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Oral Medicine Graduate Program

Application Requirements

Admissions Information

Application deadline is October 1st. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Materials sent directly to the UW Oral Medicine Department

1    Oral Medicine MSD Supplemental Application (PDF) email to OMGradinfo@uw.edu

2.  Oral Medicine Departmental application fee ($50) payable by check or money order to University of Washington.  Send to:

University of Washington
Dept of Oral Medicine
1959 NE Pacific St
Box 356370/HSB Rm B316
Seattle, WA 98195-6370
Attn: Oral Medicine Graduate Program Application
Tel (206) 543-6501

PASS Application

3.  The PASS Application must be completed on the ADEA PASS website.  For information or questions regarding PASS:

Email: passinfo@passweb.org
Phone: (617) 612-2065 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (ET) Mondays through Fridays except U.S. federal holidays).

The following documents must be submitted to the PASS Application by ALL applicants.

  • Official university transcripts from all attended universities.
  • Institutional Evaluation Form: also known as the Dean’s letter must be completed by dean or designated official of the dental school attended.
  • Professional Evaluation Form (minimum 2, maximum 4): these are letters of recommendation and should be completed by dental faculty or appropriate professional colleagues.
  • Official National Dental Board Scores (NBDE I & II, or INBDE): For NBDE information and registration materials, visit the INBDE | Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (ada.org). Students in US or Canadian dental schools who are currently enrolled in dental school and have not yet taken the national board exams do not need to submit their scores to PASS at the time of application.
  • CV / Resume
  • Personal Statement related to your interest in an Oral Medicine graduate program. (1-2 pages)

Additional Requirements for International Applicants to be submitted to the PASS application.

  • TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic test: Required of all non-native English speakers who have completed their dental degree outside the US or Canada. TOEFL iBT minimum 95, IELTS minimum 7. Official scores must be submitted electronically through ADEA PASS (ADEA PASS code C352). Please allow time for scores to be sent before the application deadline. Test scores are valid for two years and must be valid on the date the application is submitted.
  • Dental Degree Documentation/Credentialing Evaluation Report: Applicants who have completed dental school outside the US or Canada must submit evaluation of academic credentials by an approved agency to the PASS application.

Please contact one of the following approved agencies for assistance:

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
Education Evaluators International
Education International, Inc.
International Education Research Foundation
World Education Services

University of Washington Graduate School Admission Procedures

Applicants who receive an offer of admission to the Oral Medicine Graduate program will have to submit materials to the UW Graduate School and pay their application fee. If you did not receive an offer to the program you do not need to submit materials to the UW Graduate School. Additional information will be provided by the Oral Medicine department when an offer is made to the applicant.

All applicants must meet the University of Washington graduate school minimum admissions requirements found here.

In addition, applicants to the Oral Medicine MSD program must demonstrate:

1. Successful completion of a U.S. or international dental degree (i.e. DDS, DMD, BDS), or be in their final year of dental school in good standing.

The Graduate School accepts applications from U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), immigrants and international applicants. undocumented individuals are eligible for admission to any graduate program at the University of Washington. Graduate School admission requirements and application procedures are the same for all applicants regardless of citizenship and visa status.

2. Have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average on a 4.0 point scale or equivalent.
3. Individuals who complete dental school from a non-accredited university in the US or Canada must pass NBDE I & II, or INBDE.
4. A proven history of clinical practice (at least one year preferred).
5. General knowledge of research protocols at the university level (research experience is preferred).
6. English language proficiency (ELP) in reading, writing, listening, and speaking is required for graduate study at the University of Washington.

  • Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate comprehension of the English language by taking the TOEFL iBT.
  • A minimum TOEFL iBT score of 95 is required, IELTS 7. Subcategory scores for iBT or their equivalent: Written 25, Spoken 26, Reading 21, Listening 17 will be given stronger consideration.
  • An admitted applicant with a TOEFL iBT above 95 (IELTS 7) but whose subcategory scores are below the TOEFL iBT equivalent of: Written 25, Spoken 26, Reading 21, Listening 17 and/or whose ELP skills are noted by faculty to prevent students from completing their didactic or clinical requirements will complete 1 to 3 UW Academic English Program (AEP) courses based upon the area of deficiency. The fee for AEP courses is separate from regular tuition. Non-native speakers with a speaking score below 26 are required to take Engl 105 depending on program activities (no additional fee).
  • More information on the TOEFL examination.

7. Certification of adequate financial support for all international applicants planning to study on an F-1 or J-1 student visa will be submitted to the UW Graduate School after acceptance into the program. Additional information can be found on the UW Graduate website.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition fees: All students are responsible for securing their own funding. Currently there is no financial assistance available through the Department of Oral Medicine. Estimated tuition costs are available through the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s Graduate Tuition Dashboard.

For current tuition rates:

  • Campus – Seattle Campus
  • Residency – either Resident or Non-resident based on your Washington State residency status.
  • Student Level – Masters
  • Graduate Program – Oral Medicine

It is recommended that independent calculations be completed for Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters.

Clinic/technology fee: to be determined in addition to tuition to be paid to the Oral Medicine department.

Application timeline

  • ADEA PASS and Oral Medicine Supplemental application/fee are due on October 1st.
  • Applications are reviewed by the Oral Medicine Graduate Admissions Committee.
  • Invitations for interviews are sent by e-mail in October or early November.
  • Formal interviews with the faculty are required as part of the selection process and are scheduled on 1 or 2 days at the end of October / early November. Applicants assume all travel costs if invited for interviews.

Application for Advanced Standing

The Oral Medicine Graduate Program does not routinely grant advanced standing or admit transfer students; however, applications may be considered under special circumstances at the discretion of the Program Director and Department Chair.

Applications are reviewed in a manner consistent with the admission process (outlined above) and are subject to all application criteria admission requirements of the University of Washington Graduate School and Department of Oral Medicine.

Approval of advanced standing also requires:

1. Documentation of successful completion of a portion of a CODA-accredited Oral Medicine program in the United States or Canada (e.g. one year, two quarters, etc.).

2. A letter of recommendation from the Program Director at the applicant’s current (or prior) institution confirming:

  • The information required in Item 1.
  • Good standing within the program at the time of application.

Advanced standing students are subject to all MSD requirements in the UW Oral Medicine MSD program, specifically:

  •  Completion of the core curriculum offered by the program*.
  •  24 months of full-time clinical training with evaluation of clinical competencies, didactic competencies, and favorable recommendation by graduate program faculty*.
  •  Completion of an approved research project and Master’s thesis.

*If accepted, past coursework will be reviewed based on official transcripts and consultation with the applicant’s prior Program Director (where applicable). Approved coursework will be applied to a student’s MSD requirements.

For example, if the student successfully completed 12 months of his or her previous program, he or she would require an additional 12 months of full-time clinical training to be eligible for graduation. Equivalent credit hours would be applied toward UW Graduate School requirements. Topics or courses that were not completed or were not available at the student’s prior institution must be successfully completed to prior to graduation.

Petition for Credit for Prior Coursework

After acceptance to the Oral Medicine program, students may petition to receive credit for past course work if a comparable course was completed at the University of Washington or an accredited university if:

  •  Coursework was completed at the graduate level within the past 5 years.
  •  The student received a grade of greater than or equal to 3.0.

Decisions regarding credit for prior course work are made at the discretion of the Program Director.