dental · New York, New York · private
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine prerequisites
What Columbia asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 3 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 labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters, algebra-based accepted essentially everywhere. A handful of schools want only one semester; the two-semester plan covers them all.
- English or writing-intensiverequired
2 semesters · 6 credits
Two semesters of English or writing-intensive coursework at most schools that name it.
- Anatomy and physiologyrecommended
3 credits
Named by a minority of schools and useful preparation for the first year regardless.
- Microbiologyrecommended
3 credits
Required at a meaningful minority and recommended widely; a strong pick for the spare science slot.
Experience hours
- Dentist shadowingrecommendeddiffers
100+ hours
Most dental schools ask for 100+ hours and list it as required.
No hours figure anywhere on Columbia's pages. "Work experience is not required for consideration or admission, but all applicants are expected to have strong background knowledge of and demonstrated interest in the dental profession." That expectation is hard to evidence without chairside time, so the line stays as a recommendation rather than dropping out.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrecommended
100+ hours
Few schools publish a number; committees still read for a service habit held over time.
Letters
- Committee letterrecommended
1 letter
"One composite letter from a pre-health committee" fully replaces the three science professor letters here, not merely supplements them.
- Science faculty letterrequireddiffers
3 letters
Most dental schools ask for 2 letters.
"Three confidential letters of recommendation from science professors or one composite letter from a pre-health committee must be submitted directly to AADSAS." Three, not the baseline's two, and letters from employers or non-science professors are welcome without counting toward the requirement. The admissions FAQ words the same rule more loosely as "We require three academic references"; the stricter science-professor wording is recorded here, but a non-science academic letter may well be accepted in practice.
- Dentist letternot required here
"While we will accept a letter from a dentist, it will not satisfy the requirement." A dentist letter is an extra at Columbia, never one of the three.
Also on the school’s page
Columbia requires a bachelor's degree from a US accredited college or Canadian institution, plus "Six credits, or the equivalent of one academic year of study, of coursework in English composition or literature" and "a minimum of eight credits, or the equivalent of one academic year of study, in each of the following subject areas (including lab): Physics, biology, inorganic or general chemistry, organic chemistry." One semester of biochemistry is also required, with no lab. Those four science blocks and the English block match the dental baseline exactly, so they carry no line here. The school separately lists mathematics, sociology, history, fine or industrial arts, and foreign languages as strongly recommended but not required. On scores the page says outright "There are no minimum GPA or DAT score requirements," and reports the entering class of 2025 averaging a 3.8 GPA and a mean DAT of 24; that 24 is a number on the retired 1 to 30 scale, not the 200 to 600 scale in use since March 2025, so read it as a legacy figure rather than converting it. The admissions FAQ adds that credit is accepted "from any accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university," that prerequisites are not expected to be taken outside the U.S., and that "No coursework will be waived." The MCAT is not accepted in place of the DAT. AADSAS opens June 1 and December 31 is "Last day to submit AADSAS application for the College of Dental Medicine," with first acceptances December 1 and interviews September through February. Some applicants are asked to complete an online asynchronous Kira Talent assessment. Letters are the one place two Columbia pages disagree: the apply page names science professors, the FAQ says only "academic references," and the stricter apply page is what is recorded below.
School
dental.columbia.eduCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Columbia still needs from you.
See it for dental school