UCSF Dentistry DDS Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Fall 2027; UCSF's complete application deadline is October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. How to apply
• Application: ADEA AADSAS with UCSF supplemental questions inside the school section; there is no separate secondary application.
• Education: at least 139 quarter or 93 semester units, including 43 quarter or 29 semester units at a four-year institution. Prerequisites
• DAT: U.S. DAT required; scores for this cycle must be dated January 1, 2024 or later. The Canadian DAT is not accepted.
• Letters: three specified evaluations or one composite pre-professional committee letter.
• Interview: selected regular-DDS candidates interview October through January; modality and format are not published. International coursework

Admission requirements

Applicants must complete at least 139 quarter or 93 semester units at an accredited U.S. or English-speaking Canadian institution, with at least 43 quarter or 29 semester units at a four-year institution. Up to 96 quarter or 64 semester units may be from community college. A grade of C- or better is required in the named prerequisites. Prerequisites

Required study is six semester hours of English composition; eight of inorganic chemistry with laboratory; four of organic chemistry with laboratory; three of biochemistry at a four-year institution; eight of physics with laboratory; eight of general biology or zoology with laboratory for science majors; three of general psychology; and 11 of additional social sciences, humanities or foreign language. Electives bring the total to 93 semester hours.

Accredited online coursework taken during or after the start of the pandemic is accepted. Pandemic-era pass/fail work is accepted, though graded work is preferred. AP or IB may partly satisfy requirements under UCSF's published table, but laboratory study remains required in specified sciences. Prerequisites should be completed before the DAT and application.

The U.S. DAT is required and must reach AADSAS by October 1. UCSF recommends testing by September 1. Scores are valid for two years; for the 2027 cycle, the earliest accepted date is January 1, 2024. UCSF publishes no minimum GPA or DAT, and it does not accept the Canadian DAT. How to apply

Applicants submit three letters through AADSAS: one science professor; one dentist, adviser, researcher or mentor; and one person of choice. One composite pre-professional committee letter may replace all three. Internationally educated applicants are welcome, but the 93 semester units still must be earned at an accredited U.S. or English-speaking Canadian institution; other foreign work needs a WES or ECE course-by-course evaluation. International students must fund the full four-year programme. International coursework

Important dates

The 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS service opened May 12, 2026 and first accepted submissions June 2. UCSF's current page instead prints May 9 and June 1; use the application service's actual opening dates and UCSF's school deadline of October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. ADEA AADSAS How to apply

The submitted AADSAS application, official U.S. and English-speaking Canadian transcripts, required evaluations, DAT scores and any required foreign credential evaluation must all reach AADSAS by October 1. UCSF recommends taking the DAT by September 1. The $75 UCSF fee is also required; all available 2026-27 school fee waivers have already been awarded.

Regular-DDS interviews occur October 2026 through January 2027. Offers are made from December through March. The current official pages do not publish Fall 2027 orientation or class-start dates, a final decision date or a cycle-wide seat-deposit deadline. The new-admits page contains prior-cohort dates and must not set the Fall 2027 calendar.

How selection works

UCSF completes a holistic review of complete applications. The school identifies academic background and ability, motivation for dentistry, future potential and information from the interview; its admissions policy also names academic preparedness, community engagement and fit with the institution and profession. DDS programme Admissions policies

Applicants apply through AADSAS, answer UCSF's three school-specific prompts inside that application, submit the school fee and complete the required supporting materials. Selected candidates advance to interview; offers are released from December through March. UCSF publishes descriptive class averages, not admission thresholds.

The current official pages do not publish numerical academic, DAT, experience or interview weights; a file-screen rubric; a California-residency preference; committee vote mechanics; or wait-list order. No minimum GPA or DAT should be inferred from the class profile.

Interview details

Confirmed

The interview is part of UCSF's holistic review. The current international-coursework instructions place regular-DDS interviews from October through January and require invited applicants with foreign study to provide official international transcripts before the interview. International coursework

Not published

UCSF does not publish the Fall 2027 interview modality or location, number or duration of encounters, panel size, interviewer roles or file access, question format, manual-dexterity component, scoring anchors, numerical interview weight or post-interview committee formula. The separate International Dentist Pathway's August-September process does not apply to this regular four-year DDS application.

Who this program may suit

UCSF's regular DDS is a four-year programme in San Francisco. The school emphasizes academic preparation, service and community engagement, motivation for dentistry and future potential. A fit answer should connect a specific service or dental experience to the community need observed and the skills the applicant is prepared to build. DDS programme

This page covers first-year admission to the regular DDS through AADSAS. The three-year International Dentist Pathway for applicants who already hold a foreign dental degree uses ADEA CAAPID and has different deadlines, tests, fees and interviews; none of those rules belong here. International Dentist Pathway

Practice and next step

Record a response about a dental or community experience that changed how you understand an oral-health need. Ask a reviewer to identify whether the answer shows your specific contribution, what you learned and why UCSF's service context fits your next step. Make one adjustment to the weakest link, record a second attempt and compare clarity, reflection and evidence.

Frequently asked questions

What is UCSF's Fall 2027 DDS deadline?

October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. The application and required supporting materials must reach AADSAS by then. How to apply

Does UCSF require a separate secondary?

No. UCSF's supplemental questions are embedded in its AADSAS section. A separate $75 school fee is required.

Does UCSF accept international applicants?

Yes. They remain subject to the required 93 semester units at an accredited U.S. or English-speaking Canadian institution and must fully fund the four-year programme. International coursework

What is the regular-DDS interview format?

UCSF confirms an October-January interview stage but does not publish its current modality or mechanics.

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: 2027 regular DDS application, deadlines, DAT, letters and fee, course prerequisites and credit policies, international coursework and interview season, regular DDS identity and holistic review, separate International Dentist Pathway and 2026-27 ADEA AADSAS system dates.