Advisors: David Mitchell
Dental schools consider majors in any discipline to be acceptable for admission. Prerequisite coursework most often includes one year of biology, general and organic chemistry, physics, and one semester of biochemistry and mathematics. Upper division coursework in literature and in courses that have an intensive writing component are also typically required.
Admission to dental school is competitive and the admission process considers coursework, grades, performance on the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), dental exposure, manual dexterity, letters of evaluation and personal interviews during the time an applicant is applying to dental school. General information can be found in the CSB/SJU pre-professional health programs web page (http://www.csbsju.edu/pre-professional-health/pre-dental). Additional resources include the American Dental Association web site (http://www.ada.org) and the American Dental Education Association (http://www.adea.org).
CSB/SJU course work that meets the standards of the DAT exam includes:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BIOL 101 | Foundations of Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 201 | Intermediate Cell Biology and Genetics | 4 |
| CHEM 125 | Introduction to Chemical Structure and Properties | 4 |
| CHEM 201 | Purification and Separation Lab I | 1 |
| CHEM 202 | Purification and Chromatography Lab II | 1 |
| CHEM 203 | Synthesis Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 205 | Chemical Measurement Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 250 | Reactions of Nucleophiles and Electrophiles (Reactivity 1) | 4 |
| CHEM 251 | Intermediate Reactions of Nucleophiles and Electrophiles (Reactivity 2) | 4 |
| CHEM 255 | Macroscopic Chemical Analysis | 4 |
PHYS 105 Physics for the Life Sciences I and PHYS 106 Physics for the Life Sciences II do not need to be completed before taking the DAT. The DAT includes sections on college algebra (trigonometry) and a perception motor-ability test section. Applicants are encouraged to take practice tests in these areas and to consider taking mathematics before taking the DAT. Coursework in the fine arts, business, and upper division biology are encouraged.
A few dental schools admit students after three years of undergraduate study. A three/one program is available at Saint Benedict's and Saint John's for students interested in this option. Students remain at the colleges for three years, during which time they complete all common curriculum requirements and all major requirements in a natural science program, except for four upper-division courses. Sufficient credits may then be transferred from the first year of dental school to complete the CSB/SJU degree requirements. Students need prior approval from the department chair of their major for any coursework from dental school to fulfill a course in their major. In addition, prior approval from the Academic Advising Office is required for any coursework to fulfill a common curriculum requirement. Students contemplating a three/one program should consult early with the natural science chair.
Additional Requirements:
General Education Requirements:
All undergraduate students must complete the requirements of the Integrations Curriculum (IC) which is designed to ensure all of our students receive a liberal arts education. Please review details of the Integrations Curriculum requirements here.
Graduation Requirements:
In addition to the Integrations Curriculum, all undergraduate students must meet the following minimum degree requirements to earn their degree from CSB and SJU.
Credits: 124 total credits, 40 of which must be from upper division coursework
GPA: 2.0 or higher*
Residency: At least 24 of your last 32 credits must be completed at CSB/SJU
Please visit Graduation under the Academic Policies and Regulations portion of the catalog for additional details regarding degree requirements.
* Cumulative GPA as well as major(s)/minor(s) GPA. Please note some majors/minors may require a higher GPA to earn their degree.
