Pre-Dental

Program Coordinator/Contact

Teresa Pederson, Coordinator and Advisor
Department of Biology and Microbiology
Alfred Dairy Science Hall 225F
605-688-4563

Pre-Professional Interest Area Information

Dental schools look for bright, articulate students in a variety of majors who have a well-rounded education and can relate to a range of personalities. Dental schools require at least three years of college, but most now require that applicants have their baccalaureate degree before they enter dental school.

Because the requirements of each dental school vary considerably, it is difficult to provide a complete listing of the necessary coursework that would satisfy every institution. Instead, the SDSU pre-dental program challenges the pre-dental student with a heavy emphasis on science courses (two years of chemistry, one year of physics, and at least three years of biology) in order to prepare the student for the Dental Admission Test (DAT). These courses do not restrict a student’s ability to shift into other programs at SDSU and provide excellent career alternatives for those students who are not immediately accepted into a dental school. The Pre-professionals advisors can assist students to develop plans of study for the dental program(s) of interest.

Dental School Admission

Admission to dental schools is extremely selective, and students who are serious about being accepted into a dental school should strive to substantially exceed the minimum requirements. Acceptance into dental school is based primarily on four criteria: 1) absolute minimum of a 3.5 GPA on the 4.0 scale, 2) Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores, 3) recommendation letters from faculty and employers, and 4) a personal statement describing the students’ motivation for this career choice.

Suggested Majors

• Human Biology (B.S.)  
• Biochemistry (B.S.)  
• Biotechnology (B.S.)  
• Chemistry (B.S.)  
• Microbiology (B.S.)  
• Physics (B.S.)