Advanced Education Certificate Programs

An advanced education certificate program is offered in each of the following areas:

General Nature of Programs

Each certificate program curriculum is designed to prepare the student for specialty practice and to help the student meet the educational training requirements for examination by the appropriate American dental specialty board. All programs begin with the summer term (the first week of July). Programs vary in length from 12 to 35 months.

Admission to an advanced education dental certificate program is competitive. Primary focus is on the applicant's academic record while in dental school (minimum 3.0 GPA). Emphasis is also placed on information gathered from PASS application materials and professional evaluations (such as quality of professional practice experience, continuing education experience, research activities, leadership and involvement and participation in professional societies and community service). Another fundamental source of information is supplied by a personal on-site interview that is required of most programs and is by invitation.

Applicants to an advanced education dental certificate program must hold a D.D.S. degree or equivalent from a program accredited either by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) or the Canadian Dental Accrediting Commission (CDAC).

Admission

The Advanced Education Committee (AEC) serves as the admission review board for each of the advanced education dental certificate programs. Each program has its own admission review board. At a minimum, the admission review board consists of the respective program director and at least two other full-time faculty members.

Each program's admission review board submits its recommendations for potential interviewees to the AEC for consideration. Recommendations for interviewees include those identified as prime candidates and those who serve as "alternates." Acceptance or denial of each recommended interview candidate is made by the AEC.  Following the interview and candidate acceptance by the respective program review committee as well as the MATCH process where applicable, a list of formally accepted candidates is submitted to the AEC after confirmation of an acceptable background check.