dental · Knoxville, Tennessee · private
Lincoln Memorial University College of Dental Medicine prerequisites
What LMU asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 7 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.
- Biochemistryrecommendeddiffers
4 credits
Most dental schools ask for 1 semester · 3 credits and list it as required.
"Biochemistry: 4 semester hours" sits in LMU's recommended list, not its required one. Worth taking anyway, and note LMU asks for 4 hours rather than the usual 3.
- 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-intensiverequireddiffers
8 credits
Most dental schools ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits.
"English: 8 semester hours" on the CDM catalog's application process page. The college's admissions page says 6 semester hours for the same requirement; the stricter figure is recorded here, so build the schedule around 8.
- Advanced biologyrecommendedextra here
4 credits
LMU names two upper-division biology courses in its recommended list at 4 semester hours each: "Cellular & Molecular Biology: 4 semester hours" and "Histology: 4 semester hours". Recommended, not required.
- Anatomy and physiologyrecommendeddiffers
1 semester · 4 credits
Most dental schools ask for 3 credits.
"Anatomy and Physiology: 4 semester hours", listed among the recommended courses alongside biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, and histology.
- Microbiologyrecommended
3 credits
Required at a meaningful minority and recommended widely; a strong pick for the spare science slot.
Experience hours
- Dentist shadowingrequireddiffers
60+ hours
Most dental schools ask for 100+ hours.
"A minimum of sixty (60) Observation/Shadowing Hours in a General Dentist's Office (Signed Documentation required)." Two things to plan for: the hours must be in general practice, and you need the dentist's signature on the documentation, so ask for it while you are still in the office.
- 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
A predental advisory committee letter is the named alternative to the science professor letter, not an alternative to all three: "One must be from either a predental advisory committee or a science professor."
- Science faculty letterrequireddiffers
1 letter
Most dental schools ask for 2 letters.
Post-baccalaureate entry: "Three letters of recommendation are required. One must be from either a predental advisory committee or a science professor." Only one of the three is pinned to a writer, which is looser than the baseline's two science letters.
- Dentist letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most dental schools ask for 1 letter and list it as required.
LMU does not require a dentist letter on the post-baccalaureate route. The only place it names one is the direct freshman entry pathway, which asks for "three letters of recommendation (preferably from a science professor, medical or dental professional)." Given the school requires 60 signed shadowing hours with a general dentist, that dentist is a natural third writer.
Also on the school’s page
LMU-CDM lists four science prerequisites at 8 semester hours each, general biology, inorganic (general) chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, all "including lecture and lab", plus English, and adds that "Labs are required in all science prerequisites unless otherwise noted." Four further courses are listed as recommended rather than required, each at 4 semester hours: anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, and histology. THE TWO PAGES DISAGREE ON ENGLISH and the stricter figure is recorded here: the CDM catalog's application process page says "English: 8 semester hours" while the college's own admissions page says "English: 6 semester hours". Plan for 8. The school admits by pathways, so read the numbers against the one that applies to you. Post-baccalaureate entry, the route a normal AADSAS applicant takes, wants "Minimum science and cumulative GPAs of 3.33 on a 4.00 scale" per the catalog, stated on the admissions page as "3.3 science GPA and a total GPA of 3.2 or over on a 4.00 scale", and the undergraduate pathway adds that "A C+ is the minimum grade needed for all required courses." THE TWO PAGES ALSO DISAGREE ON THE DAT, and both figures are recorded rather than converted: the admissions page uses the current scale, "DAT, Dental Admissions Test (can be no more than three years old): Student must score a 410 or better," while the catalog still carries the retired 1 to 30 numbers, "An Average DAT score of 19 or higher and a Reading Comprehension score of 19 or higher is desired." The 200 to 600 scale has been in use since March 2025, so treat 410 as the live target. The DAT must be no more than three years old, which is tighter than the five years most schools allow.
School
lmunet.eduCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what LMU still needs from you.
See it for dental school