LSUSD Dental School Requirements

The Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Dentistry is one of 66 dental programs in the United States of America. The LSUSD dental school requirements are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

Pre-requisite courses
Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
GPA

Non-Academic

Dentistry Admission Test (DAT)
Dental Shadowing
Letter of References
Personal Essay
Interview

LSUSD Requirements: Prerequisite Courses

All students applying to the LSUSD must have completed at least a minimum of 3 academic years of undergraduate study (90 semester hours). They must include the following courses:

Prerequisite Course	Required	Lab Required	Credits (Semester/Quarter)
Biology	✓	✓	12/18
General Chemistry	✓	✓	8/12
Organic Chemistry	✓	✓	8/12
Physics	✓	✓	8/12
Microbiology	✓	X	3/6
English	✓	X	8/12
Biochemistry	✓	X	3/6

*A semester credit hour is an academic unit earned for fifteen 50-minute sessions of classroom instruction with a normal expectation of two hours of outside study for each class session. Typically, a three-semester credit hour course meets three 50-minute sessions per week for fifteen weeks for a total of 45 sessions. For more information about how long a semester/quarter is click here.

Advanced Placement (AP) credits are accepted by the LSUSD.

Pass/fail credits are accepted, but the LSUSD still encourages letter grades if a student is given the option.

LSUSD Requirements: GPA Calculation and Requirements

Minimum Overall GPA to Apply	Average Overall GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest Overall GPA Admitted	Average Science GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest Science GPA Admitted
N/R	3.57	3.04	3.48	2.90

LSUSD Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Shadowing

DAT and Shadowing Overview:

Dental Shadowing Hours	DAT Required	CAD DAT Accepted	DAT Scores Considered
25	✓	X	Highest Score

25 hours of Dental Shadowing are required for acceptance to the program.

Louisiana State Dental School DAT Admission Score Statistics:

Mean Academic Average Score	Minimum AA Score Given Admission	Mean Perceptual Ability Test	Minimum PAT Score Given Admission	Mean Total Science	Minimum Total Science Score Given Admission
20.8	19	20.3	17	20.5	18

If an applicant has completed the DAT more than once the highest score is considered when calculations are made.

Students looking to test their knowledge in preparation for the DAT can click on this link to access our free practice tests for both the Canadian DAT and American DAT.

Louisiana State Dental School: Letter of References

LSUSD requires a minimum of 2 letters of reference sent directly to the AADSAS application portal.

They must be from science teachers who have instructed them in the classroom. A recommendation from a pre-professional committee may be submitted in lieu of individual recommendations. A committee recommendation is preferred, if available at your school.

AADSAS Personal Essays

This University may take into account the AADSAS personal essay you submit to the ADEA. Your personal statement is a one-page essay (not to exceed 4,500 characters, including spaces, carriages, numbers, letters, etc.) that gives dental schools a clear picture of who you are and, most importantly, why you want to pursue a career in dentistry. For more information on the personal essay click on the link above.