The prerequisites are:

• 1 year of General Biology with lab
• 1 year of General Chemistry with lab
• 1 year of Organic Chemistry with lab
• 1 year of General Physics with lab
• 1 semester or 2 quarters of Human Anatomy, or 1 full year or three quarters of Anatomy and Physiology with lab
• 1 semester or 2 quarters of Biochemistry
• 1 year of English

All prerequisite courses and units listed above must be completed by July of the year you intend to enroll. However, we highly recommend that applicants complete prerequisite courses prior to filing their application or taking the Dental Admissions Test.

A minimum of 90 semester credits is also required with no more than 60 earned at a 2-year community/junior college. A grade of “C” or higher must be attained in the prerequisite courses.

No, a bachelor’s degree is not required. You may apply to UNLV as long as the prerequisites have been taken and you will have the minimum 90 credits before you start dental school. However, having a degree will give an applicant a competitive edge and is recommended.

Most applicants have majors in the sciences – biology, microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, etc. However, you may have any major so long as the prerequisites have been completed. It is advisable that additional upped division biology courses be taken in preparation for the first year of dental school.

An applicant would be considered competitive if he/she had a science/cumulative GPA of 3.5 and 20s on the DAT, specifically the total science, PAT and AA sections.

Dental school is a four-year full time program.

The curriculum is as follows:

• Biomedical and Oral Health Sciences – Study and competencies of breadth and depth of biomedical sciences for the oral health professional with emphasis on the orofacial complex and its relation to systemic health disease
• Competency in Dental Practice – Study and competencies for the clinical practice of dentistry with an emphasis on general dentistry, serving the lifespan of patients
• Clinical and Professional Studies – Study and competencies of the values, ethics, legal and regulatory aspects of health professional practice, including practicing in the public, academic and private health enterprises
• Public Health and Externships – Hands-on participation in service learning and in dental services under close supervision of faculty and associated faculty. A related academic curriculum is required, including classroom assignments and case presentations.

Courses taken in a foreign country are not automatically accepted. You must have your transcript evaluated by a credentialing service that will provide a report of whether or not the courses are equivalent to those taken at an accredited U.S. institution. For more information, contact ECE at (414) 289-3800. An application may also be obtained from their website. The cost of a course-by-course evaluation is approximately $195.

An applicant would be ready to take the DAT after completing 1 year of general biology, general chemistry and organic chemistry. It is best to have scores at the time of application or by September before the application year. An interview invitation will not be released to an applicant if DAT scores are needed; in other words, the sooner the DAT is taken and sent to the school of your choice the better. UNLV will accept test scores no older than 3-years. Canadian DAT scores will not be accepted.

It would be advisable to be prepared the first time you take the test. Studies have shown repeaters do not markedly improve their test scores and in some cases score lower. If an applicant has retaken the test, the highest of each section will be taken. Keep in mind you will have to wait 60 days between test dates.

AADSAS will begin processing applications June 1st. Although UNLV’s deadline isn’t until February 1st, it is recommended the application be turned in as early as possible. The sooner a file is complete, the sooner it is reviewed by the committee for interview decisions. Interviews are mandatory and by invitation only. The committee will typically begin reviewing files as early as August and begin interviewing in September. Please note that it is the applicant’s responsibility to check with the Office of Admissions to ensure their file is complete and not lacking supporting documents.

After the interview, acceptances will be sent out beginning December 1st and continue until the class of 82 is filled (rolling admission).

The Office of Admissions will accept supplemental applications and fees even before receiving the AADSAS application. However, processing of application materials will commence only after the AADSAS is received.

The UNLV SDM application. First time users should click “New User” below the login icon. Users will be prompted to enter an email address and password.

No, unfortunately fee waivers are not granted.

In order to be considered a resident, you must have lived in the state at least 12 consecutive months prior to matriculation. You are automatically considered a resident if you have graduated from a Nevada high school.

A letter of evaluation from a college's pre-health professions committee will satisfy this requirement. If the applicant’s university does not have a committee, he or she must submit four individual letters of evaluation. Two of the letters must be from hard science professors, the third letter must be from a dentist with whom the applicant has shadowed or worked, and the fourth may be from any professor, employer, volunteer supervisor, etc.
NOTE: Letters cannot be from family or friends.

A letter from a dentist is still required but in lieu of the science professors, employers, and/or colleagues may be used as references. A note explaining your circumstances must be sent to us.

UNLV School of Dental Medicine offers a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree, which is a two-year (6-semester) fast-track program for dentists who graduated from non-U.S. accredited dental schools. It enables dentists who were trained in non-U.S. accredited institutions to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to practice in the United States. Additional information can be found on the DDS academic program page.