The admissions process is competitive. A holistic review is provided for each candidate considering academic records, personal statement, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, interview assessment and any other information provided by the candidate.

To apply a candidate must:

• Have completed 90 college credit hours toward completion of a bachelor’s degree and are eligible to enroll after completing 120 hours of college credit and/or a baccalaureate degree.
• DAT Academic Average (AA): 350 (16) minimum / 370 (17) preferred / 420 (20) average for accepted students
  • Multiple subscores below a 17 (old scale) will impact a candidate’s competitiveness. Use the linked chart to determine concordance of sub scores with new scoring model (changed March 1st, 2025).
• Science & Math GPA (SGPA): 3.0 minimum, 3.4 and above preferred, 3.7 average for accepted students.
• Be a citizen of the United States or a foreign national with a visa permitting permanent residence (only exception is for candidates who are part of the “UMKC-Kuwait Dental Agreement”)
• As a public institution financially supported by the state of Missouri, our first obligation is to qualified residents of Missouri. Additionally, we have formal or informal agreements with the states of Kansas, New Mexico, and Hawaii to accept qualified residents of those states. Preferred consideration will be given to applicants who are residents of the four states listed above. Applicants from other states are welcome to apply and are considered on an individual basis for highly qualified candidates.
• Submit an application for admission with the American Association of Dental Schools Application Service. The centralized application includes candidate’s personal information, experiences, personal statement, coursework and recommendation letters. A minimum of three letters of recommendation or one pre-health advisory committee letter is required. If there is not a pre-health advisory committee at least one letter from a faculty member and one from a dentist is required.

Academic Prerequisites

Candidates are allowed to take prerequisite courses while applying. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester immediately prior to the fall start of the program.

One semester of the following, with lab, if lab is offered

• General Biology
• Anatomy (or Anatomy & Physiology I and II sequence)
• Physiology (or Anatomy & Physiology I and II sequence)
• Biochemistry
• One of the following courses: Cell Biology / Histology / Microbiology / Molecular Biology

First and second semesters of the following with lab, if lab is offered

• Chemistry I &II
• Organic Chemistry I & II
• Physics I & II
• English Composition I & II (or other writing intensive courses)

Additional recommended courses include cell biology, histology, microbiology, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, ethics, statistics, public health, social sciences, psychology, nutrition, business, communications, art, ceramics, 3-D design, and Spanish (other foreign languages)

The following reflect positively on a candidate’s application:

• A minimum of 100 hours of ongoing dental shadowing/work experiences in 3+ different practices.
• A minimum of 100 hours of ongoing community service in 3+ different organizations, exhibiting evidence of service and compassion
• Demonstration of the ability to critically think and problem solve.
• Evidence of strong personal character.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to balance a demanding academic schedule with extracurricular activities and/or employment (time management and organization).

Technical Standards
Candidates must attest to having the abilities and skills in the following areas to satisfactorily complete the curriculum: (1) Observation (2) Communication (3) Motor (4) Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities (5) Emotional and Behavioral Attributes. Full details available at Technical Standards.

The admission process is a selective one. A number of variables will be considered: academic credentials, Dental Admission Test scores, letters of recommendation, investigation of dentistry, community service and your written responses to a series of questions. In addition, an “invitation only” interview is a part of the selection process.

Limited scholarships are available to incoming students based on academics, leadership, service and financial need. Scholarships typically range from $5,000-$20,000 per year, plus opportunities for awards that cover the full nonresident fee differential.