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Select the email address below to ask a question of an admissions official at the School of Dentistry. dental.admit@mu.edu

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Admission Requirements

Marquette University School of Dentistry requires the successful completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours from an accredited college or university.

The following are scholastic requirements:

Chemistry — 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours)

Eight semester hours (at least two courses) in general inorganic chemistry including laboratory work are required. A course in quantitative and qualitative analysis may be accepted in lieu of one course in general inorganic chemistry.
Eight hours of organic chemistry (at least two courses) including laboratory work are required.

Physics — 8 semester hours (12 quarter hours)

College physics courses including laboratory work are required.

Biology — 8 semester hours (12 quarter hours)

Zoology and a course in comparative vertebrate anatomy are preferred but not mandatory. Only four semester hours of botany or that portion of a general biology course pertaining to botany will apply toward the biology requirement. Laboratory work must be included.

English — 6 semester hours (9 quarter hours)

Six semester hours of English. Composition, literature and/or comparative literature will fulfill the requirement.

Biochemistry — 3 semester hours (5 quarter hours)

Three semester hours in biochemistry. This course must be taken at a four-year institution. Laboratory work is not required.

Note that the School of Dentistry does not accept AP course work for prerequisite science requirements. All requirements must be completed before the student begins his/her freshman year in the School of Dentistry. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the dean or his designee.

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Recommended Electives

Suggested pre-doctoral science electives include anatomy, cell biology, genetics, microbiology and physiology. Math courses are suggested in preparation for physics and advanced chemistry.

Students are advised to gain, through their college studies, an understanding and an appreciation of various cultural backgrounds in preparation for their futures as professionals and community leaders.

With these ideas in mind, it is recommended that courses in English composition and literature, speech, history, philosophy, sociology, political science, economics, psychology, foreign language and the like be included in the schedule of pre-dental studies.

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Application Procedures

1. Application for admission to Marquette University School of Dentistry may be made through the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). All AADSAS applicants must submit an online application. The application may be accessed at www.ADEA.org in early June prior to the year for which admission is being sought. Individuals who do not have computer access should contact AADSAS by phone at (202) 289-7201 or (800) 353-2237 or by mail at 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20005.
2. The completed application should be submitted to AADSAS in the month of June. For optimum consideration, completed credentials should be received no later than Sept. 1.
3. After completing the AADSAS application, the student should forward a $45 processing/application fee to the Marquette University School of Dentistry as soon as possible. Three letters of recommendation (at least two from science professors) should be submitted to AADSAS. Qualified candidates that the Admissions Committee choose to pursue will be invited for personal interviews that occur during October and November.
4. Every applicant is required to take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). The computerized DAT is offered, by appointment, through the Dental Admissions Testing Program and local Prometric Testing Centers across the country. Applications for the DAT may be obtained by writing to: Department of Testing Services, American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 or online at www.ada.org or www.adea.org.
5. All students entering the Marquette University School of Dentistry must be immunized against Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and tetanus-diphtheria. Students are also required to have an annual TB skin test and show immunity to varicella-zoster through a blood titer. Students should receive immunizations through their personal physician or contact MU Student Health Services for further information. Students are also required to provide proof of health insurance coverage.
6. The School of Dentistry’s Admissions Committee accepts applicants based on scholarship, Dental Admission Test scores, a personal interview and the applicant’s overall suitability for the study of dentistry. An applicant may be accepted provisionally, pending receipt of the grades earned in the balance of courses taken or the results of the Dental Admission Test. All test scores, as well as complete and final transcripts from colleges and universities previously attended, must be submitted before a student finally enrolls in classes. No consideration will be given to an applicant with an outstanding balance of $3,000 or more owed to Marquette University.
7. Accepted applicants must respond in writing within the deadlines stated in the letter of acceptance. A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve an applicant’s position in the class. Special deposit and insurance fees are required of international students.

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Admission for International Students

International students must submit the necessary application forms, fees, official transcripts and any other items that are required by the School of Dentistry. All documents must be issued by the appropriate source and must bear fresh-ink printing, signatures, stamp, seal or other mark of certification as an official document. All materials not in the English language must be accompanied by official language translations.

International students must also have an adequate command of both written and spoken English. If English was not the language of a student’s formal education, he or she must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service or submit other evidence of English proficiency. Information concerning the TOEFL can be obtained from: TOEFL; Box 6155; Princeton, NJ 08541-6155, U.S.A, or www.ets.org/toefl

Once accepted, prospective dental students who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States will work with the Office of International Education toward completion of the university and student legal arrangements required before enrollment. Each prospective Marquette F-1 or J-1 visa student must document full financial resources for the duration of the program here before that office can issue the student’s required Certificate of Eligibility for subsequent governmental arrangements.

Non-immigrant students must abide by the regulations of their legal status in the United States, including those regarding their defined educational objectives, academic load and employment. Each student is to consult with the Office of International Education regarding maintenance of proper legal status throughout the years of dental education.

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Minority and/or Disadvantaged Applicants

Prospective students who consider themselves socioeconomically disadvantaged and/or from racial minority groups are encouraged to utilize the services of the Office of Diversity. The School of Dentistry’s commitment to the recruitment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented minority dentists has been in operation since 1977. Services and activities for students include application assistance, tutorial support, and academic and personal counseling. Please contact the Office of Diversity for more information about programs and services for disadvantaged and/or minority students, visit their website at marquette.edu/dentistry/current/MulticulturalAffairs.shtml.

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Advanced Standing Admissions

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Transfer Admissions

A student who desires a transfer to the Marquette University School of Dentistry from another recognized School of Dentistry must submit to the Admissions Committee official transcripts of their dental school and pre-dental college and/or university records along with their application and application fee. In addition, transfer applicants must submit the results of their DAT and National Board, Part I score (if taken). Most importantly, a letter from the dean of the dental school stating rationale for the requested transfer is also required. Students seeking a transfer must complete three years of study at Marquette.

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Foreign Trained Dentists

Dentists, who were trained in countries outside the United States, but wish to practice here, may apply for advanced standing admissions. These candidates are required to complete three years of study at Marquette. Interested parties may apply through the Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (CAAPID). The CAAPID application may be accessed at www.adea.org. Along with an application and application fee, these candidates are also required to submit a translated, course-by-course evaluation of their dental school transcripts, three letters of recommendation and TOEFL test results, if English was not the language of the student’s formal education. National Board, Part I results are strictly required. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview with the Admissions Committee.

Note: Any candidate accepted with advanced standing is required to complete three years of study at Marquette. These candidates join the rising freshman class after acceptance. (Limited spaces may be available on an annual basis.)

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Residency for Tuition Purposes Policy

To be considered a resident for tuition purposes, in the state of Wisconsin, you must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Graduate from a Wisconsin high school and maintain residency in the state of Wisconsin.
2. Graduate from a Wisconsin high school and still have at least one parent residing in the state of Wisconsin for at least 12 continuous months preceding the beginning of the semester to which the student plans to enroll. If both parents are deceased, the last surviving parent must have resided in Wisconsin at the time of his/her death.
3. Live in Wisconsin for a period of at least 12 continuous months, immediately preceding the beginning of the semester to which the student plans to enroll. The student may not complete course work at any educational institution during this 12-month period. Wisconsin state income taxes must have been filed as a full-year resident of Wisconsin for this period.
4. Be the spouse or dependent of a person who was relocated to the state of Wisconsin by his or her current employer for full-time, permanent employment. The position must have been offered and accepted prior to making the move to Wisconsin and prior to the spouse or dependent applying for admission.
5. The determination of residency for tuition purposes is only necessary for students entering as first-time freshmen. The state subsidy is not available for students who enter as advanced standing or transfer students.

Note: Wisconsin residency requirements for tuition purposes differ from those requirements for taxes, voting, etc. Any questions regarding the appropriate determination of residency for tuition purposes may be directed to the state of Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board.

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Criminal Background Check Policy

Applicants to Marquette University School of Dentistry apply through the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS). The AADSAS application requires disclosure of any misdemeanor or felony convictions other than minor traffic violations. Non-disclosure/falsification of any aspect of the AADSAS application may lead to an offer of admission being rescinded by the School of Dentistry.

A criminal background check will be completed on all provisionally accepted applicants to Marquette University School of Dentistry, prior to matriculation, as follows:

1. The criminal background check will be initiated at the time the applicant is provisionally accepted.
2. The criminal background check is not a component of the application, interview, or initial decision-making process for the school. It is the final component of the admissions process. The letter sent by the School of Dentistry to each provisionally accepted applicant will include information regarding this requirement, indicating that the final admissions decision will be made after institutional review of the provisionally accepted applicant’s criminal background check report.
3. Appropriate authorization to initiate the criminal background check will be received from all Marquette University School of Dentistry applicants at the time of their formal interview. Interviewees will be made aware that the background check will only be initiated if they are provisionally accepted for admission.
4. Final decisions regarding provisionally accepted applicants whose criminal background check reveals negative information will be made by an ad hoc committee appointed by the associate dean for academic affairs of the Marquette University School of Dentistry.
5. No information derived from a criminal background check will automatically disqualify any provisionally accepted applicant from final acceptance. A final decision regarding acceptance will be made only after a careful review of the negative information. Offenses revealed by the background check may disqualify a provisionally accepted applicant. The School of Dentistry will use the Wisconsin Caregiver Law as a guide in making such decisions.
6. All information obtained through the criminal background check will be used in accordance with state and federal laws.
7. Enrolled students are required to disclose any felony convictions, including deferred adjudications that violate the Wisconsin Caregiver Law, within thirty days of occurrence to the associate dean for academic affairs. Non-disclosure or falsification of conviction status may be grounds for dismissal or degree revocation.

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Deferment Policy

A student may request that his/her offer of admission be deferred for one year. These steps must be followed:

1. The student must have been offered an appointment to the class and paid a deposit to reserve that space before a deferment request will be entertained.
2. The request for deferment must be submitted, in writing, to the attention of the director of admissions. The request for deferment must include plausible rationale and reasons for consideration.
3. The decision to grant or reject the deferment will be made by the director of admissions in collaboration with the associate dean for academic affairs and student services. Requesting a deferment does not guarantee that one will be granted. Decisions will be based on the quality of the reason(s) cited in the deferment request and will be consistent with current selection criteria. Deferments are contingent upon the recipient maintaining the academic standard illustrated at the time of the original offer of admission.
4. A candidate that is granted a deferment will be asked to formally reapply for the following year. All other supporting credentials will be kept on file. The candidate will not be required to submit a new tuition deposit. The tuition deposit will be carried over to the following year at the time the deferment is granted. The tuition deposit is nonrefundable if the candidate does not enroll for the academic year following the deferment.
5. The candidate will be required to confirm his/her appointment by January 15 of the year of enrollment. The student will be expected to pay the tuition rate current to the year of actual enrollment. The student's residency status will remain the same as it was at the time of the original offer of admission.