The Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine is one of 66 dental programs in the United States of America. The WesternU 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
WesternU Dental School Requirements: Prerequisite Courses
All students applying to the WesernU Dental School must have completed at least a minimum of 3 years of study (90 semester hours / 135 quarter hours). Students must also complete the following prerequisite courses listed below:
| Prerequisite Course | Required | Lab Required | Credits (Semester/Quarter) |
| Biology | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| General Chemistry | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| Organic Chemistry | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| Physics | ✓ | ✓ | 8/12 |
| Composition* | ✓ | X | 6/9 |
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.
AP and community college credits are accepted at this University but AP courses cannot be used for prerequisite courses, except English.
WesternU CDM will accept Pass/Fail grades for courses completed in spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. WesternU CDM will also accept online prerequisite labs for courses completed in spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.
WesternU Dental School 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 |
| NR | 3.24 | 2.84 | 3.09 | 2.72 |
WesternU Dental School Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Shadowing
DAT and Shadowing Overview:
Applicants are strongly required to complete 30 hours of dental-related work experience (paid or volunteer). To increase competitiveness, 100+ hours are recommended.
WesternU Dental School Requirements: 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 |
| 19.7 | 17 | 19.4 | 15 | 19.5 | 17 |
Applicants are required to take the DAT. If an applicant has completed the DAT more than once the most recent score on the DAT will be assessed 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. Additionally, check out our 10 tips to Ace the DAT from a 25+ AA test taker!
WesternU Dental School Requirements: Letters of Recomendation
The letters of recommendation requirement may be fulfilled one of two ways:
- Obtain one (1) letter of recommendation from your undergraduate institution’s pre-professional committee
OR
- One (1) letter of recommendation from a dentist or another professor (dentist should not be a family member)
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from science professors
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.
WesternU Dental School Requirements: Interview
| Mandatory | By Invitation | Number of Applicants Invited | Entering Class Size |
| ✓ | ✓ | N/A | 70 |
Shortlisted candidates will be required to partake in an interview with the admissions team. The interview process for this dental school is unknown. If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.
Requirements for other Dental Schools in America:
If you would like an in-depth analysis of the dental school requirements for other dental schools in the United States of America click on this link. Those looking to compare the costs of dental schools can click here.
