Pre-Dental
Offered by Health Science Programs
The College of Dentistry of the University of Nebraska Medical Center requires a minimum of 90 semester credit hours for admission. The majority of students entering dental school have a BS degree. Therefore, students pursuing a pre-dental curriculum are expected to choose a major so that they can be working towards a baccalaureate degree concurrently with the pre-dental program. This requires a major/minor combination or a comprehensive major as well as completion of the UNK General Studies requirements and other degree requirements as set forth in the college catalog. Dental schools do not specify which major a student should pursue in conjunction with his/her pre-dental studies. Chemistry and biology majors are commonly chosen but other science majors, psychobiology, psychology, business or the humanities are acceptable as long as the core science courses in chemistry, biology and physics are included.
Competition for positions in dental schools is intense and admission is never guaranteed. Admission to dental school is based on a review of the scholastic record, DAT scores, personal recommendations, an interview with members of the admissions committee, shadowing and other extra-curricular activities.
The following requirements are based on the admission requirements of the College of Dentistry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Students wanting to apply to other dental schools should check with those specific schools for additional requirements.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| Select 8 credit hours of the following: | 8 | |
| General Biology | ||
| Biology I | ||
| Biology II | ||
| Human Microbiology | ||
| Restriction | ||
Select no more than one of the following options: | ||
| Human Physiology | ||
or | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology and Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| CHEM 160 & 160L | General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 161 & 161L | General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 360 & 360L | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 5 |
| CHEM 361 & 361L | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 5 |
| ENG 101 | Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Special Topics in Academic Writing and Research | 3 |
| MATH 102 | College Algebra 1 | 3 |
| PHYS 205 & 205L | General Physics I and Physics I Laboratory | 5 |
| PHYS 206 & 206L | General Physics II and Physics Laboratory II | 5 |
| Electives | ||
| Elective courses should be chosen from biology, chemistry, mathematics, the social sciences, the fine arts and humanities, and business administration, business law, and economics. See advisor for suggestions. | ||
| DAT College Admissions Test (DAT) | ||
| The DAT is required for admission and should be taken once all required courses have been completed. See advisor for more information. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 45 | |
Students who are accepted into dental school prior to completing a baccalaureate degree at UNK may be eligible to receive a BS Degree in Applied Health Sciences if they have completed all General Studies requirements and have at least 85 semester credit hours completed in pre-dent studies.
Students should be aware of prerequisites on all courses and plan their coursework accordingly.
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Students with sufficient preparation may enter the mathematics program at a higher level.