dental · Elk Grove, California · private
California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine prerequisites
What Cal Northstate asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 8 lines differ from the standard dental school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab. As universal for dental school as it is for medical.
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab. The DAT's general chemistry section assumes the full sequence.
- Organic chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab at most schools. A small number accept one semester plus biochemistry; confirm on the school's page before planning around it.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Roughly half of schools require a semester and the share grows every cycle. The DAT does not test it, but first-year dental biochemistry assumes you have seen it.
- Physics with labrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 8 credits
Most dental schools ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"2 semesters, or 3 quarters, or 1 year of Physics." The required coursework list writes "with Laboratory" after biology, inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry but not after physics, so no laboratory is stated for the physics requirement.
- English or writing-intensiverequired
2 semesters · 6 credits
Two semesters of English or writing-intensive coursework at most schools that name it.
- Statisticsrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
Statistics appears on the school's "Highly Recommended Coursework" list. No credit figure is given.
- Physiologyrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
Physiology appears on the school's "Highly Recommended Coursework" list. Only human anatomy is required, so physiology sits beside the requirement rather than inside it.
- Advanced biologyrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
"In addition to those noted above, it is advantageous for applicants to have course credit in cellular, molecular biology and histology." Immunology and microbiology also appear on the highly recommended list.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most dental schools ask for 3 credits and list it as recommended.
Anatomy alone is required, and only one term of it: "1 semesters, 1 quarters, or 3 units of Human Anatomy." No laboratory is stated. Physiology is not part of this requirement; it sits on the separate highly recommended list.
- Microbiologyrecommended
3 credits
Required at a meaningful minority and recommended widely; a strong pick for the spare science slot.
- Social sciences and humanitiesrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
Social sciences and foreign languages both appear on the "Highly Recommended Coursework" list, and the page expands on why: "To augment the social sciences and holistic admissions course in sociology, psychology, history, arts, ethics and humanism are of value." Read alongside the required CASPer test, this is a school that reads the humanities half of a transcript.
Experience hours
- Dentist shadowingrequired
100+ hours
Shadowing dentists. Schools that publish a number most often say 100 hours, and admissions committees read breadth across general and specialty practice. Hours shadowing physicians do not answer this; log dental chairside time here. Across the 77 school overlays, 36 require shadowing, 22 recommend it and 19 publish nothing; the numbers those schools name range from 30 hours to 100, so this baseline figure is a planning floor rather than a common standard.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrecommended
100+ hours
No hour figure is published. Among applicant qualities: "Applicants should reflect a people/service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities," and "Applicants should reflect proper motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer, or other life experiences."
Letters
- Committee letterrecommended
1 letter
Accepted nearly everywhere in place of individual faculty letters where your college offers one.
- Science faculty letternot required here
CNUCDM names no writer type at all. Its admission steps page fully specifies the packet as "three (3) letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your character and life experience," so a science professor is one acceptable writer among many rather than a requirement. Three letters are still required; the vocabulary here has no key for an unrestricted letter, so the count lives in this file's notes.
- Dentist letternot required here
No dentist letter is required or named anywhere in CNUCDM's stated letter rule, which asks only for three writers who can speak to character and life experience. A dentist you shadowed is a natural choice for one of the three, but nothing on the page obliges it.
Also on the school’s page
CNUCDM's required coursework is one year each of biology with laboratory, inorganic (general) chemistry with laboratory, organic chemistry with laboratory, physics and college level English, plus one semester or 3 units each of human anatomy and biochemistry. The list is headed "(IB or AP credits not accepted unless indicated)," and the only line carrying that indication is English, where "IB or AP credits may be considered if they are accepted by the undergraduate program." The school also warns that "Only under unusual circumstances with credits graded on a Pass/No Pass evaluation process be accepted for required courses" and that "Written documentation and explanation is required concerning any academic difficulties, such as grades of I (Incomplete), W (Withdraw), D or F grades." A separate highly recommended list names microbiology, physiology, statistics, social sciences, immunology and foreign languages, and the page adds that "it is advantageous for applicants to have course credit in cellular, molecular biology and histology. To augment the social sciences and holistic admissions course in sociology, psychology, history, arts, ethics and humanism are of value." On grades, "an applicant must possess both a science and a total GPA over 2.80 (although 3.20 is preferred and 3.40+ will be the likely mean for each class) on a 4.00 scale as well as a bachelor's degree. A minimum science and overall GPA of 2.80 on a 4.00 scale is required to receive a supplemental application." A minimum of 90 semester or 135 quarter credits is required, though a bachelor's degree is preferred and "To be competitive, an applicant should complete a bachelor's degree at an accredited North American college or University prior to matriculation." On the DAT the page is still written against the retired scale: "The DAT is scored from 1-30 with 18 being the national average," and "An Academic Average score of 18 or above and a Perceptual Ability score of 17 or above is desired." The DAT has been scored 200 to 600 since March 2025, so these figures have not been restated; they are not converted here. Scores must be no more than three years old, and "CDM does not accept Canadian DAT results." The CASPer test is required and Snapshot is not. The admission steps page at https://dentalmedicine.cnsu.edu/admissions/index.php sets the letter rule: "Applicants will be required to submit three (3) letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your character and life experience," with no writer type named at all, no faculty or dentist letter specified, and "Letters written by immediate family members will not be accepted." Every letter must come directly from the evaluator. Neither page publishes a shadowing hour figure, so the dental baseline stands there unmodified. One thing worth knowing before you plan financing: the same admissions page states that California Northstate "does NOT accept or otherwise participate in any federal direct student loan program (Title IV) funding, any federal veterans' benefits program (Title 38) funding, or any other government student loan program funding."
School
cnsu.eduCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Cal Northstate still needs from you.
See it for dental schoolAlso in California
- Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCLos Angeles
- Loma Linda University School of DentistryLoma Linda
- UCLA School of DentistryLos Angeles
- UCSF School of DentistrySan Francisco
- University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of DentistrySan Francisco
- Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental MedicinePomona