For more than 40 years, CU Dental has been educating competent and compassionate dentists through quality educational experiences personalized for each of our successful graduates. Through combining classroom and clinical training, students master the skills required to deliver comprehensive dental care and become leaders in their field.

CU Dental students have learned to expect and enjoy the school hallmarks that make us unique, including:

• ​Rotating through our Advanced Clinical Training Service (ACTS) program - a nationally recognized service-learning program allowing 4th year DDS students to provide dental services for eight months in an underserved community in 30 clinics across the state of Colorado. 
• Participating in campus-wide interprofessional education programs​, including our national award-winning Frontier Center program, aims to increase collaboration across health disciplines and improve patient outcomes.
• Taking advantage of our research opportunities where dental students help address issues related to oral health and diseases, cancer research, biomaterials, bioengineering, and craniofacial biology.

The CU School of Dental Medicine is committed to attracting highly qualified students from a variety of educational backgrounds and life experiences. We use a holistic review process when considering applicants, and look at a number of factors including academic credentials, test scores, letters of recommendation and an invitation only interview. 

​If you have any questions regarding admission ​requirements and procedures, please contact the Office of Admissions at 303-724-8719 or DDSadmissioninquiries@ucdenver.edu. 

We encourage all interested individuals​ to apply by following the requirements below:

Prerequisite Requirements

The following courses (semester hours or equivalent quarter hours) are required to apply to the School of Dental Medicine. All coursework must be completed with a grade of C or better from an accredited U.S. college or university at the conclusion of the spring term of the year accepted. Grades of C- or lower and courses taken pass/fail or credit/no credit will not be accepted. No more than 60 semester hours are allowed from a community/junior college. Online coursework is accepted with pre-approval. High school advanced placement (AP) courses can be accepted for prerequisite course work, and will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Official documentation will be required to include AP scores. If you are an international student, please contact the admissions office directly.

• General Biology or General Zoology with Lab (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
• General Chemistry with Lab (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
• Organic Chemistry with Lab (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
• General Physics with Lab, Algebra or Calculus based (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
• Microbiology, Lab not required (3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours)
• General Biochemistry, Lab not required (3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours)
• English Composition (3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours)
• 90 semester hours with at least 30 hours of upper division credit

The minimum requirement for admission is 90 semester hours (or approximately 135 quarter hours) of academic coursework, but completing a bachelor's degree is strongly encouraged. Most applicants will have completed at least a bachelor's degree before matriculation to dental school.

Suggested Electives: Courses to consider include anatomy, cell biology, histology, immunology, physiology, business management/finance, psychology and communications. Courses may be in a single area with a general background in many areas, or may group together several related areas in the sciences or humanities. 

Application Requirements

An $90.00 application fee is due with the application. A separate e-mail will be sent out with instructions on how to submit payment.

Dental Admission Test (DAT)

Applicants are required to complete the Dental Admissions Test (DAT), which is administered by the American Dental Association (ADA). Official DAT scores must be sent to AADSAS (see instructions for sending DAT scores under Standardized Tests). 

While there is no minimum or cutoff, DAT scores close to the averages of the most recent entering class are considered competitive. See Class Profile for the most current scores.

The DAT should either be taken before application or in June/July of the application year. Scores must be received before the application deadline of October 15th. In order to meet this deadline, tests should not be taken after August 31st of the application year. 

Retake tests: If planning to retake the DAT during the application cycle, an applicant should report future test dates on the AADSAS application. 

Canadian DAT: Please note that the Canadian Dental Admissions Test (CDAT) is not accepted. The US DAT is required of all applicants.

Dental Shadowing Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate a confirmed interest in dentistry by participating in dental-related activities, including direct shadowing of a dentist in a patient-care setting. Shadowing hours should be reported directly on the AADSAS application. No further documentation is required.

50 hours of dental shadowing is required and must be completed at the time of application submission. Applicants without this minimum number of hours will not be reviewed or considered for interview.

Extracurricular Activities

Applicants should report any extracurricular activities in which they are involved, dental-related or otherwise, on the AADSAS application. Such activities could include (but are not limited to) academic enrichment programs, athletics, clubs and organizations, research, volunteering, and work experience.

For each extracurricular, applicants must provide the frequency and duration of the experience, a description of the key responsibilities, and the name and address of the organization or supervisor.

Letters of Recommendation

The University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine requires a total of three letters of recommendation, although AADSAS allows up to four. Letters must be uploaded directly to the application by the evaluators. Letters sent directly to the Office of Admissions are no longer accepted. Of the four allotted AADSAS uploads, applicants must have:

• Two science letters - Two letters must be written by science professors who have taught and graded the applicant at the university level. Letters should be from basic science instructors (biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, microbiology). Science letters should include the course name and number.
• One letter of choice - One letter by an evaluator of the applicant’s choice is also required. This evaluator could be a dentist, another professor (science or non-science), an employer, a mentor, or another individual who can write in support of the applicant.

A fourth letter of recommendation will also be accepted but is not required. This optional fourth letter can be written by another evaluator of the applicant’s choice.

• Committee letter option: If the applicant’s undergraduate institution has a pre-health committee, a letter or letter packet composed by the committee members can be submitted in place of the above three letters. AADSAS also allows one individual letter to be uploaded in addition to the committee letter, which is accepted but not required.

Interview

Once the completed application has been reviewed by the Office of Admissions, the applicant may be invited to campus for a formal interview and tour of our school.

Application Fee

Applicants are required to pay an $90 supplemental application fee directly to the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. This fee is separate from any payments made to AADSAS and can only be made online via credit or debit card. 

Checks, money orders, and payments over the phone are not accepted. This payment should be made either just before or at the time of application submission.

AADSAS Fee Assistance Program: The $90 nonrefundable application fee can be waived for applicants who qualify for the AADSAS Fee Assistance Program. Such applicants should forward their approval email from AADSAS to our office at DDSadmissioninquiries@ucdenver.edu.

Year 1

First-year courses focus on the basic sciences and the integration of this knowledge with the practice of dentistry. These include a human body systems course series that integrates the anatomy, physiology and microanatomy of each major body system with clinical correlations. Other basic science courses include molecular biosciences, embryology, craniofacial biology, oral histology, microbiology, immunology, and pathology. Additionally, students are introduced to dental care in courses related to dental anatomy, occlusion, oral radiology, periodontology, dental materials, and an innovative Introduction to Clinical Dentistry course series that prepares and provides students with patient care activities. Finally, students begin to develop their hand skills by taking simulation lab courses in both direct and indirect restorative procedures.

Year 2

The primary focus of second year courses is to guide students in the transition from pre-clinical courses to clinical care and begin to see their first patients for periodontal appointments during the fall of their second year. Students refine their hand skills in pre-clinical lab courses involving indirect restorative procedures, fixed and removable prosthodontics, endodontics and esthetic dentistry. Clinical care is emphasized in courses related to pharmacology, occlusion, oral pathology, orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, dental materials, oral radiology, cariology, pediatric dentistry, pain control, medical emergencies and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Students will also take courses on treatment planning and managing a student practice in order to begin providing comprehensive patient care in the student dental clinic during the summer of their second year.The primary focus of third year is the development and practice of clinical dentistry. Students take courses on community assessment, public health, dental practice planning, clinical oncology, behavioral and geriatric dentistry, implant dentistry and treatment planning. Students begin to spend a lot more time in the clinical setting with the primary focus being on comprehensive patient care. Students perform clinical procedures in the fields of oral diagnosis and diagnostic radiology, periodontics, operative dentistry, fixed and removable prosthodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, dental pain and emergencies. Additionally, all students participate in a rotation in pediatric dentistry at the Healthy Smiles Clinic at Children’sHospital Colorado.

Year 3

The primary focus of third year is the development and practice of clinical dentistry. Students take courses on community assessment, public health, dental practice planning, clinical oncology, behavioral and geriatric dentistry, implant dentistry and treatment planning. Students begin to spend a lot more time in the clinical setting with the primary focus being on comprehensive patient care. Students perform clinical procedures in the fields of oral diagnosis and diagnostic radiology, periodontics, operative dentistry, fixed and removable prosthodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, dental pain and emergencies. Additionally, all students participate in a rotation in pediatric dentistry at the Healthy Smiles Clinic at Children’sHospital Colorado.

Year 4

At the beginning of their fourth year, students take the National Board Dental Examination Part II which tests their clinical knowledge of endodontics, operative dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pain control, oral diagnosis, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, patient management, periodontics, pharmacology and prosthodontics. Students continue to develop their clinical and practical dental skills by providing comprehensive patient care in the dental clinic. Advanced courses in implant dentistry, restorative dentistry, treatment planning, cariology, dental ethics and jurisprudence, endodontics and forensic dentistry are taken to further prepare students to become licensed dental professionals. All students also participate in the Advanced Clinical Training and Service (ACTS) program and provide quality dental care to underserved communities in 30 clinics across the state. At the end of spring of their fourth year, students are fully prepared to take regional or state examinations to obtain dental licensure.

Graduation from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine is contingent upon:

• Completion of all required courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.30
• Fulfillment of all legal and financial obligations to the University
• Challenge the Integrated National Board Dental Examination
• Removal of probationary status if on academic probation. In the situation where a student is placed on academic probation at the end of his/her last semester of their program, the student is given the opportunity to rectify academic deficiency/deficiencies needed to remove the probationary status. This may be accomplished by performing additional coursework as dictated by course director(s) and as approved by the SPC to allow the granting of a higher 11 grade in select courses as needed to remove the student from academic probation. This may result in a lengthening of their academic program and a delay in their graduation from the SDM
• Recommendation for the degree by vote of the Faculty (Competency Review Board) of the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine

• Evaluate and integrate emerging trends in health care
• Utilize critical thinking to evaluate and integrate best research outcomes with clinical expertise and patient values for evidence-based practice.

• Make professional decisions that satisfy legal, societal and ethical principles.
• Use self-evaluative skills to assess individual knowledge and abilities, to practice within the scope of one’s competence and make appropriate professional referrals, and to identify areas of deficiency to correct through lifelong learning.
• Collaborate effectively with other health professionals to facilitate the provision of overall health care.

• Apply appropriate interpersonal and communication skills to create a humanistic environment.
• Communicate effectively with diverse patients and other health care providers to ensure appropriate, patient-centered patient treatment.

• Provide prevention, intervention and educational strategies.
• Participate with dental team members and other health care professionals in the management and health promotion for all patients.
• Recognize and appreciate the need to contribute to the improvement of oral health beyond those served in traditional practice settings.

• Evaluate and apply regulatory agency requirements for dental practices such as infection control, HIPAA and environmental and office safety programs
• Apply principles of risk management including informed consent
• Demonstrate effective business practices, financial management and human resource skills

• Perform an examination that collects biological, psychological, clinical, radiographic and other diagnostic/consultative information required to evaluate the health, oral conditions, needs, and expectations of patients of all ages.
• Recognize, diagnose and interpret normal and abnormal conditions of the orofacial complex (to include oral cancer), occlusal and temporomandibular disease, craniofacial growth and development that require monitoring, treatment or management.
• Develop, present and discuss individual sequenced treatment plans for patients of all ages consistent with patient’s condition, interest, goals and capabilities.

• Anticipate, diagnose, and provide initial treatment and follow-up management for medical emergencies that may occur during dental treatment
• Recognize and manage dental emergencies to include acute pain, hemorrhage, trauma, and infection of the orofacial complex

Control of Pain and Anxiety

• Employ pharmacological agents and techniques to manage orofacial discomfort and psychological distress

• Diagnose, treatment plan, comprehensively treat, and maintain patients with periodontal disease in the primary, mixed, and permanent dentitions

Endodontic Therapy

• Diagnose and treat diseases of pulpal and periradicular origin in the primary, mixed, and permanent dentitions 

• Diagnose and treat conditions requiring reparative surgical procedures and non-surgical therapies on the hard and oral soft tissues

Restorative/Prosthodontic Therapy

• Provide single or multiple tooth restorations, with appropriate fixed or removable techniques, to restore anatomic form, function, and esthetics to patients of all ages.
• Continually analyze the outcomes of patient treatment to improve patient care.