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Advanced & Graduate Overview

Operative and Esthetic Dentistry

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Advanced Education Program in Operative Dentistry

This three-year program consists of a two-year Master of Dental Science Degree with specialization in Operative and Esthetic Dentistry and a certificate of completion in Operative and Esthetic Dentistry at the University of Florida College of Dentistry.

Master’s in Operative Dentistry

Prior to enrollment in the Master’s program, individuals typically complete one year of the certificate of completion and apply to the graduate school at the University of Florida for the two-year degree program leading to a Master of Dental Science Degree with specialization in Operative and Esthetic Dentistry and a certificate of completion in Operative and Esthetic Dentistry.

This program is designed to meet the growing need for future educators in operative dentistry. The first year of the program is focused on the theory and practice of dental education and preparation for clinical patient care. The focus of the following two years expands upon the student’s knowledge of cariology, prevention, esthetics, digital dentistry, materials science, research and patient care. In addition, each student will complete a master’s level research project. Eligible applicants must hold a DDS or DMD degree from an accredited dental college in the US or its equivalent from foreign institutions.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a two-year Master of Dental Science Degree with specialization in Operative and Esthetic Dentistry and a certificate of completion in Operative and Esthetic Dentistry.

Tuition is required. A stipend is available.

For additional program information, please visit the links below:

Contact Information

Dr. Pamela Sandow
University of Florida College of Dentistry/Operative Dentistry
P.O. Box 100402
1395 Center Drive, D3-5
Gainesville, FL 32610-0402
Phone: 352-273-5956 | Fax: 352-846-0311
Email: GradAdmissions@dental.ufl.edu

Application Process

The deadline to apply to this program is Sunday, September 1, 2024.

Interviews with competitive candidates may take place as early as July.  Positions in the Operative Dentistry program will be filled on a rolling basis. We strongly encourage all applicants to have complete applications on file with PASS and UFCD early in the application cycle. It’s possible all positions will be filled prior to September 1, 2024.

PASS Application Status Updates

All program applicants must apply through PASS (Postdoctoral Application Support Service), sponsored by the American Dental Education Association (www.adea.org). ADEA PASS is the centralized application service for applicants for advanced dental education programs.

  • Please be aware that it may take up to four weeks to process a PASS application.
    • Within two weeks of submitting your PASS application, you will receive a confirmation via email.
    • Within four weeks of submitting your PASS application, you will receive an email with your current application status and/or any remaining actions that you may need to take.
  • Applications that have met all requirements, including uploaded documents, will be forwarded to the program director for review.
  • Incomplete applications or those that do not meet all requirements will not be eligible for review.
  • Please email our office at GradAdmissions@dental.ufl.edu with questions. No materials from applicants should be mailed to our office.

Checklist for Candidates Applying to the Operative Dentistry Program

Application Requirements (Deadline – September 1, 2024)

  1. Apply to ADEA PASS (All Applicants)
  2. Upload Documents to PASS Application (All Applicants)
  3. Upload Additional Documents for Applicants who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico or who are Internationally-Educated Dentists (All other applicants skip to Section 4)

a.  Applicants who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico
b.  Applicants who are Internationally-Educated Dentists

  4. Submit the following materials to UF College of Dentistry (All Applicants)

Matriculation Requirements (Upon Request Only)

  1. Interview (Upon Invitation Only)
  2. Provide Official Documents (Upon Request for Accepted Candidates)
  3. Provide Additional Documents for Candidates who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico or who are Internationally-Educated Dentists (Upon Request for Accepted Candidates)

a.  Candidates who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico
b.  Candidates who are Internationally-Educated Dentists

Instructions for Checklist Items

Application Requirements (Deadline – September 1, 2024)

1. Apply to ADEA PASS (All Applicants)

Applying through ADEA PASS (opens in May) is mandatory for this program. We advise applicants to apply as early as possible. Only one application per cycle is permitted.

For an application and instructions, please contact:

ADEA PASS
Email: passinfo@passweb.org
Phone: (617) 612-2065

2. Upload Documents to PASS Application (All Applicants)

All application documents that are listed below should be uploaded with the PASS application.

  • Undergraduate, Graduate (if applicable), and Dental school transcripts (from all institutions attended, even if the coursework is listed on another school’s transcript)
    • Unofficial transcripts are sufficient at time of application. Original official transcripts in an envelope sealed by the institution are required after acceptance into the program.
  • CV/Resume
  • Personal statement
  • Three Professional Evaluation Forms (PEF)
    Please note: an Institution Evaluation Form (IEF) does not equal a PEF
  • No ADAT required

3. Upload Additional Documents for Applicants who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico or who are Internationally-Educated Dentists (All other applicants skip to Section 4)

All application documents that are listed below should be uploaded with the PASS application.

a. Applicants who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico

  • Official TOEFL Scores
    • A minimum TOEFL score of 80 (Internet-Based version) or 550 (paper-based) is required.
    • Please note that TOEFL scores expire after 2 years. For the 2025 Application Cycle, TOEFL scores must be dated February 8, 2023, or later.
    • For the TOEFL, scores must be from the same test date (the “MyBest Scores” are not accepted or considered).
    • The TOEFL ITP is not accepted.

b. Applicants who are Internationally-Educated Dentists

  • Official TOEFL Scores
    • A minimum TOEFL score of 80 (Internet-Based version) or 550 (paper-based) is required.
    • Please note that TOEFL scores expire after 2 years. For the 2025 Application Cycle, TOEFL scores must be dated February 8, 2023, or later.
    • For the TOEFL, scores must be from the same test date (the “MyBest Scores” are not accepted or considered).
    • The TOEFL ITP is not accepted for admission purposes.
  • Official Course-by-Course Evaluation Report
    • You must choose from either:
      1) Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
      www.ece.org
      2) World Education Services (WES)
      www.wes.org
  • Dental school transcript(s) and diploma(s)
    • DDS/DMD degree equivalent(s)
  • Transcripts from every institution of higher learning that was attended
  • Translations of all transcripts and diplomas (if the native language of the documents is not English)
  • All international students must secure an F1 visa prior to matriculation on July 1.

4. Submit the following materials to UF College of Dentistry (All Applicants)

All application documents that are listed below should be emailed to GradAdmissions@dental.ufl.edu.

  • Digital Photo
    • Email your photograph to the admissions office. Send the file in JPEG format and make sure your photo is not smaller than 400 x 400 pixels. Photos should show you from the shoulders up, directly facing the camera. See examples of correct and incorrect photos

Matriculation Requirements (Upon Request Only)

1. Interview (Upon Invitation Only)

  • Selected candidates are required to participate in an interview.
  • Interviews for the Operative Dentistry Program will be held virtually as early as July and may extend through October. A second interview may be held in person for the finalists. Interviews will continue as needed until the class is filled.

2. Provide Official Documents (Upon Request for Accepted Candidates)

For matriculation, the following documents must be on file with the University of Florida College of Dentistry:

  • Official electronic NBDE or INBDE score reports (if applicable)
  • Original official undergraduate transcripts in an envelope sealed by the institution.
  • Original official graduate school transcripts (if applicable) in an envelope sealed by the institution.
  • Original official dental school transcripts in an envelope sealed by the institution.

3. Provide Additional Documents for Candidates who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico or who are Internationally-Educated Dentists (Upon Request for Accepted Candidates)

For matriculation, the following documents must be on file with the University of Florida College of Dentistry:

a. Candidates who attended post-secondary and dental schools in Puerto Rico

  • Official TOEFL scores
    • The UF College of Dentistry code is 8612.

b. Candidates who are Internationally-Educated Dentists

  • All international students must secure an F1 visa prior to matriculation on July 1
  • Official TOEFL scores
    • The UF College of Dentistry code is 8612.
  • Official Course-by-Course Evaluation Report
    • Course-by-Course Evaluations must be sent directly to the University of Florida College of Dentistry in an envelope sealed by the evaluation service.
  • Original official dental school transcript(s) and diploma(s)
    • DDS/DMD degree equivalent(s)
  • Official transcripts from every institution of higher learning that was attended
  • Official translations of all transcripts and diplomas (if the native language of the documents is not English)
    • Translations must be sent directly to the University of Florida College of Dentistry in an envelope sealed by the translation service.