Dalhousie University Dental School Requirements

The Dalhousie Dental program is one of ten dental programs in Canada and is considered the fifth-best dental school in Canada.

In 2021, the Dalhousie dental school acceptance rate was 9%. Of the 449 undergraduate students who applied, only 40 were admitted into the program. The Dalhousie dental school requirements and admission statistics are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

  1. Pre-requisite courses
  2. Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
  3. GPA

Non-Academic 

  1. Dentistry Admission Test (DAT)
  2. CASPer Test
  3. Personal Statement/ Essays
  4. Interview

Dalhousie University Dental School Prerequisites:

All students applying to the Dalhousie dental program must have completed at least 2 years of undergraduate study. They must include the following courses: 

Prerequisite CourseRequiredLab RequiredCredits Required
Biology✓✓1 full or 2 half courses
Inorganic Chemistry✓✓1 full or 2 half courses
Organic Chemistry✓✓1 full or 2 half courses
Physics✓✓1 full or 2 half courses
Biochemistry✓X1 half course
MicroBiology✓X1 half course
Physiology✓X1 full or 2 half courses
Writing Course✓X1 full or 2 half courses
Humanities and/or Social Science✓X2 full or 4 half courses

Dalhousie Dental School Requirements: GPA Information

Minimum GPA to ApplyAverage GPA of Accepted Applicants
N/RN/R

Dalhousie University Dental School Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and CASPer

CASPer RequiredDAT RequiredU.S. DAT AcceptedMean Academic Average ScoreMean Perceptual Ability ScoreMean Total Science ScoreDAT Score Considered
X✓✓N/RN/RN/RHighest Score

Your best scores on the Reading Comprehension, Science Total and Perceptual Ability components of repeated DATs are considered, using scores that are no more than two years old. Most successful applicants have scores of at least 15 on each component, and an average of all best scores of 21 or better.

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. For those looking for DAT prep courses, we recommend those offered by the Princeton Review. They are a reputable long-standing company that offers a variety of different course options to meet individual needs.

Dalhousie Dental School Interview:

MandatoryBy Invitation
✓✓

Applicants with the highest university grades are selected for a panel interview. Interviews are conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, by a team of 2-3 trained interviewers, using a structured interview format. Applicants with broad volunteer, work, and life experiences have the most to offer in an interview.

Those looking for practice can check our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions here.

Personal Statement and Letters of Reference:

You will be required to submit a supplemental information form outlining such things as your work and volunteer experience, group activities, and accomplishments must be submitted as part of your application package. 

In addition to this, applicants who are invited for an interview are required to submit three confidential evaluations. At least one reference must be provided by a university instructor who has taught the applicant. Other references may be from non-relatives with whom the applicant has worked or volunteered, or from community members who know the applicant.

Offers of Admission Decision:

The process in which all requirements submitted to the University is used in final admission offers has not been disclosed by the University.

Requirements for other Dental Schools in Canada:

If you would like an in-depth analysis of the dental school requirements for other dental schools in Canada click on the links below:

We also have a comprehensive comparison of all 10 dental school requirements in Canada.

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