Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

Students applying to the program need to be aware that they will be expected to meet the Technical Standards Policy.

The first and second years of the program are comprised of an integrated curriculum, studying anatomical, physiologic, and health systems, including:

• Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
• Endocrine System
• Cardiovascular
• Pulmonary and Renal Systems
• Gastroenterology and Nutrition
• Musculoskeletal System
• Neurosciences
• Oncology

The first two years of the program also include the study of Oral Biology, Dental Anatomy, Oral Pathology, and an introduction to the pre-clinical practice of dentistry.

The third and fourth years of the program are comprised of lectures, laboratories, seminars and clinical practice. Topics include:

• Dental Implants
• Diagnostics
• Endodontics
• Ethics in Dentistry
• Fixed Prosthodontics
• Hospital Dentistry
• Operative
• Oral Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Radiology
• Removable Prosthodontics
• Geriatrics
• Oral Biology
• Practice Management
• Sedation and Pain Control

In addition to clinical practice at the University of Alberta Dental Clinic, students participate in clinics at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, the University of Alberta Hospital, and a satellite dental clinic rotation in Northern Alberta.

Application opens: July 1

Application deadline: November 1 9:59 PM MST (see all DDS Admissions Deadlines)

Applications for admission are accepted from the beginning of July to November 1 in the year prior to the year admission is sought. Late applications will not be accepted.

Application fee:

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

We do not accept any advance standing or transfer students from other Dental Schools.

Applicants that have been Required to Withdraw will not be considered for admission.

See the DDS Admissions Checklist for a summary of all application requirements and deadlines.

The following documentation is required:

1. 1. A completed University of Alberta online undergraduate application for admission with a paid non-refundable application fee.
   2. Personal Experiences form.
   3. Official transcripts of your academic record. All previous and current post-secondary academic records must be declared and provided.
   4. Canadian Dental Aptitude Test results.
   5. Situational Judgment Test (Casper) results.
   6. English Language Proficiency/Spoken English Requirement documentation (if required).

More information about English Language Proficiency Requirements can be found in the University Calendar. Documentation must be received by June 15 in the year admission is sought.

Indigenous applicants interested in this program are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Health Initiative Program at or ihi@ualberta.ca or 780-492-9526 for further information and assistance with the admissions process.

Pre-professional requirements can be completed within any Faculty or program.

See the DDS Admissions Checklist for a summary of all application requirements and deadlines.

Credit and Course Load Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission is the satisfactory completion of *60 of transferable postsecondary work (10 full-year or 20 half-year course equivalents).

The minimum course-load requirement is two academic years of Fall/Winter semesters with a course-load of *30 each year. A Fall/Winter academic year is September 1 to April 30 inclusive.

Pre-professional Course Requirements

A minimum grade of C- (or equivalent) is required in any transfer course (i.e., courses not completed at the University of Alberta) used to meet a pre-professional requirement.A minimum grade of D- is required for University of Alberta courses.

* The listed UofA courses are intended to assist prospective applicants in planning their coursework for the DDS program. Non-UofA applicants may use this list as a guide to review course descriptions and select similar courses from their home institutions. We are not able to provide a comprehensive list of all courses from all institutions.

The Transfer Alberta Search tool provides transfer credit information based on agreements in place between Alberta post-secondary institutions.

Notes:
*3 is equivalent to one half-year course
*6 is equivalent to one full-year course or two half year courses

Additional Information:

English courses offered by the Department of English (ENGL) should meet the English requirement. ENGL 150 will not meet the requirement. Classics, History, Linguistics, WRS, WRITE, or Philosophy do NOT meet this requirement.

Human Physiology course(s) must include a minimum 78 hours of lecture on human physiology which cover ALL major body systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, digestive, excretory/renal/urinary, male and female reproductive). Labs/ tutorials/ seminars will not count toward the required lecture hours.  Animal physiology and invertebrate physiology will NOT meet the requirement.

For International Baccalaureate (IB) Graduates

Only higher-level courses with a grade of 6 or greater are considered transferable.

• Chemistry (HL) is equivalent to CHEM 101 (*3) or CHEM 103 (*3)
• Biology (HL) is equivalent to BIOL 107 (*3)
• English: Literature (HL) is equivalent to *6 of ENGL

For Advanced Placement (AP) Graduates

Only courses with a grade of 4 or greater are considered transferable.

• Biology is equivalent to BIOL 107 (*3)
• English is equivalent to *3 of ENGL
• Statistics is equivalent to STAT 151

Overall GPA

A minimum GPA of 3.5 is required for admission. Students with a GPA of less than 3.5 will not be considered for admission.

Overall GPA (OGPA) is comprised of all transferable post-secondary work completed as a full-time student. Full-time study is equivalent to a minimum of:

• *18 taken during Fall/Winter Terms or;
• *12 taken during Spring/Summer Terms.

For applicants who have completed four or more years of full-time transferable post-secondary work, the overall GPA is calculated with the deletion of the lowest Fall/Winter GPA, provided it is not the most recent Fall/Winter or one of the two required Fall/Winter years where *30 was taken.

Unofficial transcripts showing completed work to date and course registration for the Fall/Winter term must be submitted by November 15 to assist in the preliminary assessment of your file.

Unofficial transcripts showing completed work up to and including the Fall term of the current year must be submitted by February 1.

IMPORTANT: Applicants who fail to submit the required documents by the February 1 deadline cannot be evaluated for interview selection. Applicants who do not receive an interview cannot be considered for admission.

Final Official transcripts of the current Fall/Winter academic year must be received by June 15. Applicants planning to take Spring term courses in the year admission is sought must notify the Admissions Office of their registration and provide a final transcript by June 15.

Post-secondary education completed outside of Canada

All applicants are required to provide a detailed course description for post-secondary work completed outside of Canada, due February 1 in the year admission is sought.

Please submit final official transcripts to:

Office of the Registrar and Student Awards
University of Alberta
11487 89 Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M7

Via email:
transcripts@ualberta.ca

Submission of University of Alberta transcripts is not necessary for Fall/Winter coursework.

Applicants must write the Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (DAT). A minimum score of 15 or more must be achieved in each of the following:

• Survey of Natural Sciences (SNS)
• Perceptual Ability Test (PAT)
• Reading Comprehension Test (RCT)

If the test is taken more than once, the best set of scores will be used.

The Canadian DAT must be written by November 15 of the year prior to the year admission is sought in order for results to be received by January 15 in the year admission is sought.The DAT must have been written within the last five years.

Information regarding the DAT and registration is available from the Canadian Dental Association website.

Please note: The DAT must be written by November 15 of the year prior to the year admission is sought. For example, if you are applying for Fall 2022 admission the latest you could write the DAT would be November 2021. We recommend applicants take the DAT exam earlier in the year prior to the year admission is sought. If one of the required sections is scored below 15 or something should go wrong, an applicant would have the opportunity to retake the test by November.

The University of Alberta DDS program does not accept U.S. DAT results.

All applicants applying to the Doctor of Dental Surgery program are required to complete the Casper test from Acuity Insights, to assist with our selection process.

The Casper test is a standardized, two-part online assessment of non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics, and personal values and priorities that are believed to be important. Casper will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation.

You will reserve a test for CSP-10201 – Canadian Professional Health Sciences. In order to take Casper, you will be responsible for securing access to a computer with audio capabilities, a webcam, and a reliable internet connection on your selected test date.

Note: the DDS and Dental Hygiene programs require different assessments. If you are applying to both programs, you will need to complete the required assessment for each program.

Visit AcuityInsights.app for additional information, important dates, and requirements.

Casper test results must be submitted to the Admissions Office by January 1 of the year admission is sought. Note: scores can only be used for the current application period.

Snapshot is not required.

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta values diversity in our entering Doctor of Dental Surgery class. The Personal Experiences section gives you the opportunity to highlight the life experiences that you feel will enhance your application.

Upon the submission of an application for admission, the Personal Experiences form will be available in your UAlberta Launchpad checklist. The deadline for submission of the Personal Experiences section is November 1 9:59 PM MST.

The Personal Experiences section is comprised of four subsections:

Employment: Include a brief description of the nature of the work and your responsibilities, a brief description of the average hours worked per week (i.e., part-time during summer, seasonal, full-time, etc.), and the total number of verifiable hours worked in each position. Maximum of 3 entries. 350 characters per entry.  

Leadership and/or Volunteer Experiences: List and briefly describe areas where you have provided a leadership role or volunteer experience. This applies to scholastic, sports, arts, and community activities. Include a brief description of the time commitment (i.e., part-time during summer, seasonal, full-time, etc.) and the total number of verifiable hours committed. Maximum of 3 entries. 350 characters per entry.

Life Experience & Achievements: This section encompasses many domains, including, but not limited to, achievements and experiences in education, arts, music, sports, athletics, science, research, languages, communication, cultural and ethnic experiences, and travel. You can include activities which you feel have defined your life. Include a brief description of the time commitment (i.e., part-time during summer, seasonal, full-time, etc.). One is entry allowed. 2000 characters maximum. 

Personal Highlights: Use this space to highlight something about yourself that has not been previously expressed. One is entry allowed. 1000 characters maximum.

Please note that applicants are not required to reveal anything considered protected under human rights legislation.

For Employment, Leadership & Volunteer Experiences, and Life Experiences & Achievements sections:

Please be selective and concise in the activities you choose to include. By not including any items in any of these sections, you are accepting a zero for that section. Details about each activity are required, including length of time commitment, description of time commitment, number of verifiable hours committed, and description of the activity. For example, when calculating the number of hours committed to an activity, please do not include hours dedicated to sleep. 

As all activities are verified, you must provide us with the contact information for someone who can confirm the details you have provided for each activity. We suggest that you discuss the information you are choosing to include with your verifier and notify them that they will be contacted. You should not be using yourself as a verifier. When possible, avoid using family members or close friends as verifiers. If we have any issues during this process we will contact you directly. If you do not hear from us, assume that there are no issues.

A personal interview is required of all competitive applicants annually. Applicants who fail to submit the required documents by February 1 cannot be evaluated for interview selection. See all DDS Admissions Deadlines.

Interview selection is based on:

• Post-secondary academic records
• DAT scores
• Casper results
• Personal Experiences

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.

Applicants who participate in the personal interview, will also be scheduled for an allotted time that same day to complete a written personal statement. This statement will allow applicants to respond to specific questions, provide personal information regarding their preparation for and understanding of the dental profession, and demonstrate written communication skills.

Applicants selected to interview will be contacted by email by the end of February. Emails will be sent to your University of Alberta email account. Please have your U of A email account forwarded to your regular email account if you do not regularly check your U of A email account.

Interview Format

The interview format is the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). In this format, the interviewee will be exposed without interruption to a series of stations, each of which will take 10 minutes to complete.

At each station, the interviewee will be provided with a question and given two minutes to read the question and formulate a response. After these two minutes, the interviewee will discuss the response with an interviewer for the remaining eight minutes before moving quickly to the next station.

Candidates must interview each year they apply to the University of Alberta.

Applicants not selected for an interview will not be re-evaluated for final selection in the current year.

Sample MMI Questions

Enrolment is limited annually to 30 students. Of the 30 positions available, 27 are reserved for Alberta residents, and up to 3 are available for non-Alberta residents. No non-resident shall be admitted to the DDS program who is less qualified than any Alberta resident denied admission to the program.

See recent Admission Statistics for number of applicants and competitive averages.

See the DDS Admissions Checklist for a summary of all application requirements and deadlines.

Alberta Residency

For admission purposes, a resident of Alberta is defined as a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) who has been a continuous resident in the Province of Alberta, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, or Nunavut for at least one year immediately prior to the first day of classes of the Fall term in which admission is sought. Because residency status determines the competitive pool in which an applicant is ranked, applicants may be required to present proof of residency status. Please visit the Residence Requirements of the University of Alberta Calendar for more information.

Indigenous Applicants

In addition to the regular quota positions, additional position(s) per year may be available for a qualified student(s) of indigenous ancestry. 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.

Applicant Profile

Selection factors will include, but are not limited to:

• Overall GPA;
• Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) results;
• Situational Judgement Test (Casper) results;
• Personal Experiences;
• Interview score;
• Personal Statement;
• Additional assessments as determined by the Admissions Committee.

Minimum Requirements

A minimum GPA of 3.5 is required for admission. A minimum score of 15 out of 30 score is required in the following DAT sections: Survey of Natural Sciences (SNS), Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), and Reading Comprehension Test (RCT).

SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

Applicants who have extenuating circumstances may submit a request for special consideration to the Admissions Committee with supporting documentation to remove certain years from their Overall GPA. The Admissions Office must receive special consideration requests by January 2 in the year admission is sought. Special consideration can not used to waive pre-professional requirements. Applicants requesting special consideration must contact the Admissions Office prior to submitting their request for a Request for Special Consideration form.

Notification of Acceptance: May-July

An admission decision is valid only for the Fall/Winter Term for which the applicant applied.

Deposit: Upon notification of acceptance, applicants will be required to confirm their admission and intention to register by submitting a nonrefundable tuition deposit of $1000 within the time specified in the letter of acceptance. The deposit will be credited toward the payment of tuition upon completion of registration.

Complete and fully documented immunization is a program requirement. The Faculty Immunization Clearance Form must be filled out exactly as detailed on the form by an appropriate health care provider with a minimum month and year of all vaccine injections and supporting serology or letters where indicated. It is strongly recommended, where possible, to utilize the University Health Center for your immunization clearance. Appointments can be booked online or by calling 780-492-2612. 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.

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 placement.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (CPR) is required for all students registered in the program. The School 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 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.

Tuition and fees are set by the Registrar's Office. Learn more about Tuition and Fees and use the cost calculator.

The estimated costs for students entering the DDS program in Fall 2022 are as follows:

If you are not a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident, the estimated costs are as follows:

NOTE: All costs noted above are estimates only and are subject to change. Students pay the fees in effect at the time of registration. Loupes, textbooks and software are separate from the above fees. Students are responsible for any costs associated with these requirements.

Fall 2023 fees may increase by 40%.

Learn more about Scholarships and Awards.

Review the list of Dentistry Awards and Scholarships.