Application Information

• This program is intended for students who have graduated high school, exemplifying academic excellence and interest in dentistry as a career.

• The program focuses primarily on students with difficulty financing a fourth year of college at the undergraduate level and four years of professional education.

• This program is for students straight out of high school.

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a DEAP participating undergraduate institution and be in their first academic year at that institution. Community college coursework is permitted during the summer immediately after high school before entering the fall freshman semester at the DEAP participating undergraduate institution.

• The student must have completed at least 12 semester credit hours at the participating undergraduate institution and no more than 30 semester credit hours total. Advanced placement and dual credit courses will be not considered toward this eligibility maximum.

• Applicants will be considered based on academic achievement, standardized test scores, community activities, socioeconomic history, awards, honors, knowledge of the profession, and a letter of recommendation from the pre-health advisor.

• The deadline to apply is March 1st.

• Interviews will be conducted in March and April. Invited students will interview with the Director of Admissions and a member of the Admissions Selection Subcommittee at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry. This interview will assess the student's motivation for the dental profession, knowledge of the profession, maturity, and communication skills.

• Acceptance to the program makes the student eligible for admission to the School of Dentistry upon successfully completing undergraduate requirements and achieving other criteria.

• Admission into DEAP is competitive and not all applicants will be accepted. Typically, 4-6 applicants are accepted into DEAP each year.

During the 3-year undergraduate portion of the 3+4 program, DEAP participants will:

• Complete a special three-year curriculum designed by the undergraduate institution.

• Attend all three years at the college or university cooperating with the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry DEAP. Students are not allowed to take any coursework at a community college after being accepted into DEAP. Community college coursework is permitted during the summer immediately after high school before entering the fall freshman semester at the DEAP participating undergraduate institution.

• Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) by November 1 of the third year.

• Submit a formal application to the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) before October 1 of the third year.

• Request a letter of recommendation from the Pre-Dental Advisor.

• Note: No deferments will be granted to allow students to spend longer than three years of undergraduate study in DEAP. Furthermore, students accepted to DEAP while attending one undergraduate institution will not be permitted to continue the program at another undergraduate institution, even if the second institution also has a DEAP agreement with UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry.

DEAP participants are eligible to enroll in the School of Dentistry when they have:

• Completed predental requirements and the undergraduate institution’s special three-year curriculum.

  • Required courses and other education requirements for dental school are listed under the DDS Program Admissions.

• Earned a grade of “C” or better in dental school required courses and maintained a Cumulative GPA and Science GPA (BCPM GPA), including biology, chemistry, physics, and math of 3.40 in undergraduate work.

  • TMDSAS will calculate the cumulative and BCPM GPAs.

• Scored at least a 410 on the Academic Average of the DAT.

• Established a record of ethical behavior during college years and received a positive recommendation from the predental advisory committee of the undergraduate school.

• As the student completes required courses in the School of Dentistry, credit for designated courses will be applied to undergraduate degree requirements as well. Generally, the bachelor’s degree is awarded by the undergraduate institution when the student has completed the first or second year of dental studies.

List of participating undergraduate schools: