UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry prerequisites

14 credits · lab

Most dental schools ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.

"Biological Sciences 14 semester hours (12 semester hours of lecture & 2 semester hours of formal lab)." Well above the usual 8. It "Includes all Biological Science courses applied toward a Baccalaureate degree in traditional science fields, such as General Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Ecology, Immunology, Parasitology, and Anatomy & Physiology," but note the biochemistry exception below: biochemistry cannot be counted inside this block.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

"8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours of General (Inorganic) Chemistry, as required for college science majors, including the corresponding laboratory experience," broken out as 6 hours of lecture and 2 of lab. The catalog adds that "Courses such as Physical Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis may also satisfy the requirement."

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.

1 semester · 3 credits

"This requirement is in addition to the Biological Science requirement of 14 hours and may not be used to fulfill the Biological Science requirement." So budget 17 hours of biology plus biochemistry, not 14. "The course may be taught in the Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry departments."

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.

2 semesters · 6 credits

Six semester hours. "Any course accredited by the English Department that fulfills the general education English requirement for a baccalaureate degree will be accepted. Remedial or developmental courses or "English As a Second Language" courses are not accepted."

1 semester · 3 credits

"Statistics 3 semester hours or 5-quarter hours of Statistics are required." The catalog adds that "The Statistics course should be taught in a Math or Statistics Department," so a statistics course housed in psychology or business is a risk.

3 credits

Not a separate requirement. Anatomy and physiology is one of the courses the catalog names as counting toward the 14 hour biological science block, so it is a way to fill that block rather than an extra line to clear.

3 credits

Most dental schools ask for 3 credits and list it as recommended.

"UTSD requires 3 semester hours (or 5 quarter hours) of Microbiology. This requirement will count toward fulfilling part of the 14-semester hour Biological Science requirement." Required outright here, and it does not add to the 14 hours, it sits inside them.

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.

100+ hours

Few schools publish a number; committees still read for a service habit held over time.

1 letter

"If an Advisor or Advisory Committee is on the applicant's undergraduate campus, a letter from them is desired." Strongly preferred where your college has one, and it replaces the two professor letters entirely.

UTSD does not ask for science professors specifically. Where no health professions advisor or advisory committee is available, it accepts "two academic professors of the applicant's choosing," which is any discipline. Science professors satisfy it, but so do others.

2 letters

"An evaluation of the applicant from the Health Professions Advisor, the Health Profession Advisory Committee, or from two academic professors of the applicant's choosing." Two professors, any discipline, only if no advisor or committee is available to you.

1 letter

"A letter of evaluation is also required from a practicing dentist." Required on top of the advisor, committee, or two professor evaluation, not instead of it.