2024-2025
Pre-Dentistry (minor)
VCU
Community college:
AA&S or AS in Science (Virginia Community College System)
Associate degree
Associate of Science in Science or Associate of Arts and Sciences in Science
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
Program description
The pre-dentistry minor provides foundational courses for students that are preparing to be competitive applicants for Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) programs after completing their bachelor’s degree at VCU. The pre-dentistry minor can be completed as a part of any undergraduate degree. Completing this minor does not guarantee admission into any dentistry program. This minor is structured to academically prepare students to apply for dentistry school broadly. Clinical and non-clinical experiences are a requirement of application to most dental schools. In addition to this minor, students should participate in clinical and non-clinical experiences to develop a competitive application for dental school. Visit the VCU Career Services - Pre-Professional Health Career Advising website for more information and to schedule an appointment with a pre-professional health and STEM career counselor.
Career opportunities
Dental schools across the U.S. have different prerequisites for admission. The list below shows courses that may be required by various schools including the VCU School of Dentistry. It is always recommended that a student visit each program’s webpages and/or attend an information session to obtain requirements for specific programs. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser to integrate these courses into their academic plan. In addition, students are encouraged to discuss career plans with their pre-dentistry minor adviser and VCU career counselor for additional guidance.
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Dentist
- Endodonist
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
- Orthodontist
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.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
No guaranteed admission.
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)
- 3.0+
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2024-2025
Pre-Dentistry (minor)
Virginia Community College System (AA&S or AS in 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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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
- Enroll in a SDV student success course.
- A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Dentistry Advising Guide.
- Explore community college 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.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
- Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
- Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Complete career assessments through the Virginia Education Wizard.
- Browse information about occupations and job titles associated with dentistry.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Create a weekly and monthly budget.
- Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
- Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Practice using flashcards and continuously assessing your knowledge of subjects that will be tested on the Dental Admission Test (DAT).
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to VCU.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Select a VCU major.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
- Participate in the VCU STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
- Consider applying to the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP).
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
- Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
- Search for a summer science opportunity.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- 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
2024-2025
Pre-Dentistry (minor)
Virginia Community College System (AA&S or AS in Science)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 or 101 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| MTH 167 or MTH 245 | Precalculus with Trigonometry (or MTH 161-162) Or Statistics I | MATH 151 or STAT 210 | 5 | General education (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| BIO 101 | General Biology I | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | General education (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| BIO 102 | General Biology II | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| CHM 111 | General Chemistry I | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | General education (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| CHM 112 | General Chemistry II | CHEM/Z 102 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| PHY 201 or PHY 241 | General College Physics I or University Physics I | PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| PHY 202 or PHY 242 | General College Physics II or University Physics II | PHYS 202 or PHYS 208 | 4 | Elective (Pre-Dentistry requirement) |
| Humanities/Fine Arts | Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240. | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature | Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240, ENG 225, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 258, ENG 275 (the course must come from a different group than the previous requirement). | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Social science | Select one of the following (UCGS Block III): ECO 150, ECO 201, ECO 202, GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 140, PLS 241, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268. | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| History | Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122. | HIST | 3 | General education |
| Complete requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 12 | Elective | |
| Community college credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| The courses listed below are required for the minor in Pre-Dentistry. Students must complete at least 9 credits of upper-level course requirements at VCU to be eligible for the minor. 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. | |||
| BIOL 300 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 | Elective (Pre-Dentistry minor) |
| BIOL 303 | Microbiology | 3 | Elective (Pre-Dentistry minor) |
| 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) |
| 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. | 41 | 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 | ||