Planning for an application to dental school is both essential and critical - it is a decision that will take years of preparation. Future applicants will need to take both academic and experiential timelines into consideration well in advance to properly prepare for an application cycle. Below, you will find resources specific to pre-dental timelines.

Suggested Academic Timelines:

First Year

Fall	Spring
Chemical Structures & Properties with Lab CHEM 160/161	Chemical Reactivity I with Lab CHEM 180/181
Intro to Biology I with Lab BIO 101/111	Intro to Biology II with Lab BIO 102/112

*MATH 131 (or 161) is a pre-requisite for CHEM 260/261. If you plan on taking CHEM 260/261 by Spring Semester of Second Year, you will need to complete this pre-requisite beforehand.

 

Second Year 

Fall	Spring
Chemical Reactivity II with Lab CHEM 240/241	Quantitative Methods in Chemistry with Lab CHEM 260/261
Cell Biology or Genetics BIOL 251/BIOL 282	Cell Biology or Genetics BIOL 251/BIOL 282

 

Third Year 

Fall	Spring
Biochemistry CHEM 361	Physics II with Lab* PHYS 112/112L
Physics I with Lab PHYS 111/111L	Science Electives**

 

Fourth Year

Fall	Spring
Physics II* PHYS 112/112L	Science Electives**
Science Electives**

*The DAT is different from the MCAT in that it does NOT cover biochemistry or physics. Applicants will be ready to take the DAT after the conclusion of their sophomore year in this plan, so they can choose to take their DAT any time after that. A spring DAT is the latest time to take the test and still plan to apply in the summer of the same cycle year.

**Most dental schools will require biochemistry, but not all. Most schools will recommend cell biology, genetics, anatomy/physiology, microbiology, or any combination of these courses. It is incredibly important to start your research on schools early so that you can determine how many and what kinds of courses to take prior to admission.

***From Chemistry Department Website: “Starting in Fall 2023 all students will begin the Chemistry sequence in CHEM 160+161 (replacing CHEM 101+111).  Students who began the Chemistry sequence in CHEM 101+111 prior to Fall 2023 may continue in the older course sequence, as long as they make progress in the sequence each consecutive semester, but may switch to the updated sequence as the older courses are replaced.  Students should consult with their Academic Advisor(s) as listed in LOCUS for degree requirements and options.”