Learning. Leading. Acting. Responding to COVID-19, racial injustice and economic hardship.
Predental Studies
Predental students gain the strong foundation on which to build their studies at a dental school, leading to successful careers in the burgeoning health industry.
Program Overview
Dental schools accept students with a variety of different majors. Predental students at Grand Valley may choose any major while completing the prerequisite coursework they need to score well on the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Grand Valley students are exceptionally competitive with those applying from other institutions.
For Fall 2019, 62% of Grand Valley Students were accepted to dental school on their first application. Nationally in 2019, 51.9% of applicants to dental school were accepted.
The pre-professional advising team looks forward to helping you achieve your dream of dental school!
Preprofessional Programs
From assisting you in securing volunteer and community service experiences to helping you write your personal statement, preprofessional advisors in the CLAS Academic Advising Center (CAAC) support you as you pursue admission to professional school. We have very active preprofessional clubs that arrange for a wide range of speakers, volunteer opportunities and networking. In addition to coordinating the committee letter process for medical and dental applicants, the CAAC also hosts many workshops and events, such as:
- Suture Clinic
- Health Care Experience Panel
- Test Prep Course
- Health Professional and Graduate School Fair
- Personal Statement Workshop
- Mock Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Location & Format
Undergraduate students in this major study at the Grand Valley Allendale Campus.
Formats:Coursework
Grand Valley's predental program offers all the courses necessary to gain admission to dental school and prepare fully for the DAT, including:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Art (sculpting, woodworking, sewing)
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Business
- Communication
- General chemistry
- Microbiology
- Organic chemistry
- Social science and humanities
- Calculus
Career Options
Predental studies prepares students for dental school, and they go on to hold positions such as:
- General Dentist
- Oral Surgeon
- Orthodontist
- Periodontist
Combined Degree Programs
This undergraduate degree can be combined with a master's degree to save you time and money, and get you into the workforce sooner. On average, students save $8,500 in our combined degree programs and take up to four fewer classes than if earning the degrees separately.
You can even build your own combined degree from programs in different disciplines to further personalize your education and meet specific career goals.
Helpful Links
For More Information
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
gvsu.edu/clasadvising
C-1-120-MAK
(616) 331-8585
advstu@gvsu.edu