The following courses are the minimum required by most dental schools and Cleveland State University for successfully completing a bachelor's degree. There are two dental schools in the state of Ohio, Case School of Dental Medicine and The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. Prerequisite coursework for dental schools varies. The American Dental Association provides information about dental school admission requirements. 

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It is highly recommended that you make an appointment with your pre-professional advisor prior to enrolling in any prerequisites for dental school. A pre-professional advisor will review your plans, your progress and discuss future courses of action. Contact Career Development & Exploration at careers@csuohio.edu.

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CLEVELAND STATE UNDERGRAD SCIENCES COURSES​

​Intro Biology I/Labs

• BIO 200/201

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​Intro Biology II/Labs

• BIO 202/203

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Human Anatomy and Physiology I/Lab

• BIO 266/267

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Human Anatomy and Physiology II/Lab

• BIO 268/269

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Biochemistry Molecular Biology or Biochemistry

• BIO 306 or CHM 402/403

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General Chemistry I/Labs 

• CHM 261/266

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General Chemistry II/Labs 

• CHM 262/267

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Organic Chemistry I/Labs 

• CHM 331/336

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Organic Chemistry II/Labs 

• CHM 332/337

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College Physics or Physics for Biomedical Applications

• PHY 221/231

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College Physics or Physics for Biomedical Applications II

• PHY 222/232

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REQUIRED BY SOME DENTAL SCHOOLS​

Microbiology with Lab or Microbiology

• BIO 416/417 or BIO 264​

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English Composition I and II

• ENG 101/102 

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Before enrolling in Chemistry, a student must meet minimum placement requirements. Note that each sequence requires two semesters. General Chemistry is a prerequisite of Organic Chemistry. Some dental schools do not accept credit for the AP or distance learning/online equivalency of these courses.

 

For detailed descriptions of these and other courses, refer to the Cleveland State University 

Undergraduate Catalog.

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A WORD ABOUT GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)

Professional school admissions are competitive and a strong GPA certainly gives you an edge.  GPA requirements are not equal among schools, but one above 3.50, especially in the natural sciences, is highly desired.  Dental schools evaluate your science GPA and your non-science GPA.  GPAs do not signify intelligence, but are a long-term indicator of your performance as a student. Having a strong GPA demonstrates motivation, discipline, and commitment to academic excellence.

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Your Cleveland State GPA may very well differ from your professional school application GPA.  You can calculate your GPA, both non-science and BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math) by using this GPA Calculator.

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A student is a lot more than just a GPA. On the other hand, it would also be a big mistake to ignore completely the significance of a grade point average. Both low and high grades are earned over a period of time. 

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Dental, veterinary, pharmacy and medical schools are looking for intelligent problem-solvers, so don't let a problem transcript stand in your way. Focus on earning good grades one semester at a time.

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