Admission

Dental Assisting Requirements

Admission Requirements (Campus Program)

  1. Applying to the dental assisting program on the Indianapolis campus is a two-step process involving both the IUPUI Office of Admissions and the IU School of Dentistry Division of Dental Assisting.   Applicants must first file an admission application with the IUPUI Office of Admissions and be admitted to the university as an undergraduate student. Qualified applicants will be notified of their university admittance by IUPUI.  The IUPUI Office of Admissions’ application packet will also contain an application for admission to the dental school’s dental assisting program. Applicants will submit this application to the Division of Dental Assisting. All IUPUI application materials are available through the IUPUI Enrollment Center (www.enroll.iupui.edu; 317-274-4591).
  2. Applications must include official transcripts from all high school and all post-secondary schools attended, including colleges, universities, and vocational institutions. The transcripts of applicants who are currently enrolled in their senior year of high school should include grades from fall semester. Graduates of GED programs must submit a copy of their GED certificate and scores. Official transcripts showing all academic work completed must be submitted before final acceptance to the dental assisting program.
  3. Applicants must have an overall minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) as well as a minimum of 2.0 in science and English courses taken in high school and college.
  4. Applicants must observe a chairside dental assistant in a dental office for a minimum of eight hours. The IUSD Dental Assisting Verification of Dental Office Observation Form is to be signed by the dentist and submitted to the Dental Assisting Program by the application deadline.
  5. Individuals for whom English is a secondary language must demonstrate proficiency in English before being admitted to IUPUI.  Several testing options are available.  For more information, see the Undergraduate English Language Requirements on the IUPUI Office of International Affairs Web site (http://iapply.iupui.edu/undergraduate/#english). Tests results will be used as part of the dental assisting admissions review, and the dental assisting admissions committee may also require an interview or writing exercise to determine the applicant's English skills.

The application deadline for the campus program is 5 p.m. on June 1 prior to the fall semester the applicant wishes to enter the program. Applicants should send the completed application (photo optional), observation form, and all official transcripts to the Dental Assisting Program, Indiana University School of Dentistry, 1121 West Michigan Street, DS 430, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5186. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

All potential applicants are advised to consult the School of Dentistry’s Dental Assisting Program Web site for updates or changes in dental assisting admissions policies that may occur after publication of this document.

Admission Requirements (Distance-Learning Program)

Applicants should follow admission requirements 1 through 5 for the campus program as well as requirements 6 through 8 listed below:

  1. Applicants must identify a sponsoring general practice dentist holding an active Indiana dental license who can provide  clinical training in the field of general dentistry.
  2. Applicants must meet the university's technology  requirements:
    • Office XP Software
    • Internet access at Explorer IE6 or Higher DSL or cable modem access is required)
  3. Applicants must be able to travel to the Indiana University School of Dentistry when necessary (typically, one Saturday a month throughout the school year).

The application deadline for the distance-learning program is 5 p.m. on June 1 prior to the fall semester the applicant wishes to enter the program. Applicants should send the completed application (photo optional), observation form, and all official transcripts to the Dental Assisting Program, Indiana University School of Dentistry, 1121 W. Michigan Street, DS 430, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5186. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

All potential applicants are advised to consult the School of Dentistry's Dental Assisting Program Web site for updates or changes in dental assisting admissions policies that may occur after publication of this document.