Admission Information

Any college student or graduate can apply for admission to the four-year doctor of dental surgery program. A student should be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (the only exception is for students considered through the school's agreement with the State of Kuwait). Priority is given to Missouri residents. The School also has contractual or other agreements with the states of Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Hawaii to consider qualified residents for acceptance from those states.  Applications from other states are welcome and are considered on an individual basis for highly qualified candidates.

Candidates may be considered for acceptance after successful completion of a minimum of 90 hours of college credit. After completion of a minimum of 120 hours of college credit, the accepted applicant will be eligible to enroll in the School of Dentistry. All candidates for this program are encouraged to complete a baccalaureate degree before entry. In fact, college degree-holders with a broad educational background are the preference of the Dental Student Admission Committee.

Admission is on a selective basis and requires more than meeting course or college-hour requirements. Factors considered in the selection process are the candidates' academic credentials, including Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores, letters of evaluation, personal interview, evidence of the subjective criteria identified in a later section, and all other information submitted by the candidates. Approximately 109 candidates are admitted to the D.D.S. program annually.

Those who want to apply for admission must apply online through the AADSAS Application Service administered by the American Dental Education Association at http://www.adea.org/. Candidates must submit applications no later than Oct. 1 of the year prior to desired enrollment. Sept. 1 is the UMKC preference deadline date for UMKC to receive application materials. Be aware that approximately 4-8 weeks are required by AADSAS to process applications and deliver them to the dental school.

Counseling by the School of Dentistry's admissions staff is available to those interested in applying for admission. It is advisable to seek this counseling early in the undergraduate program.

Cost Estimates

The estimated cost (exclusive of living costs) for the four-year D.D.S. curriculum at the School of Dentistry is $188,600. The amount is based on fees established and costs existing at the time of printing. This is itemized by type of expense and by year.
Note: Educational fees and books/equipment costs are subject to change without notice.

First Year (Fall and Spring Semesters)

Books, Equipment and Supplies $10,340
Educational Fees (Resident) $33,207
First-Year Total $43,547

Second Year (Fall and Spring Semesters)

Books, Equipment and Supplies $10,080
Educational Fees (Resident) $33,320
Nationall Dental Board Exam-Part I $395
Second-Year Total $43,795

Third Year (one 13-week Summer term plus Fall and Spring Semesters)

Books, Equipment and Supplies $8,662
Educational Fees (Resident) $41,064
Third-Year Total $49,726

Fourth Year (one 13-week Summer term plus Fall and Spring Semesters)

Books, Equipment and Supplies $8,062
Educational Fees (Resident) $41,030
National Dental Board Exam-Part 1I/Clinical Board Exam $2,440
Fourth-Year Total $51,532
Four-Year Total $188,600

Non-resident students are assessed an additional $15,679 each fall and spring semester and $7,840 for each of the two summer terms.

Agreements are in place for residents of Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Hawaii to receive waivers of the non-resident fees.

Tuition/Fee Policy for Elective Coursework Outside the School of Dentistry

The dental “flat-rate” tuition and fees only applies to required courses within the DDS program.  Dental students who elect to enroll in courses other than those required as part of the DDS curriculum will pay tuition and fees for those courses.

A dental student’s primary academic responsibility is successfully meeting the curricular expectations of the DDS program. Any coursework taken outside the curriculum requires that a student is in good standing and must be pre-approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. 

Elective enrollment in coursework outside the School of Dentistry is not suggested during fall & spring semesters in years 1 & 2.  Additionally enrollment in courses other than dental courses during preparation for National Board Part 1 (Springl D2) and National Boards Part II (Fall D4) should be limited.

Dental students considering course work outside the dental curriculum should also consider the financial aid implications of the additional course work.  Students should work closely with the Student Financial Aid Office.  The student would only be eligible for DDS financial aid, although Grad Plus loans may be available to select students.