Prerequisites, Shadowing and Experience

Prerequisite Coursework

While the Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions strongly encourages applicants to earn a bachelor's degree prior to dental school matriculation, applicants who have successfully completed at least three academic years (90 credit hours) in an accredited university may be considered for admission. No more than 60 of the minimum required credits will be accepted from a community college or junior college. Furthermore, these credits must have been validated (i.e., accepted for transfer credit) by an accredited college of arts and sciences.

All applicants’ undergraduate curriculum must include, at a minimum, the following:

** with Labs

In-person labs for prerequisite science coursework are preferred; however, online lab coursework is accepted from accredited colleges and universities. Ensure that you are completing all prerequisites at an accredited institution, before applying.

Most of your prerequisite coursework should be completed at the time of the application. More than two in-progress or planned pre-requisites will prevent an interview invitation.

Other recommended courses include:

• Human Anatomy/Physiology
• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Histology, Psychology, and Sociology

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses may be accepted to satisfy pre-requisite coursework if the credits appear on an applicant’s official transcript as satisfying a specific course for a designated number of credits. It is recommended that pre-requisite courses satisfied with AP/IB credits are supplemented with upper-level coursework in a similar subject.

All pre-requisite coursework must be completed 10 years from matriculation into the program, with the exception of English Composition. For the 2026-2027 cycle, pre-requisites taken before Fall 2017 will not be accepted. All prerequisites must receive a passing grade of "C" or higher.  A "C-" will not be accepted. All admission requirements must be completed by June 30 of the desired year of matriculation. Admission requirements are subject to change without prior notice. Applicants will not be admitted with unabsolved conditions. The Committee on Dental Recruitment and Admissions reserves the right to modify the prerequisites when additional courses are necessary to improve an applicant's preparation for dental school.

Academic transcripts should NOT be sent directly to the University of Maryland, unless specifically requested by the Office of Admissions.

Shadowing

Applicants are required to complete a minimum of 100 shadowing hours with a General Dentist. If a General Dentists is not available to you, a specialized dentist will also be accepted. Shadowing hours can be completed at more than one practice. Please see our Letters of Recommendation webpage for more information.

Experience

In addition to the pre-requisite coursework, applicants are expected to undertake a challenging curriculum and achieve superior grades.

The School of Dentistry has established admissions criteria which permit flexibility in the choice of an undergraduate program, while maintaining an emphasis on strong scholastic achievement. Non-science as well as science majors are encouraged to apply. In addition, those individuals who are interested in changing their careers will receive careful consideration for admission. Applicants should be able to show evidence that they have undertaken a challenging program in their respective disciplines, supplemented by a broad selection of courses in the social sciences, humanities, and arts. Applicants are expected to have knowledge and understanding of the nature of the profession acquired through observation of dental practice and by reading appropriate literature. Prior research experience is also desirable.

Experience in the development of fine manual dexterity is essential. This does not mean just eye/hand coordination that is often acquired in sports activities. Manual dexterity is gained by handling very small objects in a precise way. Some examples are model building, knitting, cross stitch, pipetting and embroidery.