2023-2024
Pre-Dentistry (Advising Track)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science: Life Science (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Associate degree
Program description
Students interested in the pre-dental advising track must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours including the listed prerequisite courses and be on track to receive a baccalaureate degree to be considered for admission to dental school. Students interested in dental school should consult with a pre-professional health adviser to learn about requirements that are specific to the schools of dentistry to which they hope to apply.
Declaration of the pre-dental advising track through the Office of Pre-Professional Health Advising does not constitute admission to the VCU School of Dentistry. Students must apply separately to the dental school of their choice at the appropriate time.
Students with an interest in preparing for dental school must declare an academic major and should declare and maintain their pre-dental advising track. Students do not earn a pre-dental degree. Students unsure of their academic majors initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their advisers. Pre-dental students are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them. To declare a pre-dentistry advising track, please see the pre-professional health advising blog.
Dental schools across the U.S. have different prerequisites for admission into their program. Students should discuss career plans with their pre-professional health adviser for additional guidance.
Career opportunities
Endodontist, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Orthodontist, Pediatric Dentist, Periodontist, Prosthodontist
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
n/a
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 200
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required to apply to become a pre-professional health student and to stay on the pre-professional health advising track.
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2023-2024
Pre-Dentistry (Advising Track)
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Life Science)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend RBC Orientation.
- Schedule an appointment with your Learner Mentor to discuss your degree and class plan.
- A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Dentistry Advising Guide.
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Review admission requirements for the VCU D.D.S. program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
- Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Explore possible career opportunities for pre-dentistry students.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities to find healthcare volunteering and information about shadowing.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Practice using flashcards and continuously assessing your knowledge of subjects that will be tested on the Dental Admission Test (DAT).
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring resources to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
- Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Be prepared for academic challenges by meeting with your Learner Mentor and understanding RBC Student Support available.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Apply to VCU.
- Consider applying to the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP).
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Consider learning a foreign language.
- Volunteer with a vulnerable, under-represented and/or underserved community. Reflect on the challenges these populations might face with their healthcare.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
- Find healthcare experience that’s paid, volunteer or shadowing experience - answer the question, "is this really what I want to do?"
- Search for a summer science opportunity.
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Review resources of the American Dental Association and begin to develop your own plan for applying and taking the Dental Admission Test (DAT).
Recommended courses
2023-2024
Pre-Dentistry (Advising Track)
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Life Science)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements. | ||||
| ENGL 101 | Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Research II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| MATH 151 or MATH 217 | Precalculus II or Introductory Statistics | MATH 151 or STAT 210 | 3 | General education (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| BIO 151 + Lab | Biological Science I + Lab | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | General education (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| BIO 152 + Lab | Biological Science II + Lab | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| CHEM 101 + Lab | General Chemistry I + Lab | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | General education (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| CHEM 102 + Lab | General Chemistry II + Lab | CHEM/Z 102 | 4 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| PHYS 101 or PHYS 201 | College Physics I (lecture and lab) or University Physics I (Lecture and Lab) | PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 | 4 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| PHYS 102 or PHYS 202 | College Physics II (lecture and lab) or University Physics II (Lecture and Lab) | PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 | 4 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 27 | General education | |
| Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU. | |||
| The courses listed below are required or recommended for Pre-Dentistry students. Students must also select a VCU major and complete the major requirements. The minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree at VCU is 120 credits. | |||
| CHEM/Z 301 | Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory | 5 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| CHEM/Z 302 | Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory | 5 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| CHEM 403 | Biochemistry I | 3 | Elective (Pre-dentistry requirement) |
| Dental schools across the U.S. have different prerequisites for admission into their program. The list below shows courses required by various schools beyond the courses listed above for the VCU School of Dentistry. Students should discuss career plans with their pre-professional health career adviser for additional guidance. | |||
| BIOL 205 or BIOL 402 | Basic Human Anatomy or Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 4 | Elective (Pre-dentistry recommendation) |
| BIOL 303 | Microbiology | 3 | Elective (Pre-dentistry recommendation) |
| DENS 101 | Introduction to Dentistry | 1 | Elective (Pre-dentistry recommendation) |
| PHIS 206 or BIOL 411 | Human Physiology or Physiology | 3 | Elective (Pre-dentistry recommendation) |
| Courses required for VCU major and electives Other upper-level science courses in general microbiology, bacteriology, animal or vertebrate physiology, anatomy, genetics and cell biology are strongly recommended. If time permits and the courses are available, courses in immunology, embryology, or developmental biology and histology are highly recommended. Additionally, non-science courses in the behavioral sciences and those involving psychomotor skills are recommended. | 36 | Major | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
| Minimum number of credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree | 120 | ||