submitted to an approved service for evaluation
General Biology w/ lab
  • May not be an introductory course
  • May include courses such as biology, zoology, anatomy, physiology, embryology, endocrinology, immunology, cell biology, molecular biology, histology, etc.
8
12
Organic Chemistry w/ lab
  • May not be an introductory course
8
12
General Physics w/ lab
  • May not be an introductory course
8
12
General or Inorganic Chemistry w/ lab
  • May not be an introductory course
8
12
College English/English Composition
  • Must be a writing or composition course taken from the English Department or a course that fulfills the GE writing requirement for your school
  • Literature courses may be accepted if they include a writing component
  • May not be an English as a Second Language (ESL) course 
6
9 
Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Calculus 1, Biometrics, Psychology & Conversational Spanish (not required but highly recommended)
0 
0 

If you’d like to find out whether the courses you’ve taken or plan to take will satisfy WesternU’s DMD prerequisites you can search the prerequisite database by institution.

Admission Requirements 

Completion of prerequisite courses as outlined above
Minimum 90 semester or 135 quarter units of undergraduate/graduate coursework
  • Must be completed by matriculation at a regionally accredited U.S. institution
Minimum 30 hours of dental-related work experience
  • Must have a minimum of 30 hours of experience as a dental assistant, dental hygienist, dental laboratory technician and/or observing dentists
  • 30 hours must be completed at the time of application
  • Work experience may be paid or on a volunteer basis
Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
  • DAT scores are valid for three (3) years
  • DAT must be taken by October 15th of the year of application
  • Official DAT scores must be received before application will be considered
  • Canadian DAT scores are not accepted
Letters of Recommendation
  • The letters of recommendation requirement may be fulfilled one of two ways:
    • Obtain one (1) letter of recommendation from your undergraduate institution’s pre-professional committee; or
    • Obtain three (3) letters of recommendation
      • Two (2) letters of recommendation from science professors
      • One (1) letter of recommendation from a dentist or another professor
    • Methods of submitting letters of recommendation:
      • Electronic: Letters can be electronically submitted by the recommender to the application service or other services such as Interfolio or Virtual Evals.
      • Paper: Letters must be typed on official letterhead and must be signed by the recommender. Letter must be submitted in a sealed envelope that is signed over the seal by the recommender.
      • Email: Letters may be submitted by email directly from the recommender. The recommender’s email address should be a business or school email address.
Although not required, having earned a BS or BA will likely strengthen your application
  • BS or BA may be in any subject
Proof of Legal US Residency – If Required
  • If you are an international applicant or any other applicant who is not U.S. citizen and is living in the U.S., you should be prepared to provide proof of legal U.S. residency at the time of interview.
  • Proof of legal U.S. residency is required prior to any offer of acceptance.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL) – If Required
  • The TOEFL is required for all applicants submitting coursework from foreign schools
  • A minimum score of 213 for the Computer-Based test or 79 for the Internet-Based test must be submitted at the time of application
  • TOEFL scores are valid for two years
  • Exceptions:
    • The TOEFL exam will be waived for permanent and temporary residents of the United States who have completed the English prerequisite from an accredited institution in the United States.
    • English courses taken from foreign countries whose native language is English will be accepted (e.g., Canada, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand and the British West Indies)

 Read FAQs or contact us with questions

Make Yourself a Competitive Candidate
Admission to the program is competitive so you should strive to not only meet, but exceed the minimum requirements. To get a feel for the competitiveness of the applicant pool we recommend that you review the national statistics for Dental Medicine and read what the admissions committee recommends you do to maximize your candidacy.

Preparing and Submitting your Application
The apply now page will provide you with step-by-step instructions as well as an application checklist. There are a number of supporting materials that make up your completed application and it is essential that you print and carefully follow the checklist to ensure that you properly submit these pieces by the deadline.

We are happy to answer your questions as you navigate through the application process,
so please do not hesitate to contact us if we can help.