Pre-Dentistry

The Newberry College Pre-Dentistry Program helps undergraduate students planning to enter the field of dentistry to prepare for further education.

Training to become a dentist is a rigorous process taking about 7-8 years to complete undergraduate and graduate coursework. Most students will complete their BS degree prior to entering the graduate program; however, students with exceptional GPA and DAT scores may apply with 90 hours of coursework. This is true for both Dentistry Programs in South Carolina, USC and MUSC.

Dentistry schools typically consider three criteria important in assessing applicants for admission:

• Score on the Dental Admission Test (DAT)
• Courses taken and grades in those courses; the higher the GPA the better, with a minimum of about 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
• Evidence of the applicant’s interest in the dental profession demonstrated by volunteer or work experience in settings where dentists are needed

Recommended Coursework

To best prepare for acceptance into dental school, most students major in either biology or chemistry and complete the science and math courses listed below:

• Biological Science (BIO 121, 4 hours)
• Zoology (BIO 122, 4 hours)
• 8 additional hours of biology courses from: 
• Microbiology (BIO 212, 4 hours) 
• Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (BIO 315, 4 hours)
• Genetics (BIO 322, 4 hours)
• Biochemistry (BIO 301, 4 hours)

• General Chemistry (CHE 113-114, 8 hours)
• Organic Chemistry (CHE 231-232, 8 hours)
• Calculus I - Differential Calculus (MAT 211, 4 hours) [required for physics]
• Physics for Science and Engineering Students (PHY 213-214, 8 hours)

NOTE: Many dentistry programs, including USC and MUSC, expect additional coursework in the sciences, especially biology and chemistry.