Admissions Requirements and Procedures
We are still accepting applications for our August 2023 cohort. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis; you are encouraged to apply as early as possible to maximize your chance for admission. Our priority application date for our January 2024 cohort is October 20, 2023. Candidates that submit their completed application materials, all supporting documents, and an application fee will receive the strongest consideration to the program.
Applicants are required to have a dental degree (BDS, DDS, DMD or equivalent). Advanced dental training and/or clinical practice experience beyond a dental degree is preferred, but not required.
Applicants to the MADS Program at Penn Dental Medicine may be foreign nationals, United States citizens, or hold United States Lawful Permanent Resident status. Matriculation requires compliance with Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulations as determined by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. University of Pennsylvania International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) website has detailed information.
The requirements for application will follow those used for advanced dental education programs at Penn Dental Medicine.
Program Application – All applicants must submit an application through Slate application service. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis; you are encouraged to apply as early as possible to maximize your chance for admission.
Application Fee – A non-refundable application fee of $100 will be collected at the time of application. No application fee waivers are available.
Letters of Recommendation –Two letters of recommendation from those who know your academic and professional qualifications are required. Recommenders should be chosen from people most familiar with your former studies, research interests, or work, preferably at least one faculty member in the institution you last attended. We prefer recommendations from instructors familiar with your work in the field in which you expect to study. Letters must be on letterhead and include an original signature and title. Letters of evaluation from evaluators will be requested electronically by the applicant while completing the application in the applicant portal.
Official TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Score – An official TOEFL score is required for all applicants who completed their dental degree at a non U.S. or Canadian CODA accredited dental school. TOEFL scores are valid for two calendar years prior to the program’s application deadline. Penn Dental Medicine only accepts the Internet-Based iBT exam. In order for scores to be considered official, Penn Dental Medicine must receive your electronic TOEFL scores directly from ETS. Instructions for ordering official TOEFL scores are available on the ETS TOEFL website. Penn Dental Medicine’s institution code is 2944. Please use the institution code when requesting your official scores to ensure that we receive them as efficiently as possible. Photocopies or paper copies of scores will not meet this requirement. Applicants whose native language is English, or whose primary language of instruction was in English in high school through dental school and/or postdoctoral training, are waived from this requirement.
Official Transcripts – Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended are required.
Applicants who received their post-secondary education in the U.S. and Canada have the option of sending their official transcripts electronically through a secure file transfer with e-transcript services Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse. Official transcripts can also be emailed securely from both Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse to pdm-transcripts@dental.upenn.edu. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted, nor will emailed transcripts from services other than Parchment or Student Clearinghouse. If electronic or email delivery of official transcripts through these services are unavailable at your institution, please have your sealed official transcripts set to the mailing address below.
Applicants who received their post-secondary education in countries other than the U.S. or Canada must have sealed official transcripts mailed from the granting institution to the mailing address below. If official transcripts are not written in the English language, an original certified English translation is required. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted. Unfortunately, international transcripts cannot be sent electronically.
University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine
Office of Student Admissions
240 South 40th Street, Room 122
Philadelphia, PA 19104-603
In addition to official transcripts from all international post-secondary schools attended, applicants must submit an Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) Course by Course evaluation from those schools in order to be considered for admission. Please review the ECE® official documentation requirements carefully, as they vary by country.
To request your report, visit https://accounts.ece.org/TPO/USDM-F and select Course-by-Course Evaluation Report. The report will be delivered electronically to PDM.
Please DO NOT send any transcripts, CVs, Portfolios to Penn Dental Medicine.
Application Process
The MADS Admissions Selection Committee will review completed applications on a rolling basis. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis; you are encouraged to apply as early as possible to maximize your chance for admission. Interviews will begin in April and final decisions will be communicated in early June. All admitted candidates will be notified by email.
Final decisions for acceptance are based upon the following:
- undergraduate/postgraduate coursework
- clinical experience
- letters of recommendation
- interviews
The applicants will be selected by an admissions committee.