dental · Fort Lauderdale, Florida · private
Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine prerequisites
What Nova asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 2 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.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most dental schools ask for 3 credits and list it as recommended.
"Microbiology, 3 semester hours," listed among the required prerequisites with no laboratory named, unlike the biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics lines which all say "with lab." The dental baseline only recommends it.
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
Few schools publish a number; committees still read for a service habit held over time.
Letters
- Committee letterrecommended
1 letter
Accepted nearly everywhere in place of individual faculty letters where your college offers one.
- Science faculty letterrequired
2 letters
"Two letters of evaluation from science professors and a third letter of evaluation (suggestions include a letter from a dental experience, community service or research or a pre-professional composite committee letter)." Three letters in total; only the two science ones are pinned down.
- Dentist letternot required here
Nova does not require a dentist letter. A dental writer appears only as one suggestion for the open third letter, beside community service, research, and a pre-professional composite committee letter. It is still the strongest use of that slot for most applicants, but the school does not ask for it.
Also on the school’s page
Nova's prerequisite list runs in semester hours: "Biology with lab, 8 semester hours, Chemistry with lab, 8 semester hours, Organic Chemistry with lab, 8 semester hours, Physics with lab, 8 semester hours, Biochemistry, 3 semester hours, Microbiology, 3 semester hours, English, 6 semester hours." Every one of those lines matches the dental baseline except microbiology, which Nova requires outright. Each required course needs "a grade of 2.0 or better." "Prior to matriculation, applicants must have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited college or university," and "Not more than 60 semester hours from community or junior college will be applied to the 90-semester hour minimum." "A bachelor's degree is preferred." The published GPA guidance is "a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale" and "a science grade point average of 3.25 or higher." The DAT is named as one of the selection criteria alongside preprofessional academic performance, the personal interview, the written application and letters of evaluation, but the page publishes no minimum DAT score. Applications go through AADSAS and must be received by November 15 for the class entering in August. The page states no shadowing or dental experience minimum, so the baseline's hours figure is a planning number here rather than Nova's requirement; note that dental experience is one of the things Nova suggests the third letter could speak to. A second Nova page, https://dental.nova.edu/doctoral/admissions.html, was checked and carries only the November 15 deadline, with no conflicting detail.
School
dental.nova.eduCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Nova still needs from you.
See it for dental school