Dental Assisting Certificate

Application Process

Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. This program does not accept international applicants on student visas.

Applications must be submitted with a paid non-refundable application fee through the University of Alberta online undergraduate application portal. All previous and current high school and post-secondary academic records must be declared and provided.

Application fee:

• CAD$75 for University of Alberta students
• CAD$125 for non-University of Alberta applicants

Late applications will not be accepted.

The Dental Assisting program has two intakes:

Indigenous applicants interested in this program are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Health Initiative Program at or ihi@ualberta.ca or 780-492-2209 for further information and assistance with the admissions process.

Admission Requirements

Information for High School Applicants

High school applicants are currently attending or have completed high school. Most high school applicants have never taken a post-secondary level course. Those who have completed the equivalent of *6 (2-half year courses) or less will be considered high school.

Information for Post-secondary Applicants

Post-secondary applicants are students who have completed high school and have taken some post-secondary coursework (more than *6). This category also includes applicants that have completed their degree.

Required Documents

All required documents must be received by the appropriate deadline below. Applications which are incomplete after the deadline will be closed for the upcoming admission year.

Document deadline for Fall intake (August): May 1
Document deadline for Winter intake (April): November 1

Required documents include:

• High School Transcripts
• Post-secondary Transcripts (if applicable)
• Proof of English Language Proficiency and Spoken Language Proficiency (if applicable)

More information about English Language Proficiency Requirements can be found here.

A personal interview is required of all competitive applicants annually. Applicants who fail to submit the required documents by appropriate deadlines cannot be evaluated for interview selection.

Interview selection is based on admissions average.

Competitive applicants will be interviewed to determine if they have the personal qualities necessary for the profession. The interview evaluates an applicant's maturity, motivation, initiative, ability to communicate, personal qualities and interests.

The interview schedule differs every year; short-listed applicants will be advised of the interview dates by email. Emails will be sent to your University of Alberta email account. Please have your U of A account forwarded to your regular email account if you do not regularly check your U of A email account.

Admission to the Dental Assisting Certificate program is competitive. Presentation of the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Enrollment is limited to 26 students per intake.

Selection factors will include, but are not limited to:

• Admission Average
• Interview Score

Indigenous Applicants

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is committed to the recruitment, retention and graduation of Indigenous students. All qualified Indigenous applicants who are successful in the Indigenous admissions process will be recommended by the Indigenous Admissions Subcommittee for admission. Applicants interested in this program are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Health Initiative Program at ihi@ualberta.ca or 780-492-2209 for further information and assistance with the admissions process.

An admission decision is valid only for the term for which the applicant applied. Admission offers can not be deferred.

Deposit

Upon notification of acceptance, applicants will be required to confirm their admission and intention to register by submitting a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 within the time specified in the letter of acceptance. The deposit will be credited toward the payment of tuition upon completion of registration.

Immunizations

Complete and fully documented immunization is a program requirement. The vaccination requirements are based on the Alberta Provincial guidelines for healthcare students in a post-secondary institution and serology/immunization outside the guidelines is not routinely done or recommended. All immunization records need to be written and legible. A certified translation must be provided for all non-English documentation. Students without acceptable records will be required to complete their primary immunization series which can take many months so early action on this requirement is strongly advised.

Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector

A clear Police Information Check (PIC) is required under the Protection for Persons in Care Act. All students going to any clinical placement or rotation in Alberta are required to complete a PIC (also known as a Criminal Record Check, Security Clearance Check, or Police Clearance), which must include a Vulnerable Sector check. The PIC must have been completed within 6 months of the program start date. The clinical practice site will determine the criteria for acceptance/denial of a placement.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (CPR)

CPR is required for all students registered in the program. The School of Dentistry will only accept Canadian Heart and Stroke or American Heart Association: Basic Life Support (BLS) for health care providers. No other courses will be accepted to meet the CPR requirement. Students must provide evidence of a valid CPR certification at the beginning of each fall term throughout their program. A CPR BLS Provider certificate is valid for one year from the completion date of the course.

The approximate costs for future students in the Dental Assisting Certificate program are as follows:

Note: All costs noted above are estimates only, and are subject to change and can be affected by economic conditions such as exchange rates. Students pay the fees in effect at the time of registration.

The possession of a dental assisting certificate does not automatically confer the right to practice dental assisting in any province of Canada. Each province has a licensing authority. A dental assistant desiring to practice dental assisting in Canada should contact the appropriate provincial licensing body.

The registrar of a provincial licensing body may refuse to issue a registration certificate to practice dental assisting to any applicant possessing a criminal record. If you have concerns in this area, please contact the appropriate licensing body.

To practice in Alberta, a dental assistant must be registered with the College of Alberta Dental Assistants. Graduates of this program will need to successfully complete both the NDAEB written examination and clinical practice evaluation to register with the College of Alberta Dental Assistants.

Expand your Career and Knowledge

The School of Dentistry Continuing Dental Education offers a variety of courses and certificates for Registered Dental Assistant to expand their area of practice within the dental clinic.

Is the Dental Assisting Certificate program offered online or in Calgary?

The Dental Assisting Certificate program is only offered in-person at the main campus in Edmonton, Alberta.

Does the Dental Assisting Certificate program have a waiting list that carries over from year to year?

No, the Dental Assisting Certificate program does not have a waiting list for admission. All applicants must reapply if they do not receive admission and are in open competition for any given year.

Can I enter the Dental Assisting Certificate program directly from high school?

Yes, the Dental Assisting Certificate program is direct entry from a high school program. High school applicants must have completed high school at the time of application. We do not accept applicants that are currently attending high school.

Does the Dental Assisting Certificate program take international applicants?

No, applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. This program does not accept international applicants on student visas.