dental · New Orleans, Louisiana · public
LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry prerequisites
What LSU asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 5 lines differ from the standard dental school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequireddiffers
3 semesters · 12 credits · lab
Most dental schools ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"Biology/Zoology: 12 hours," three semesters rather than two. The required courses must be completed "with laboratories where appropriate." Zoology counts, and most successful applicants hold degrees in a biological science.
- 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-intensiverequireddiffers
3 semesters · 9 credits
Most dental schools ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits.
Nine hours, half again the usual six, and the department is prescribed: "The 9 hours of English should be in composition or literature and taken in the English department with the respective course codes: ENGL, WRIT, LIT, etc." A writing-intensive course in another department will not answer this.
- Anatomy and physiologyrecommended
3 credits
Named by a minority of schools and useful preparation for the first year regardless.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most dental schools ask for 3 credits and list it as recommended.
Microbiology, 3 hours, sits on the required course list here rather than the recommended one, alongside biochemistry.
Experience hours
- Dentist shadowingrequired
100+ hours
Shadowing is mandatory but the number is a recommendation, so no figure is recorded here. "We recommend 50 - 100 hours in the offices of at least three different general dentists. These 50 - 100 hours are cumulative hours spread over the 3 - 4 different offices, not 50 hours in each office." The hard line: "The committee will not consider applicants for admission who have not shadowed in a general dentist's office." Specialty hours do not substitute for general dentistry hours.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrequireddiffers
50+ hours
Most dental schools ask for 100+ hours and list it as recommended.
"Applicants are expected to have a minimum of 50 hours (preferably 100+) in high quality community service / volunteer outreach projects." A published floor, which is unusual, and the school asks for quality as well as hours.
Letters
- Committee letterrecommended
1 letter
"A recommendation from a pre-professional committee may be submitted in lieu of individual recommendations. A committee recommendation is preferred, if available at your school." Preferred, not merely accepted, so use your school's committee if it has one.
- Science faculty letterrequired
2 letters
"Applicants are required to submit a minimum of two recommendations from science teachers who have instructed them in the classroom." The Part I checklist puts it as "2 basic science professors or 1 pre-professional school committee evaluation." A research supervisor who never taught you in class does not meet the classroom condition.
- Dentist letternot required here
LSUSD names no dentist letter. The requirement is two science teacher recommendations or one pre-professional committee evaluation, and nothing on the page asks for a letter from a dentist even though shadowing in a general dentist's office is mandatory.
Also on the school’s page
LSUSD lists its prerequisites in hours, "with laboratories where appropriate": biology or zoology 12, general chemistry 8, organic chemistry 8, physics 8, English 9, biochemistry 3, microbiology 3, all to be completed prior to registration. Comparative anatomy, histology, cell and molecular biology, physiology, genetics, embryology and virology are recommended rather than required. A minimum of 90 hours of academic coursework is needed at an AACRAO accredited institution, non-academic courses such as bowling or dancing do not count, and AP credit is accepted "if the course is listed with an A-F or P/F grade on an official transcript." A degree is not required but is "highly desirable." Residency matters more here than almost anywhere: of 75 seats, 60 are reserved for Louisiana residents, up to 4 for Arkansas residents and up to 11 for other states, and "residents of other countries will not be considered." On numbers, "generally a GPA of Above 3.6 is required for a competitive application" and "in recent years a 3.5 or higher science GPA has been necessary." On the DAT, "a target score would be an academic average of 440 with no single score lower than 410," and the mean academic average for the 2026 entering class was 464, all on the current 200 to 600 scale; a Perceptual Ability score "of at least 410 is generally required for an interview" and the 2026 class averaged 455 there. LSUSD is also "one of the few schools still utilizing" the chalk carving exercise, a timed 35 minute test at interview scored 0 to 10 with "a 6 or above generally required to be competitive." AADSAS closes September 1, interviews begin around August 1, acceptances are rolling from the first Monday in December, and a $200 nonrefundable fee is paid separately. Applicants' social media accounts may be reviewed.
School
lsusd.lsuhsc.eduCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what LSU still needs from you.
See it for dental school