UNLV: School of Dental Medicine Admission

The road to dental school may at first seem like an arduous journey, but it begins by taking small steps in high school. If you feel that a career in the dental profession could be for you, begin to challenge yourself academically during those high school years. This will not only increase your chances of being accepted to a well-respected university, but will also prepare you for the rigors of a college curriculum. Plan ahead and be diligent in your studies, as your grade point average is one of the selection criteria many dental schools use in determining acceptance.

Although you may pursue any course of study in college, all pre-dental students must take science and language prerequisite courses. Admissions committees look closely at your success or failure in these courses as indicators for your likely ability to excel in dental school. But, high marks and science courses are not all that is required to become a dental student. One must also demonstrate a keen desire to improve the lives of others through community service and leadership opportunities as well as a passion for the field of dentistry. A potential dental student will be an individual that has completed a minimum of 90 college credits including prerequisites, achieves a competitive score on the Dental Admission Test, demonstrates a continued interest and zeal for the dental profession, and exemplifies scholastic excellence, high morals, and professional standards in all that they do.

Successful dental school graduates will earn a Doctorate of Dental Medicine degree and be eligible to sit for the state licensure exam.

The UNLV SDM does not, expressly or implicitly, guarantee a license to practice dentistry upon admission to or graduation SDM. Licensure is the exclusive right and responsibility of the State Boards of Dentistry in each state. Students must satisfy the requirements of each state's regulatory body independently of any college or school requirements for graduation.