Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must meet ALL of the following admission requirements*:

• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA (cGPA) of 3.0 across all undergraduate coursework.
• Complete at least 90 credit hours/15.0 credits (3 years) of undergraduate university coursework at a recognized university, by April 30 of the year of entry:
  • Each year of study must include a minimum of 30 credit hours (5.0 credits) taken during the Fall and Winter (September to April) terms.
  • A maximum of 6 credit hours (1.0 credit) of pass/fail coursework is permitted in each of the 3 undergraduate coursework academic years.
  • All undergraduate coursework must be completed by April 30 of the year of entry into the program.
• If currently enrolled in a graduate degree program, applicants must be in the final year of the program.
• Meet the minimum Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) score. Minimum scores based on calibre of applicant pool, which is determined after the application closes.
• Meet the minimum Casper score. Minimum score based on calibre of applicant pool , which is determined after the applicaiton closes.
• Have completed, or be in the process of completing, all prerequisite courses by April 30 of the year of entry to our program. Successful completion requires a pass or credit designation.
• Have completed the Western Autobiographical Sketch (ABS).

*Application to the DDS Program is very competitive. Meeting minimum academic admission requirements does not ensure an offer of admission.

No. All applicants must meet the same admission requirements. As stated on our Admission Requirements webpage:

Admission policies are reviewed annually and admission requirements from previous years may not apply. We encourage applicants to visit our website regularly, as the University reserves the right to review and change admissions policies and requirements at any time, without notice. 

No. All applicants must meet the same admission requirements and will be considered equally regardless of their province of residence. 

Yes. Please visit Western’s Office of the Registrar website for fee schedules.

No. We do not give preference to Western students. The institution where undergraduate coursework is taken does not impact the assessment of an application.  

No. The Admissions Office can only provide information about our admission requirements. We suggest applicants reach out to academic counselling at their school.

No. The Admissions Office does not pre-assess any documentation or make any determination as to whether potential applicants meet our minimum admission requirements until after an application has been submitted through OUAC. 

Applicants interested in information about the most recently admitted DDS class can visit our Admission Statistics webpage.

Yes. Up to four seats are available for international students. International applicants must meet the same minimum requirements as domestic applicants. For more information, please visit the International Applicants webpage.

For information about government regulations for international students studying at a Canadian university, please visit the Government of Canada website.

No. Internationally trained dentists are NOT eligible to apply or enter the DDS Program.

Graduates of dental programs not recognized by the Canadian Dental Association may be eligible to apply to the Advanced Standing Program for International Dental Graduates (ASPIDG). For information, please visit the ASPIDG webpage.

For information on credentialing internationally trained dentists, please visit the CICIC website.

No. However, English proficiency documentation may be required if you have not completed at least 2 years of full-time studies at an English-language Canadian university.

For information on English language proficiency, please visit the International Applicants webpage.

No. Applicants are chosen from undergraduate programs representing a wide range of disciplines. No preference is given to any specific degree program or university. However, a strong background in science is an asset. 

Yes. To have the grades from an undergraduate degree obtained outside of Canada or the U.S. considered for our cumulative GPA requirement, applicants must submit a course-by-course evaluation of their transcript by World Education Service (WES) with their application.

Please refer to our How to Apply webpage for more details.

Yes. Online undergraduate coursework from a recognized university is considered toward cumulative GPA. If taken between September and April, the coursework may be considered toward the 90 credit hours/15.0 credits (3-year) undergraduate coursework requirement.

If it is not clear from your official transcript, additional documentation may be required confirming that the 90 credits hours/15.0 credits (3-year) of undergraduate coursework was completed during the September and April academic year.

Yes. Applicants must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 across all undergraduate coursework, which must include at least 3 years in which 30 credit hours/5.0 credits were completed between September and April.

Cumulative GPA is based on ALL university coursework taken regardless of whether courses are part of a first or subsequent degree, or not part of a degree program at all.

No. Cumulative GPA (cGPA) is based on undergraduate coursework only. Applicants who submit official transcripts showing conferral of a graduate degree by the application deadline will be awarded bonus points. Value of bonus points is confidential to the Admissions Office.

No. Internationally trained dentists are NOT eligible to apply or enter the DDS Program.

Graduates of dental programs not recognized by the Canadian Dental Association may be eligible to apply to the Advanced Standing Program for International Dental Graduates (ASPIDG). For information about applying, please visit the ASPIDG webpage.

For information on credentialing for internationally trained dentists, please visit the CICIC website.

Applicants must complete at least 90 credit hours/15.0 credits (3 years) of undergraduate coursework (30 credits/year taken between September and April) at a recognized university, by April 30 of the year of entry.

A maximum of 6 pass/fail credit hours (1.0 pass/fail course) is permissible in each of the 3 September to April undergraduate years.

Coursework in progress at the time of application is eligible for consideration toward the 90 credit hours/15.0 credits (3-year) undergraduate coursework requirement, as long as the academic year has 30 credit hours taken between September and April.

Admittance for applicants with an academic year in progress is conditional upon:

• successfully completing the required credit hours/credits,
• successfully completing the undergraduate coursework, and
• the cumulative 3.0 GPA being maintained.

To meet this requirement, applicants must take additional undergraduate coursework where 30 credit hours/5.0 credits are taken between September and April. A maximum of 6 pass/fail credit hours are permitted.

Undergraduate coursework taken during the application cycle is eligible for consideration toward the 90 credit hours /15.0 credits. If admitted to the program, it would be conditional on completing the 30 credit hours in progress AND maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA (cGPA) across all undergraduate coursework.  

Applicants may withdraw from non-prerequisite courses.

Withdrawals must appear on the final official transcript.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure withdrawal from any course will not affect the cumulative GPA (cGPA) or a condition of offer.  

Full course load: 30 credit hours/5.0 credits completed during the September to April academic year. This is typically 5 full-year or 10 half-year courses. It does not matter how the courses are distributed between the fall and winter semesters. 

Full-year course: a course that runs from September to April.

Half-year course: a course that runs from September to December, or from January to April.

No. All applicants must meet the same minimum admissions requirements. Exceptions will not be granted.

Online courses
Online courses from a recognized university are considered toward cumulative GPA (cGPA).

Online courses may be considered toward the 3-year (90 credit hours/15.0 credits) undergraduate coursework requirement if taken during the September to April academic year. If it is not clear from the official transcript, additional documentation may be required confirming that the online courses were completed between September and April.

Pass/Fail courses
Yes. A maximum of 6 pass/fail credit hours (1.0 pass/fail credit) is permissible in each of the 3 undergraduate coursework years completed between September and April.

Discovery Credits (Western students) will be considered within, not in addition to, the 6 credit hour pass/fail allowance.

Repeat courses
Yes. Repeat courses are considered toward cumulative GPA (cGPA). If repeated during the September to April academic year, course weights are considered toward the course load for that academic year.

Repeat course grades are not substituted for original grades. Repeat course grades along with the original grades are included in cumulative GPA (cGPA).

Spring/Summer courses
Spring/Summer courses are included in the cumulative GPA (cGPA).

Spring/Summer course are not considered toward meeting the requirement of 3 years (90 credit hours/15.0 credits) of undergraduate coursework per year (30 credit hours/5.0 credits), which must be taken between September and April. 

IB and AP Credits
IB and AP credits are not eligible for consideration in our admissions process.

CEGEP courses
CEGEP courses are not considered for cumulative GPA (cGPA) or undergraduate coursework. However, CEGEP courses are acceptable toward meeting approved prerequisite course requirements.

Yes. Schulich Dentistry will consider applicants completing undergraduate programs that require clinical placements. However, an academic year taken between September and April cannot include more than the pass/fail allowance to be eligible for consideration.  Please see Pass/Fail courses.

Applicants must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA (cGPA) of 3.0 across ALL undergraduate coursework.

At least 3 years of undergraduate coursework (90 credit hours/15.0 credits) must be completed by April 30 of the potential year of entry. Each year must contain a minimum 30 credit hours (5.0 credits) taken between September and April.

An academic year in progress is eligible to be considered toward the 90 credit hours /15.0 credits (3 years) of undergraduate coursework.

Offers of admission will be conditional upon successful completion of the required credit hours/credits, undergraduate coursework and cumulative GPA (cGPA) being maintained.

OUAC (Ontario Universities’ Application Centre) conversion scale is used to convert grades.  Cumulative GPA (cGPA) is based on ALL undergraduate coursework as indicated on officially submitted transcripts.

• Where percentage and alpha grades are presented, the percentage grade will be used.
• Where only alpha grades are presented, the letter grade will be converted to OUAC value using the Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table. 

Cumulative average is determined by adding all the course weights and all the converted grades, then dividing the total course weights into the total converted grades.

Schulich Dentistry will consider the best two academic years consisting of the two terms which combine to complete one of the mandatory program years, e.g. Terms 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8. We will not consider two terms belonging to different program years, e.g. 2/3, 4/5, 6/7.

Each academic year must contain at least 30 credit hours (5 full-course equivalents) at, or above, the published academic level of the year of study.

The year may be eligible to be considered toward the 90 credit hours/15.0 credits (3 years) of undergraduate coursework if the year has a minimum 30 credit hours (5.0 credits) completed between September 2019 and April 2020.

Cumulative GPA (cGPA) will only consider grades from the fall 2019 semester.

A maximum of 6 pass/fail credit hours (1.0 course) will be permitted in the fall 2019 semester (September to December) and must be passed.

Discovery Credits will be considered within, not in addition to, the 6-credit hour pass/fail allowance.

In determining our policies regarding assessment of the 2019-2020 academic year, we consulted with professional school and university colleagues across Canada, examining how undergraduate students may have been impacted by the disruption of their studies and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We learned that some students did not have an option to receive alpha or numeric grades (i.e. received credit/no credit only), some students were not able to participate fully in online learning due to limited resources, and some students had in-class lab, practicum or work term requirements for their degree adversely affected, resulting in a significant impact on grade calculations for the winter 2020 semester.  We also learned that some students did well academically with the transition and had the opportunity to receive alpha or numeric grades. 

With over 70 universities in Canada alone, determining a solution for how to assess grades was not considered lightly, particularly since applicants come from a variety of institutions and countries, and the impact of COVID-19 affects applicants both within and outside of Canada.  Allowing variable academic standards suited to an individual applicant’s situation within their university and country would be difficult. Consequently, our Dentistry Admissions Committee deliberated to ensure that an equitable academic standard could be set for everyone.

The Committee decided that with the variability in grade reporting, the inequities to those students who are marginalized, and the impact of COVID-19 being variable across universities and countries, in fairness to all applicants the Winter 2020 term would not be used for cumulative GPA. Instead of discounting the entire 2019-2020 academic year completely from eligibility or using varying criteria for individual applicants, the Committee decided that the most reasonable academic standard would be to allow the grades from the fall 2019 semester to be eligible for cumulative GPA. 

We recognize that this decision may be disappointing to applicants who received alpha or numeric grades in winter 2020, but we encourage applicants to consider their individual academic situation within the context of Schulich Dentistry’s method of calculation.

Yes. Applicants must successfully complete university-level coursework in each of the following prerequisite subject areas by April 30 of the year of entry: 

• Biochemistry: 0.5 credit
• General Mammalian Physiology: 1.0 credit
• Biology: 2.0 credits
• English: 0.5 credit

Successful completion of prerequisite courses requires a pass or credit designation.

Lab components are not required to meet prerequisite requirements.

Prerequisite courses completed more than 10 years prior to the application deadline will not be considered.

CEGEP courses are acceptable toward meeting prerequisite course requirements, but are not considered for cumulative GPA (cGPA) or undergraduate coursework.

IB and AP credits are not eligible for consideration for prerequisite course requirements.

Prerequisite courses can be taken at any time, but must be completed by April 30 of the year of entry. Prerequisites can be completed during the spring/summer semesters prior to the mid-September application opening and during the September to April application cycle.  Prerequisite courses can be taken online.

Prerequisite courses must have been taken within 10 years of the application deadline.

Prerequisite course enrollment must be indicated on official transcripts.

Please visit the Admission Requirements webpage for more details.

A course may be considered an acceptable biochemistry prerequisite if it is a biochemistry-based course totalling at least 0.5 credit from an accredited institution.The course must demonstrate a strong foundation in biochemical principles, including courses that cover fundamental biochemistry topics such as:

• the structure and function of biomolecules
• enzyme kinetics
• metabolity pathways
• molecular biology processes

We cannot provide a complete list of all equivalent courses from all institutions. However, to assist with the planning of undergraduate coursework the following are examples of acceptable Western courses:

BIOCHEM 2280A, BIOCHEM 2288A, CBE2290A, CHEM 4493B

Courses may be considered acceptable mammalian physiology prerequisites if they are physiology-based courses  from an accredited institution totalling at least 1.0 credit. Courses must demonstrate a strong foundation in human or mammalian systems physiology, including concepts such as:

• neurophysiology (autonomic, sensory, motor and integrative)
• muscle
• cardiovascular
• respiratory
• gastrointestinal
• renal
• endocrine
• metabolism
• reproduction
• homeostasis

We cannot provide a complete list of all equivalent courses from all institutions. However, to assist with the planning of undergraduate coursework the following are examples of acceptable Western courses:

PHYSIO 1020, PHYSIO 1021, PHYSIO 2130, PHYSIO 3120

Courses may be considered acceptable biology prerequisites if they are biology-based courses from an accredited institution totalling at least 2.0 credits. Courses must demonstrate a strong foundation in biological sciences, such as:

• general biology
• molecular biology
• genetics
• microbiology
• anatomy

We cannot provide a complete list of equivalent courses from all institutions. However, to assist with the planning of undergraduate coursework the following are examples of acceptable Western courses:

BIOLOGY 1001A, BIOLOGY 1002B, BIOLOGY 2382A/B, BIOLOGY 2581A/B

A course may be considered an acceptable English prerequisite if it is an English-based course from an accredited institution totalling at least 0.5 credit.

Acceptable courses include those offered through an accredited university’s Department of English and may focus on:

• English language
• literature
• composition
• rhetoric
• communication studies

The course must place a strong emphasis on written work evaluated for the following, as outlined in the official course description or syllabus:

• composition
• structure
• grammar
• spelling

Courses not taught through a recognized English department do not fulfill this requirement.

ESL (English as a Second Language) courses are not acceptable.

We cannot provide a complete list of equivalent courses from all institutions. However, to assist with the planning of undergraduate coursework the following are examples of acceptable Western courses:

ENGLISH 1020 to 1999, ENGLISH 2033E, ENGLISH 2071F/G

No. All applicants must meet the same minimum admission requirements. Prerequisites can be completed during the spring/summer semesters prior to the mid-September application opening. Prerequisites can be taken during the September to April application cycle. Prerequisites can be taken online. All prerequisites must be completed by April 30 of the year of entry.

Yes. Prerequisite courses can be retaken to achieve the required pass or credit designation and will not adversely affect the application.

Yes. Repeat courses are considered toward cumulative GPA (cGPA). If repeated during the September to April academic year, course weights are considered toward the 3-year undergraduate coursework (90 credit hours/15.0 credits) requirement.

Repeated course grades are not substituted for original grades. Repeated course grades along with the original grades are included in the cumulative GPA (cGPA).

The DAT is a test conducted by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA) to help students assess their aptitude for a career in dentistry, and to assist dental schools in selecting first-year students.

For DAT scores to be eligible for admission consideration: 

• applicants must have completed the DAT within two years of the application deadline, and
• must have taken DAT that includes Reading Comprehension (the French DAT does not include Reading Comprehension and therefore is not acceptable to meet our DAT requirement),
• scores must be received by Western University directly from the CDA/ADA by the November 1 application deadline.

Please note: 

• a request to the CDA/ADA to release scores to Western University is not an instantaneous process.  Please ensure to account for their processing times to ensure scores are received in the Admissions Office by the 4:30PM ET deadline on November 1.  No exceptions will be made to this deadline.
• Schulich Dentistry does not confirm receipt of DAT scores. Please contact CDA/ADA to confirm when scores were sent.

Only the most recent eligible DAT score will be used. Schulich Dentistry keeps DAT results for the duration of their eligibility (two years) in its application process.

Please visit the Admission Requirements webpage for more details.

Yes.  For results of the ADA DAT to be eligible for admission consideration, applicants must have completed the DAT within two years of the application deadline. Only the most recent eligible DAT score will be used. 

Schulich Dentistry keeps DAT results for the duration of their eligibility (two years) in its application process.

Please visit the Admissions Requirements webpage for more details.

All sections of the DAT may be used in the selection process except for Manual Dexterity. Minimum thresholds are set after the application closes and are based on the calibre of the applicant pool.

No. Applicants must contact the CDA/ADA to confirm when scores were released or will be released to Western. Please note, a request to release a score does not mean the score is released and received by Western immediately. Applicants are advised to plan accordingly as deadlines are strictly enforced.

Casper is an online, open-response situational judgement test administered by Acuity Insights. Casper measures competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program.

No. Only the Casper assessment is used in our admissions process.

Casper scores are valid for one application cycle only.

No. We only consider the Casper test scores for the eligible test dates listed on Acuity Insights for Western University. All dates listed are acceptable to meet our 4:30PM ET November 1 application deadline.

The determination of a minimum score is made after the application closes and is based on the calibre of the applicant pool.

Visit the Acuity Insights website to review test dates and to sign up for Casper test CSP-10211 Professional Health Sciences. To register, you will need to upload government-issued photo ID.

You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times which have been pre-arranged/approved by our program in accordance with our admissions timeline. These are the only testing dates that will meet our application deadline. There will be no additional tests scheduled.

Schulich Dentistry takes a holistic approach to admissions that values not only academic excellence but also the lived experiences, personal attributes, and potential of each applicant. As part of this process, applicants complete the Western Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) to help us understand how they align with the School’s mission to serve diverse communities with integrity and care.

The Western ABS will be made available to current applicants through the Kira Talent platform. After the OUAC application closes, applicants will be provided detailed instructions about where to access the Western ABS.

Applicants are invited for an interview based on a compiled score representing academic achievement, DAT and Casper scores, and Western ABS.

Interview notifications are emailed in late January, with interviews held approximately two weeks later on a Saturday or Sunday in February. 

Interviews are 30 minutes in duration, standardized with structured questions, and conducted by a three-person panel consisting of a dentist, a current dental student, and a community member.

Schulich Dentistry interviews approximately 200 applicants for up to 56 seats. Please visit the Interviews webpage for more details.

Applicants are ranked based on a compiled score representing academic achievement, DAT and Casper scores, Western ABS, and an interview.

Applicants who are not offered direct admission may be placed on a wait list. Schulich Dentistry does not provide specific candidate ranking, nor any information on wait list movement. General information regarding relative position on the wait list (whether past applicants in a similar ranked position have or have not received an offer) may be obtained by contacting the Schulich Dentistry Admissions Office.

The wait list will remain active until the first day of the DDS Program when the entire class of up to 56 students has been admitted.

Applicants who, for any reason, may not be reachable during the active wait list period may designate an Authorized Contact to receive information and/or to speak on their behalf.

Applicants on the wait list will be provided with detailed information about how to designate an Authorized Contact. For information about Release of Information, click here.

Apply online for entry to:

• Year 1: available from mid-September until November 1 on the How to Apply webpage
• Year 2: available from early May until July 1 on the Transfer Students webpage

No. The Admissions Office does not pre-assess transcripts or review documents before receiving an application through OUAC. We are more than happy to answer questions about our admission requirements so applicants can better determine if they meet the minimum requirements.

For entry into Year 1, the application is available through our How To Apply webpage. The online application opens mid-September and closes November 1.

For transfer into Year 2, the application is available through our Transfer Students webpage. The online application opens in early May and closes July 1.

Schulich Dentistry does not offer a combined/concurrent Master's degree program.

Applicants wishing to complete a PhD in relation to the DDS Program may apply to the Dental Clinician Scientist (DCS) Program. Applicants accepted into the DCS Program will be offered deferred admission to Schulich Dentistry upon successful completion of their PhD in a dentistry-oriented project at Western.

Applicants will be assessed by the Schulich Dental Research Committee and the Dentistry Admissions Committee.

Schulich Dentistry offers several opportunities for continued study following the completion of the DDS Program:

• Graduate Orthodontics : a 3-year Master's of Clinical Dentistry (MClD) Orthodontics
• Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Program : a combined study leading to a MD and a MSc (Pathology)
• General Practice Residency Program: a one-year certificate program

Additional graduate degree program offerings at Western University can be found on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

Schulich Dentistry receives approximately 800 applications each year. Up to 200 applicants are invited to attend an interview, and up to 56 are accepted into the DDS Program.

Current and historic fee schedules for both domestic and international students can be found on the Office of the Registrar website.

The Western Financial Aid Office is there to help students meet their educational goals. 

For detailed information, please visit the Office of Registrar website.

Please visit the Welcome to Western webpage for ways to explore the campus.

Dentistry Admissions Coordinator
e. admissions.dentistry@schulich.uwo.ca