Current-cycle decision support
Turn confirmed information into a first practice
Clinic appointment access and fairness
Practise making a fair decision when access is limited. Review whether you identify missing information, weigh both patients' needs, and explain the next step clearly; then record the scenario again with one improvement.
Quick facts
- Degree: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), four years.
- Location: San Antonio, Texas.
- Application: TMDSAS; no school supplemental application or fee.
- Entry Year 2027 deadline: October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
- Academic floor: 90 semester hours, 2.8 BCPM GPA and C or higher in every prerequisite.
- DAT floor: 390 Academic Average on the current three-digit scale.
- Interview: invitation only; interviews begin in August and conclude in January. Current DDS admissions
Admission requirements
Applicants need at least 90 semester hours or 134 quarter hours from a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian institution. A bachelor's degree is highly desirable but not mandatory for an exceptional applicant. Required courses, each with C or higher, are 14 semester hours of biological sciences including 12 lecture and two formal laboratory hours; eight each of general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics with the stated laboratory work; three biochemistry in addition to biology; six English; and three statistics taught in a mathematics or statistics department. Current DDS admissions
Pass/fail and credit/no-credit do not satisfy prerequisites. Transcripted AP or IB credit is accepted only when the transcript identifies the course and credit awarded; lump-sum credit is not. Foreign coursework and graduate courses do not satisfy the prerequisites or 90-hour total. Science prerequisites are strongly recommended in person; an online course must come from a recognized regionally accredited institution.
The school publishes minimums of 2.8 for the biology-chemistry-physics-mathematics GPA and 390 DAT Academic Average. The DAT must reach TMDSAS by December 1, and the latest exam is considered; Canadian DAT results are accepted. Applicants submit three evaluations or a health-professions evaluation packet. Clinical observation and community service are required components, but neither has a published hour minimum. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are considered.
Important dates
For Entry Year 2027, TMDSAS became available May 1, 2026 at 8 a.m. CST, submissions opened May 15 at 8 a.m., and the application with payment is due October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Letters should be uploaded or postmarked by October 15. UT San Antonio requires the DAT to reach TMDSAS by December 1 and may begin offers December 15. TMDSAS Entry Year 2027 deadlines Current DDS admissions
The school begins interviews in August and concludes them in January. Additional offers may follow on a rolling basis until the class is filled. The current accepted-student page publishes July 20, 2026 only for the preceding cohort; the exact Fall 2027 start is not yet published and was not carried forward.
How selection works
UT San Antonio first reviews DAT section scores, course load and upper-level science work, academic trajectory, institution and timing, personal and family educational background, socioeconomic barriers, work and community involvement, accomplishments, South Texas or rural and underserved geography, recommendations, the personal essay and evidence of commitment to dentistry. Current DDS admissions
After interview, a six-faculty Admissions Selection Subcommittee reviews academic and subjective criteria without a published order of preference. Listed factors include the personal interview, bilingual ability, family educational attainment, residence in an underserved or shortage area with emphasis on South Texas, work during college, disadvantage, leadership, community and healthcare service, and humanitarian recognition. Texas legal residents receive preference; only outstanding nonresidents are considered. The school does not publish factor weights, scoring thresholds beyond the academic floors, committee voting rules or wait-list order.
Interview details
Confirmed
Interview invitations are sent by email about two to three weeks before the date. A faculty member and a third- or fourth-year dental student conduct the interview. The interview day also provides programme and financial-aid information and a lunch with enrolled students. Interviews begin in August and conclude in January. Current DDS admissions and FAQ
Not published
The current source does not state whether the faculty member and student interview jointly or separately, the interview duration, exact modality or location, interviewer file access, prompts, rubric, scoring scale, weight, accommodations or travel support.
Who this program may suit
UT San Antonio explicitly values service, sustained clinical observation, resilience through barriers, leadership, bilingual ability and connection to South Texas, rural or underserved communities. Applicants should connect an observed patient or community need to a concrete action and a realistic understanding of dental practice. Current DDS admissions This page covers the regular predoctoral DDS in San Antonio, not Long School of Medicine, the Dental Early Acceptance Program, International Dentist Education Program, transfer or postgraduate routes.
Practice and next step
Record a response about a dental observation or service experience that changed how you understand access, trust or communication. Ask a reviewer whether you name what you observed, distinguish your own actions from the team's work and explain one specific lesson. Make one adjustment, record a second attempt and compare precision and maturity.
Frequently asked questions
Does UT San Antonio require a supplemental application?
No. The school states that it requires neither a supplemental application nor a supplemental fee.
Is a bachelor's degree mandatory?
No. At least 90 semester hours are required, and a bachelor's degree is highly desirable.
Is there a shadowing-hour minimum?
No numerical minimum is published. Clinical observation is required and the committee values both depth and breadth.
Does the school prefer Texas residents?
Yes. Legal Texas residents receive preference and only outstanding nonresidents are considered. TMDSAS determines residency for admission.
Sources
Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: UT San Antonio regular DDS admissions, DDS programme identity, TMDSAS Entry Year 2027 deadlines and TMDSAS residency.
Recommended preparation
Structured Interview Essentials
Build a repeatable spoken-answer loop across five common structured-interview skills: fair decisions, ethical reasoning, using feedback, teamwork under pressure, and explaining your motivation. Record each response once, choose the weakest one, review one observable weakness, and answer it again with one deliberate adjustment.
Page history
- Published