Criteria

The ULSD Admissions Committee is charged by the school's faculty with selecting applicants who demonstrate the academic, cultural, social and personal abilities to become competent general dentists who will serve the community and fulfill our diverse urban and statewide missions.

Dental students require both cognitive and technical skills to negotiate the curriculum.  With this in mind, applicants must be able to meet the minimum technical standards for admission and matriculation with or without accommodation. 

The committee uses an Admissions Index system. Selection criteria are divided into academic and non-academic components. Academic factors comprise 60 percent and include:

• Overall G.P.A.
• Biology/chemistry/physics G.P.A.
• DAT scores

The remaining 40 percent are non-academic and include the letters of recommendation, the required “on-site” interview and an evaluation of personal qualities such as:

• Perceived motivation to pursue a career in dentistry
• Maturity
• Communication skills
• Strength of pre-dental curriculum
• Employment
• Extra-curricular activities

Kentucky residents may also be awarded additional consideration  if they meet the criteria for being "disadvantaged".

English Language Proficiency:

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL iBT scores. Preference is given to candidates with a minimum score of 100 and with listening and speaking section scores at 26 or above. The instituiton code for submitting TOEFL scores to the U of L School of Dentistry is 5933. For more information about TOEFL testing, go to: www.ets.org/

Early Admission to Dentistry

The University of Louisville Early Admission to Dentistry (ULEAD) program grants early admission to the School of Dentistry to exceptional Kentucky high school seniors who complete their bachelor’s degrees at UofL. Read more...

Undergraduate Work

Pre-Dental students are encouraged to complete a variety of undergraduate courses, particularly in the sciences.  Applicants must have completed at least 90 undergraduate semester hours before applying and most  will have earned a bachelor’s degree prior to enrolling in dental school.  Admission to dental school is competitive and preference is given to individuals with bachelor’s degrees. 

No specific major is required of pre-dental students; however, 32 hours of science courses must be completed in a U.S. or Canadian school.  Students enter dental school with majors as wide-ranging as business, chemistry, English, engineering, foreign languages, and the social sciences.  Many pre-dental students major in biology because the recommended courses for dental school coincide well with a biology major. 

Required courses (labs are required for all science courses where labs accompany the course):

• General Chemistry (2 semesters/3 quarters)
• Organic Chemistry (2 semesters/3 quarters) or Organic Chemistry (1 semester) and Biochemistry (1 semester)
• Physics (1 semester/2 quarters)
• Biology (4 semesters/ 6 quarters at minimum). Beyond the introductory course we suggest that you choose from among the following courses:
• comparative anatomy or upper level human anatomy (strongly recommended)
• physiology
• cellular biology
• biochemistry
• histology
• microbiology
• immunology
• other upper level biology courses

Applicants must have earned grades of "C" or better  in required basic science courses and accompanying labs to fulfill the science prerequisite requirements.

Deviations from these requirements must be approved by the Admissions Committee.

It is expected that all applicants will have completed general education requirements and have received a broad exposure to the humanities and social sciences. Additional courses students have found helpful are biochemistry, fine arts, personal and business finance, psychology, and communications.

Dental students require both cognitive and technical skills to negotiate the curriculum. With this in mind, applicants must be able to meet the minimum technical standards for admissions and matriculation with or without accommodation. These standards can be found on the program page.

Admissions Tests

All applicants are required to take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), which is administered through the American Dental Association (ADA).

These computer exams are given at testing centers across the U.S. Contact the ADA to make reservations to take the DAT.

You will not be allowed to retake the exam until the 90 day period between test dates has occurred. Testing centers become overbooked as the admissions cycle peaks in the fall/winter semesters. There is a 90 day “block out” period after the exam. If you chose to retake the test you will not be allowed to do so for 90 days.

Department of Testing Services
American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Avenue , Suite 1846
Chicago, IL 60611-2678
(312) 440-2689 or (800)-621-8099
(ask for the DAT office)
Website