As a dentist, you’ll play a key role in helping people maintain healthy teeth, gums, and smiles. You’ll diagnose, prevent, and treat oral health problems, provide pain management through anesthetics, and prescribe medications when necessary—combining science, skill, and patient care every day.
Dental School Prerequisites
The list below includes general prerequisite courses that most dental schools require for admission. Keep in mind that specific requirements can vary by school. Some additional courses, while not required, are highly recommended to strengthen your application.
Students are responsible for ensuring their UCSB (and other) courses meet each professional school's admission requirements.
CHEM 1A (4 units): General Chemistry
CHEM 1B (3 units): General Chemistry
CHEM 1C (3 units): General Chemistry
CHEM 2AL (2.5 units): General Chemistry Lab
CHEM 2BL (2.5 units): General Chemistry Lab
MCDB 1A (4 units): Intro to Biology I
MCDB 1B (3 units): Intro to Biology II--Physiology
MCDB 1LL (1.5 units): Intro to Biology I Lab
EEMB 2 (3 units): Intro to Biology II—Ecology and Evolution
EEMB 3 (3 units): Intro to Biology III
EEMB 2LL (1.5 units): Intro to Biology Lab II
Most students will take MCDB 1LL in winter quarter and EEMB 2LL in spring quarter. Although taken over two quarters rather than three, these will count as a full year of introductory biology labs.
CHEM 109A (4 units): Organic Chemistry
CHEM 109B (4 units): Organic Chemistry
CHEM 109C (4 units): Organic Chemistry
CHEM 6AL (3 units): Organic Chemistry Lab, Prerequisites: Chemistry 109A with a minimum grade of a C-; Chemistry 109B (may be taken concurrently)
CHEM 6BL (3 units): Organic Chemistry Lab, Prerequisites: Chemistry 6AL and 109A with a minimum grade of C-; Chemistry 109B
Note: Chem 6BL lab is no longer required for MCDB/EEMB majors, but consider taking it based on your major's requirements and the admissions criteria of the schools you plan to apply to. If you can't find this info online, contact the school's admissions office for clarification.
PHYSICS 6A (3 units) and PHYSICS 6AL (1 unit): Introductory Physics with Lab
PHYSICS 6B (3 units) and PHYSICS 6BL (1 unit): Introductory Physics with Lab
PHYSICS 6C (3 units) and PHYSICS 6CL (1 unit): Introductory Physics with Lab
Notes:
- Students who complete the PHYSICS 1 series will need to take PHYSICS 1-2-3-4-5 and PHYSICS 3L-4L-5L to satisfy a full year of Physics with labs. If your major only requires you to complete through PHYSICS 4 and PHYSICS 4L, then you may enroll in PHYSICS 6AL to satisfy the final lab requirement. If allowed by your major, we encourage students to complete the Physics 6 series instead.
- Mathematics 2A or 3A or 34A or AP Math AB Exam score of 3 or higher are required for Physics 6A. Math courses may be taken concurrently with Physics 6A. For more information on the UCSB Math Placement Test required for Math 2A or 3A, go to the Course Placement Information located on the Department of Mathematics website.
MCDB 108A (4 units): General Biochemistry
- Prerequisites: MCDB 1A, and EEMB 2 and MCDB 1B; and Chemistry 1A-B-C; and Chemistry 109A-B-C. Completion of all listed prerequisites require a grade of C or better.
- Chem 109C may be taken concurrently.
MCDB 110 (4 units): Principles of Biochemistry
- MCDB and Non-MCDB majors may choose to take MCDB 110
- Prerequisites: Chem 1A-B-C and 109A-B, with grades of C or better.
*MCDB 108B (4 units) is highly recommended.
Note: Some dental schools may only require a single course in Biochemistry; however, others may equate 2 quarters of Biochemistry to 1 semester of Biochemistry. Whether or not you choose to take a second Biochemistry course should be based on the requirements for your major and your own research into the admissions requirements at each dental school you plan to apply. If unable to find the information on a particular program's website, email their dental school admissions office for clarification.
When applying to professional schools, completing a full year of math is a good rule of thumb.
For students without prior college-level math or AP Calculus scores:
- Recommended courses include Math 34A/34B, Math 3A/3B, or Math 2A/2B; and PSTAT 5A/5LS, with no preference between series.
For students with AP Calculus scores, throughly review the information below:
- Taking courses for "study list credit". Since UCSB doesn’t list AP exam scores and equivalencies on transcripts, students may need to take math courses for “study list credit” to meet this requirement. Study list credit allows students to retake courses already credited through AP exams. After completion of the course the grade appears on the transcript but doesn’t provide additional units or affect the GPA.
- Options for a student with credit for AP Calculus AB:
- Take Math 34A/3A/2A for study list credit, then Math 34B/3B/2B and PSTAT
- Take Math 34B/3B/2B, Math 4A & PSTAT
- Take Math 34B/3B/2B, a CC course in math (preferably Calculus) & PSTAT
- Options for a student with credit for AP Calculus AB & BC
- Take Math 34A/3A/2A & 34B/3B/2B for study list credit and PSTAT
- Take some combination of study list credit, CC courses & PSTAT
- Move on to higher level math (Math 4A/B, PSTAT 5A, PSTAT 120A/B)
- Options for a student with credit for the AP Statistics exam
- Take PSTAT 5A or 5LS for study list credit
- Take a CC course in statistics, or higher level statistics at UCSB (PSTAT 120, etc)
A combination of three UCSB courses taken in the Writing and English should fulfill the full year of English requirement for most California medical schools. Courses that satisfy GE Areas A-1 and A-2 will satisfy the English requirement.
Note: Courses that satisfy the GE Special Subject Area Writing requirement should not be considered sufficient to satisfy the full year of English requirement.
PSY 1: Introduction to Psychology (5 units)
and
SOC 1: Introduction to Sociology (5 units)
Prerequisite courses listed are minimum requirements; however, most successful applicants will have exceeded the minimum requirements by taking additional upper division science courses. Examples of appropriate courses include but are not limited to:
MCDB 101A - Molecular Genetics I: Prokaryotes (4 units)
MCDB 103 - Cell Biology (4 units)
MCDB 131 - General Microbiology (4 units)
Note: If you choose not to major in one of the natural sciences, you may wish to include one or two additional science electives in your program of study if your schedule permits.
Students planning to apply to Dental Schools should:
- Visit each school’s website for admission requirements.
- Make sure your courses meet each school’s prerequisites.
- Contact schools directly if you're unsure about a course.
- Double-check that your UCSB (and other) courses meet specific program requirements.
- Work with our Pre-health advising team throughout the process.
Sample Pre-Dental Course Schedule, Years 1 & 2
This guide provides general recommendations and is not meant to be a strict timeline. Students should consult their major department and Pre-health advisors to determine the best schedule to fit their needs.
Year 1
Fall Quarter
Chem 1A
Math or Stats
GE or Elective
Winter Quarter
Chem 1B + 2AL
Math or Stats (see above)
GE or Elective
GE or Elective (if you feel you can handle another course)
Spring Quarter
Chem 1C + 2BL
Math or Stats (see above)
GE or Elective
GE or Elective
Year 2
Fall Quarter
MCDB 1A
Chem 109A
GE or Elective
GE or Elective?
Winter Quarter
MCDB 1B
EEMB 2
MCDB 1LL
Chem 109B
Chem 6AL (May be taken later)
Spring Quarter
EEMB 3 and
EEMB 2LL
Chem 109C
Chem 6BL (May be taken later)
GE or Elective
Dental School Preparation Checklist
These checklists are designed to serve as a general guide. There is no one-size-fits-all timeline for taking admission tests or applying to dental school, and applicants are not penalized for applying at a particular time. We strongly encourage students to meet with a Pre-health advisor to develop a personalized plan that aligns with their individual goals and timelines.
- Visit Career Services to explore interests and learn more about your personal skills and values.
- Start taking intro sciences (General Chemistry sequence).
- Think about possible majors; study what you love!
- Connect with a Pre-health staff or Peer Advisor
- Consider volunteer opportunities (campus and community) during 2nd quarter.
- Go to your professors’ office hours.
- Explore student organizations.
- Shadow/volunteer during breaks and summer.
- Continue with next sequence of science courses (see "Sample Schedule" above).
- Stay involved in extracurricular activities (dental, volunteer, etc).
- Begin to think about becoming an officer in your organizations or explore other leadership opportunities.
- Begin research on professional schools, and their requirements, and assess your competitiveness.
- Investigate Dental Admissions Test (DAT) preparation options.
- Identify specialties you are interested in.
- BOTTOM LINE: Keep working on the activities and professional experiences you have established in your first year.
- Talk to your Pre-health Advisor to narrow program options and assess competitiveness.
- Identify at least 3 individuals (faculty, TA's, supervisors, coaches, etc.) to write letters of recommendation.
- Keep working on the activities and professional experiences you have established thus far.
- Schedule a mock interview with Career Services.
- Register for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).
- Study for DAT and take it. Your DAT score is good for three years at most dental schools, so taking the test in the spring of junior year does not necessarily mean that you must enter dental school right after college graduation.
- Complete application (ADEA AADSAS, TMDSAS).
Note: If you plan to take a gap year, then taking the DAT and completing the application can wait until senior year.
If not taking a gap year:
- Submit Application(s) if you haven’t already.
- Wait to be contacted by the schools for interview.
- Continue with activities and professional experiences/shadowing.
- Talk with an advisor about an alternate path, if necessary.
- Finish degree requirements and GRADUATE!
If taking 1 or more gap year(s):
- Schedule a mock interview with Career Services.
- Register for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT)
- Study for DAT and take it.
- Complete application (ADEA AADSAS, TMDSAS).
Academic Requirements & Admissions Considerations
GPA
Applying to dental school is a highly selective process. Typically an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or better is required to be competitive.
Transcript Review & Grade Trends
Admission committees consider more than final grades. They also consider course load per quarter, P/NP grading, repeated courses, and withdrawals (W). Applicants are encouraged to review the AAMC's Anatomy of an Applicant Guide for more insights on transcript evaluation.
GRADES
Most programs require that all prerequisite courses must be passed with a “C” or better.
Grading Option (Letter Grade vs. Passed/Not Passed): Pre-health students should avoid taking science prerequisites P/NP. The only exception is if a student knows, without a doubt, that they will earn a C- or below in a course, which would mean a NP would be earned and the course can be repeated. If unsure, consult a Pre-health Advisor during drop-in advising.
What you should know about the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).
The Six Sections of the DAT
-
Biology
-
General Chemistry
-
Organic Chemistry
-
Reading Comprehension
-
Perceptual Ability
-
Quantitative Reasoning
Application Fees
- DAT fee is $445.
- Other fees may apply for rescheduling or canceling testing appointments.
- Limited fee waivers are available for testers who qualify and apply. Covers 50% of DAT fee.
Testing Limits
- After 3 attempts, you must apply for permission to test again. From that point forward, you may only re-test once per 12-month period.
- Your DAT score is good for three years at most dental schools.
Total Exam Time
Total test time is 5 hours, 15 minutes.
Study Time & Tips
Study Time Commitment: Expect to dedicate about 300-400 hours for preparation after completing prerequisite coursework, which equates to 37.5 full 8-hour study sessions, or 75 shorter 4-hour study sessions.
Reading Comprehension is Key: Strong reading and analytical skills are essential. Practice reading regularly!
Practice Tests: Take as many full-length practice tests as possible under simulated test-day conditions to ensure effective preparation.
Dental School Application Timeline
Refer to this guide to understand what steps to take—and when to take them—during the year leading up to your application cycle.
November
Reach out to individuals regarding letters of recommendation.
January to April
Begin working on your personal statement.
May to June
AACOMAS and TMDSAS applications are now open.
You can submit the AACOMAS application starting in mid-June, but it’s best to begin early. Cycle closes in early-February fo the following year.
Mid-June
Schools are able to download your application for review.
July-August
Some programs may have additional questions that need to be submitted as part of the primary application. Other programs may send separate requests to complete secondary application questions.
September
DAT test dates run year-round, but be aware of individual program deadlines.
Start interviewing at Dental Schools.
Pro Tips for Dental School Applicants
- Prepare Ahead: Gather your resume, unofficial transcript, personal statement, and a list of relevant experiences to streamline the process.
- Proofread Thoroughly: Use proper grammar and have your written components reviewed by others.
- Request Official Transcripts: Follow UCSB Registrar's instructions and check your program's application guide to ensure proper submission.
- Fee Assistance Programs: Review eligibility for discounts on application services and entrance exams, and allow time to gather necessary documentation.
Things to Consider before Applying
- GPA & Academics: Is your cumulative GPA and science/BCPM (Bio, Chem, Physics, Math) GPA at or above 3.5? If not, you may want to explore post-bacc programs.
- DAT Score: Review the New DAT Score Reporting Scale and consider retaking the DAT if needed.
- Shadowing Experience: Have you shadowed a variety of professionals various settings?
- Clinical Experience: Do you have work or volunteer experience with direct patient contact?
- Volunteering (Non-Medical): Have you participated in community service or volunteer work?
- Research: Have you engaged in undergraduate research?
- Other Involvement: Have you participated in student organizations, athletics, study abroad, or non-medical work experiences?
- Personal Statement: Have you completed a strong draft or final version?
- Letters of Recommendation: Have you requested letters and communicated your tentative application timeline to your writers?
Remember: Quality matters more than quantity. Long-term involvement is more meaningful than short-term experiences.