Graduate Program in Oral Health Sciences

The Graduate School of the University of Washington is administratively responsible for admissions to graduate study. To apply to the Graduate Program in Oral Health Sciences, applicants must submit an application to the UW Graduate School as well as meet all requirements set forth by the Graduate School.    The nonrefundable application fee is $85.00 (USD). Unfortunately, applicants studying on F or J visas are not eligible for application fee waivers. You can find information on the Graduate School’s policies and procedures, along with a link to the on-line application, on their page Understanding the Admissions Process.

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Application Fee Waivers

Information for underrepresented and minority applicants, including programming, resources and funding opportunities and can be found at the page Graduate School’s Equity & Justice in Graduate Education.

PhD, DDS/PhD

For 2024 Admissions cycle: The MS Thesis degree program is currently suspended for admissions. OHS is not accepting applications for the MS Thesis for the foreseeable future. 

• Applicants must have either a Bachelor’s in the life sciences (e.g. Microbiology or Biochemistry) or a professional degree from a Dental or Medical School (e.g. DDS, DMD, MD).  We seek applicants who show great promise of successful careers in research with an interest in teaching.  Our applicants typically have strong undergraduate records as well as previous laboratory experience and demonstrated skills in life sciences or public health research.
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the last graded 60 semester credits or 90 graded quarter credits
• Demonstrated English Language proficiency for all Graduate School applicants whose native language is not English.

MS DH

• Applicants must have either a Bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from an accredited program or an Associate Degree in dental hygiene from an accredited program plus a Bachelor’s degree in any area
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the last two years of study
• Demonstrated English Language proficiency for all Graduate School applicants whose native language is not English

All Degrees

The GRE and the submission of GRE scores is not required for admission.

Please review the UW Graduate School’s English Proficiency information regarding current English Language Proficiency admission policies.

Minimum English Language Proficiency scores required for OHS admissions are:

• 7.0 on the IELTS
• 92 on the TOEFL ibt

When requesting official TOEFL scores from the Education Testing Service, use institutional code 4854 for the University of Washington.

PhD, DDS/PhD

All applicants for the DDS/PhD combined training program need to apply for both programs for Summer Quarter start only. 

For 2024 Admissions cycle: The MS Thesis degree program is currently suspended for admissions. OHS is not accepting applications for the MS Thesis at this time. 

• UW Graduate School online application and fee
• Three letters of recommendation.  We prefer that the letters of recommendation be from university teachers or your professional supervisors who know you well enough to provide us with an objective evaluation of your potential as a graduate student.  A good recommendation would include statements about your research abilities and any progress you have made towards research goals.
• A 200-300 word Statement of Purpose reflecting your educational and professional objectives which includes a general area of research interests, academic goals, motivation, and background.
• CV/resume
• Unofficial transcripts from all universities attended
  • You will only need to submit official transcripts directly to the Graduate School if you are offered acceptance.  Instructions on how to submit will be provided on the Graduate Application after you have been offered admission and accepted.  Note that the Graduate School ONLY accepts official transcripts sent directly from your previous institution.
• Proof of English language proficiency if English is not your native language
• Optional: Personal History Statement.  Please provide a statement, no more than two pages in length, about your personal history, family background, and other influences on your intellectual development. The statement should address educational, cultural, and economic opportunities and disadvantages that you have experienced, and ways those experiences have affected the development of your special interests, career plans, and future goals. Please note that this is not an academic Statement of Purpose, but a personal statement that addresses your intellectual growth and development, both inclusive of and beyond your academic goals.

MS DH

• UW Graduate School online application (upload all below documents to the online application) and fee
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose
• CV/Resume
• Unofficial transcripts from all attended institutions.
  • You will only need to submit official transcripts directly to the Graduate School if you are offered acceptance.  Instructions on how to submit will be provided on the Graduate Application after you have been offered admission and accepted.  Note that the Graduate School ONLY accepts official transcripts sent directly from your previous institution.
• Proof of English language proficiency if English is not your native language

*Please note that GRE test scores are not required for any degree program.

You are an international applicant if you are NOT a U.S. citizen, immigrant, or green card holder.  International students must have a visa status that allows for academic study at the University of Washington.  If accepted, all international applicants must show proof of financial ability.  This information will be provided on your graduate application after you have accepted the offer of admission.  Additional international applicant information can be found here.

Tuition

Please refer to the tuition and fee rate schedule for the most current tuition rates.

Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships

OHS most commonly employs three types of financial assistance for graduate students: research assistantships, T90/R90 traineeships and fellowships. OHS does not offer teaching assistantships, but OHS graduate students may apply to relevant TA positions outside of the department.

Research Assistantships

The RA appointment requires that you conduct research under the direction of a faculty member. This could include research planning, experiment setup and measurements, computational analysis, or theoretical analysis of a problem. The appointment typically requires that you work an average of 20 hours per week during the period of support. Students should meet regularly with your faculty supervisor to discuss progress and set goals. It is student’s responsibility to make satisfactory research progress.

Traineeships

T90/R90 NRSA traineeships may be available to students who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents (T90), or a non-U.S. citizen/permanent resident in pursuit of a PhD, who already holds a dental degree (R90).  The traineeships are competitive awards that generally do not require service (i.e., work) as part of the award. They are intended to fund your academic study and research. The T90 and R90 traineeships are offered by the federal government. After you receive a fellowship, remember it is your responsibility to ensure all requirements are met, such as enrollment or reporting to the funding agency.  OHS works with the SOD Office of Research in the administration of the training grant.

Fellowships

Fellowships are competitive awards that generally do not require service (i.e., work) as part of the award. They are intended to fund your academic study and research. Fellowships may be offered by department, the University, the federal government or private agencies. Every fellowship has different provisions, so take note of what is offered. Similar to the traineeship, remember it is your responsibility to ensure all requirements are met, such as enrollment or reporting to the funding agency.

Graduate Funding Resources

• UW Graduate School: Find Funding and Learn about Assistantships and Fellowships 
• Office of Fellowships and Awards
• Graduate Funding Information Services (GFIS)
• ProFellow 

Additional Funding Sources

• Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS)
• ADEA Scholarships (MSDH Students)
• ADHA Scholarships (MSDH Students)
• GSEE: The Office of Graduate Student Equity and Excellence
• Graduate Student Conference Travel Awards
• Magnuson Scholarship