UCSB Dental School Preparation Chart Click Here
SO YOU WANT TO BE A DENTIST?
Dentists diagnose, prevent, and treat problems with teeth or mouth tissue. They also administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other medications.
PREREQUISITES: THESE ARE GENERAL PREREQUISITE COURSES THAT MOST DENTAL SCHOOLS REQUIRE FOR ADMISSION; HOWEVER, COURSE REQUIREMENTS OFTEN VARY FROM ONE SCHOOL TO THE NEXT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COURSES THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED BY DENTAL SCHOOLS, BUT ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. WE ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO VISIT THE WEBSITES OF THE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS YOU PLAN TO APPLY TO IN ORDER TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH EACH SCHOOL'S ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS. IF YOU ARE STILL UNSURE WHETHER COURSES YOU'VE TAKEN WILL SATISFY A PARTICULAR SCHOOL'S REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL.
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Chemistry (Full Year/3 Quarters) |
CHEM 1A (3 units) and CHEM 1AL (2 units): General Chem. And Gen. Chem. Lab CHEM 1B (3 units) and CHEM 1BL (2 units): General Chem. And Gen. Chem. Lab CHEM 1C (3 units) and CHEM 1CL (2 units): General Chem. And Gen. Chem. Lab |
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Biological Sciences (Full Year/3 Quarters) |
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 (2 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 |
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Organic Chemistry (Full Year/3 Quarters) |
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 (Chemistry 109A with a minimum grade of a C-; and Chemistry 109B (may be taken concurrently)) CHEM 6BL (3 units): Organic Chemistry Lab (Chemistry 6AL and 109A with a minimum grade of C-; and Chemistry 109B). Note: Even though this lab is no longer required for MCDB/EEMB majors, whether or not you choose to take the second lab should be based on the requirements for your major and your own research into the admissions requirements at each dental school you hope to apply to. If unable to find the information on a particular program's website, email their dental school admissions office for clarification. |
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Physics (Full Year/3 Quarters) |
PHYSICS 6A (3 units) and PHYSICS 6AL (1 units): Introductory Physics w/Lab PHYSICS 6B (3 units) and PHYSICS 6BL (1 units): Introductory Physics w/Lab PHYSICS 6C (3 units) and PHYSICS 6CL (1 units): Introductory Physics w/Lab Note: 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. Note: 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. |
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Biochemistry (1 Quarter) |
MCDB 108A (4 units). General Biochemistry (UCSB prerqs: MCDB 1A, and EEMB 2 and MCDB 1B; and Chemistry 1A-B-C; and Chemistry 109A-B-C (Chem 109C may be taken concurrently). Completion of all listed prerequisites with a grade of C or better.); MCDB and Non-MCDB majors may choose to take MCDB 110 (UCSB prerqes: Chem 1A-B-C and 109A-B, with grades of C or better, are prereqs.) *MCDB 108B 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 hope to apply to. If unable to find the information on a particular program's website, email their dental school admissions office for clarification. |
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Math* |
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English/Writing (Full Year/3 Quarters) |
A combination of 3 UCSB courses taken in the Writing or English departments should fulfill the full year of English requirement for most California dental schools. Courses that satisfy GE Areas A-1 and A-2 will satisfy the English requirement. Click here for information on these courses. Also, courses that satisfy the GE Special Subject Area Writing requirement should not be considered sufficient to satisfy the full year of English requirement. Remember, it is your responsibility to check the admissions requirements at each dental school you hope to apply to in order to make sure that the courses you take at UCSB and elsewhere will satisfy each program's specific requirements. |
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Social/Behavioral Sciences & Humanities (2 Courses) (Highly Recommended; May be required by some programs.) |
PSY 1 and SOC 1 |
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Highly recommended: 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:
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MCDB 101A - Molec. Genetics I MCDB 111 - Human Physiology MCDB 103 - Cell Biology MCDB 131 - Gen. Microbiology
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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. *Math requirements may vary by school so be sure to research individual prerequisites. |
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Sample Pre-Dental Course Schedule, Years 1 & 2 (To be used as a guide and is not intended to be strictly adhered to by all pre-dent students!) |
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Fall Quarter |
Winter Quarter |
Spring Quarter |
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Year 1 |
Chem 1A + 1AL Mathematics or Statistics (See above) GE or Elective |
Chem 1B + 1BL Math or Stats (See above) GE or Elective GE or Elective (if you feel you can handle another course) |
Chem 1C + 1CL Math or Stats (See above) GE or Elective GE or Elective |
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Year 2 |
MCDB 1A Chem 109A GE or Elective GE or Elective? |
MCDB 1B EEMB 2 MCDB 1LL Chem 109B Chem 6AL (May be done later) |
EEMB 3 EEMB 2LL Chem 109C Chem 6BL (May be done later GE or Elective |
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*Intro. Biology Labs: Beginning in Fall 2019, the Biology Program restructured its introductory labs, changing from three, 1 unit labs--MCDB 1AL, MCDB 1BL/EEMB 2L, and EEMB 3L--to two, 1.5 unit labs--MCDB 1LL and EEMB 2LL. 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. Students who have completed part of the previous lab series, please contact the Biology department advisors for information on how to complete the rest of the series. Note: Students who began the introductory lab sequence and completed MCDB 1AL but who were unable to complete the remaining lab courses in that sequence due to their discontinuation will complete EEMB 2LL, which the Biology Department deems as satisfactory completion of the lab sequence and which professional school programs should also view as having successfully satisfied a "full-year" of laboratory work. |
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Note that many programs require a year of physics with lab (Physics 6A & 6AL, 6B & 6BL, 6C & 6CL), and although many students complete physics by the end of the 3rd year, just when to take physics depends on how well students are meeting the demands of their other courses. |
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EXAM AND GPA: 
The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is a standardized examination that consists of four multiple-choice sections that include natural sciences, perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning. The DAT is designed to measure general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, and perceptual ability. It is required by all of the American dental schools. It tests your knowledge of science from the required coursework and, therefore, should not be taken until those courses are virtually complete. The months immediately following your completion of the course requirements is the best time to take the DAT. This may be the spring of junior year, the summer after sophomore year, or anytime during senior year or beyond; it will depend on your individual timeline. The DAT is a knowledge-based examination. To do well, you will need both strong test-taking skills and a thorough knowledge of the material covered by the exam. How you prepare is up to you. 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.
Grade Point Average (GPA): Dental schools expect academic excellence. Good grades- typically an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or better is required to be competitive. In addition, most programs require that all prerequisite courses must be passed with a “C” or better.
Transcript Review and Grade Trends: Admission committees conisder a number of factors incluidng and beyond the final grades earned in courses. For example, admission committees will review and consider the number of courses/units taken each quarter, whether courses were taken P/NP, retaken, and were withdrawn from, resulting in a W on the official transcript. To learn more about what your official transcripts communicate to admissions committees, please review the AAMC's Anatomy of an Applicant Guide. (A link to the guide can be found in the first paragraph in the Current Students section of our website.)
Timelines
| **Students should note that there is no set path or timeline that dictates when students have to take their admission test or apply to professional school. Professional schools DO NOT penalize studenst for not applying at a particular time. The timeline above is only a guide, and students should plan to meet with a pre-health advisor to discuss their individual goals and needs. | |
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Freshman Year Visit Career Services to explore interest in health professions and learn more about your personal skills and interests. Start taking intro sciences (See Above.). 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 during breaks and summer. |
Sophomore Year Continue with next sequence of science courses (See 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, their requirements, and assess your competitiveness. Investigate DAT preparation options. Identify specialties you are interested in. BOTTOM LINE: Keep working on the things you established your first year!! |
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Junior Year (If not taking a Gap Year.) **If taking a Gap Year, then taking the DAT and completing the application can wait until senior year) Talk to your staff pre-health advisor member to narrow program options and assess competitiveness. Identify at least 3 individuals to write letters of recommendation. Keep working on the things you have established thus far. Schedule a mock interview with Career Services. **Register for the DAT. **Study for DAT and take it. **Complete Application (ADEA AADSAS, TMDSAS). |
Senior Year (If no Gap Year) Submit Application(s) if you haven’t already. Wait to be contacted for interview from dental schools. Continue with activities and professional experiences/shadowing. Talk with an advisor about Plan B if necessary Finish degree requirements and GRADUATE! If Taking 1 or more Gap Years: Schedule a mock interview with Career Services. **Register for the DAT. **Study for DAT and take it. ** Complete Application (ADEA AADSAS, TMDSAS). |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
American Dental Education Association Click Here
ADEA AADSAS Application Click Here
ADEA AADSAS Required and Recommended Courses (by institution) Click Here
Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Serivce Click Here
ADEA AADSAS participating dental schools Click Here
ADA Guide to the DAT Click Here