This seven-year, dual-degree program between the College of Arts and Science and the College of Dentistry at New York University is designed for students who are certain that they intend to pursue a career in dentistry and earn their dental degree at NYU. It enables students to complete both the Bachelor of Arts and the Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees in a shorter period of time than if they pursued these programs separately. Students are directly admitted to the program as incoming first-year students (with a typical secondary school GPA of 3.5 or higher) and then complete the entire program in seven years of full-time study.
Students spend the first three years of the program at the College of Arts and Science, where they complete the College Core Curriculum, the prehealth requirements, and an abbreviated major in Biology for a typical total of 103 credits. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5, both overall and in the major, and must earn grades of B or higher in all courses required for the abbreviated major in Biology. They meet regularly with the program director to discuss their course of study and academic performance and are also expected to participate in the program's cocurricular activities, which are designed to enhance their understanding of the dental profession; these activities include special lectures, field trips, and cultural functions.
During the fall of their third (junior) year, students in the dual-degree Biology/Dentistry program must take the Dental Admission Test and submit a formal application to the NYU College of Dentistry. Students enter the College of Dentistry in the fall of their fourth year and must maintain matriculation in the College of Arts and Science during their first year of dental school. The BA degree is conferred after the College of Dentistry has forwarded an official copy of the first-year dental school transcript and a statement confirming promotion to the second year of dental studies to the associate dean for advising and student services in the College of Arts and Science's Office of the Dean; 25 of the credits earned in dental courses in the fourth year of study double-count toward both degrees. The DDS degree requires four years of study in total and is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Questions regarding this program should be directed to the Department of Biology (biology.dugs@nyu.edu).
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
During their first three years in the College of Arts and Science, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher at all times and also complete the abbreviated major in Biology with a 3.5 GPA (with no grade below a B in the required major coursework in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics; courses graded Pass/Fail do not count toward the undergraduate major). Students who do not meet these conditions cannot advance to the College of Dentistry as candidates for the DDS degree.
Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:
A foundation of knowledge in current concepts of, and the mechanisms underlying, living systems.
Skills that enable graduates to reason critically and to analyze primary literature in the life sciences.
Experience in problem-solving, including quantitative analysis.
The ability to use the scientific method to design and implement controlled experiments or tests to address explicit hypotheses.
Proficiency in communicating scientific ideas in both oral and written formats, and also in collaborating on common scientific projects.
College of Dentistry
Upon completion of the program, graduates of NYU Dentistry are well prepared as confident and competent novice practitioners. Graduates will have gained the skills, knowledge, and expertise to:
Provide high-quality comprehensive patient care and demonstrate compassion and respect for patient values.
Evaluate and apply evidence-based research in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences and in technology to health and disease and promote transfer of knowledge and technology to the dental care delivery system.
Contribute to and participate in service activities to the community, serving as leaders with experience treating a diverse population.
Foster a culture of safety in patient care, adhering to the standards set forth by the American Dental Association and upholding the ADA's Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct.
Policies
Program Policies
Notes on the Coursework in Biology
One of the two advanced BIOL-UA electives must be an At the Bench offering or another laboratory course in the Department of Biology.
Students in this dual-degree program do not take the 1-credit BIOL-UA 123 Principles of Biology Laboratory.
Sharing of Credits Between Both Degrees
In the fourth year of study (the first year of the DDS program), the smallest possible number of College of Dentistry credits will be applied to the requirements of both degrees. This Bulletin’s sample plan of study assumes 103 credits are earned in the College of Arts and Science in the first three years, in which case 25 of the dental credits earned in the fourth year will be double-counted (the CAS baccalaureate degree requires 128 credits). For students who earn more than 103 CAS credits, the number of double-counted dental credits will be reduced accordingly. The baccalaureate degree is then conferred at the end of the eighth term.
Discontinuation in the Program
In the first three years of study, any CAS student may discuss with the program director a voluntary withdrawal from the seven-year program. Should a student decide not to continue, he or she may formally withdraw by sending a letter to the program director. The student then progresses toward the CAS baccalaureate degree (requires 128 credits; the abbreviated major in Biology will no longer be an option) without any commitment to entering dental school.
An undergraduate student can also be involuntarily dismissed from this program based on an evaluation of grades, participation in program events, and progress toward the CAS degree. Before this point is reached, students are always afforded the opportunity to rectify any problems and to meet with the program director. Actual dismissal from the program will only result after careful review by the program committee, the program director, and the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.
Limitations on Other Programs of Study and Study Away
Due to the accelerated nature of this program, CAS students are not permitted to minor or double-major in other disciplines. For the same reason, students who wish to study away should consider doing so over the summer or by attending our overseas science program at NYU London. Approval of the program director is required to study abroad.