Academic Programs

Advanced Dental Education Programs

Requirements for Admission

All candidates to the Advanced Education Programs must
comply with the following requirements:

• A degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.), or equivalent from an accredited dental school.

• Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended and photocopies of the diplomas or certificates received.  Candidates accepted should present the originals upon admission to the program.

• Must have passed the first and second part of the National Dental Boards prior to beginning the program.

• A personal interview.

• Must be fluent in English and Spanish.

• A complete application should be received no later than October 15, for admission to the program beginning July 1st of the next calendar year. Applicants should make application through the PASS program. The candidate will be notified of acceptance or rejection no later than January 30.

• Applicants must have a general grade point average established by each program:

• Three letters of recommendations from faculty members, at least one from a faculty in the specialty area in wish the student is applying.
   

Foreign Students
Foreign Students must comply with the following additional requirements:

• Must have their diplomas, school transcripts, and all other pertinent documents certified as official by the Ministry of Education or similar agency in their country of origin, or by the U.S. Embassy in those countries where these services are available.
• Must have legal proof of financial support. An affidavit or sworn statement is required as will as official student’s VISA. The University of Puerto Rico does not provide scholarships, stipends or financial aid to foreign students.
• The approval of the National Board Dental Examinations Part I and Part II is waived for foreign candidates.
• Candidates must present evidence of approval of the TOEFL exam when applying to all Advanced Education Specialty/Programs.
• Foreign candidates are encouraged to participate in the six-months internships education course or in a similar educational program in an accredited institution.
• Application forms fully completed and all required documents must be submitted in duplicate to:

Criteria for Admission

Criteria for admission to the Advanced Education Specialty Programs are stated below.  Each program will define each criterion.

     - Academic Performance in Pre-Dental Education
     - Dental Education General Point Average
     - Interview and/or letters of  recommendation
     - National Dental Boards Examination
     - Professional Experience & Academic Activities
     - Research Experience
     - Extracurricular Activities

Each Program’s directors appoints an admission committee that evaluates all completed applications and interviews those candidates that meet the requirements established by the residency program.  Once candidates have been interviewed, the results are sent to the Office of Graduate Programs.

The Office of Graduate Programs appoints an Admissions and Promotions Committee comprised of the Director of the Office of Graduate Programs, the Dean for Student Affairs, program’s directors or their representatives, graduate students, and/or a representative from the Counseling and Guidance Office.  All applications are reviewed by the committee. Selected candidates might be interviewed by the committee, before submitting a final recommendation for admission to the Dean of the School of Dentistry.

General Requirements

All advanced education program students must attend the program on a full-time basis. The maximum number of years for completion of each degree is as follows:

Residents must satisfactorily pass all required courses and have a minimum grade point average of 3.00, as certified by the Register, and comply with the rules and regulation of the School of Dentistry and the Resident’s Contractual Agreement.

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