Admission Requirements

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All candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene Programs at NYU College of Dentistry must submit the online Application for Admission to Undergraduate Study to the Dental Hygiene Programs. Admission to the Dental Hygiene Programs is highly competitive and applicants are accepted on the basis of their predicted success in the program. In addition, an individual must meet the Health and Technical Standards for Pre-Matriculation for Dental Hygiene Programs in order to be eligible for admission to, progression in, and graduation from the Dental Hygiene Programs at NYU Dentistry. For more information, please navigate to the Admissions Application process page.

All applicants must submit

  • Completed application
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Official transcript
  • Personal statement (500-word minimum)

Academic Requirements for Admission

The requirements for consideration are as follows:

  • High School applicants (with no college credits)
    • Minimum high school cumulative grade point average of 85% or higher
    • SAT or ACT test scores
    • Biology and Chemistry courses successfully completed with a grade of B or better, within a 10-year period before the student’s matriculation at NYU College of Dentistry
  • Transfer applicants (for applicants with 12 or more college credits)
    • Minimum high school cumulative grade point average of 85% or higher
      (If you have an associate or bachelor degree completed, the high school requirement can be waived upon advisor approval)
    • A college cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or better
    • Biology and Chemistry courses successfully completed with a grade of B or better, within a 10-year period before the student’s matriculation at NYU College of Dentistry
  • International applicants
    • Minimum high school cumulative grade point average of 85% or higher
    • Minimum college cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or higher
    • Biology and Chemistry courses successfully completed with a grade of B or better, within a 10-year period before the student’s matriculation at NYU College of Dentistry
    • ECE course-by-course evaluation for both high school and college transcripts
  • Registered Dental Hygienists applying for B.S. degree completion
    • Conferred Associate of Applied Science degree in dental hygiene with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.

Students most competitive for admission will exceed these minimums. If you have not completed the biology or chemistry entrance requirement courses, you can complete them at the College of Dentistry as a non-degree student. To see the entrance requirement course offerings for the upcoming semester visit the Dental Hygiene Programs page. If you would like to take the courses before submitting an application for admission to the Dental Hygiene programs, you may use our online application to apply as a non-degree student. Non-degree and pre-requisite students DO NOT qualify for financial aid.

AAS Advanced Standing Admissions Requirements

Please visit the AAS Advanced Standing page for important information on admissions requirements for that track.

Admissions Policies

All admitted students must take a Writing Placement Exam through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at New York University prior to the first day of mandatory orientation. Pending the results of the mandatory writing placement exam, students may be reviewed for satisfying the writing requirement. The transfer of writing courses are dependent on the results of the Writing Placement Exam and recommendations on awarding external transfer credits. The student may also be required to take an additional writing course (Introduction to Expository Writing - 2 credit course) before registering for Writing Workshop I.

  • Effective Reading and Writing for College (non-credit course) 
  • Grammar Strategies (non-credit course) 
  • Intensive Writing (optional non-credit or 2 credit course)

Exam scores are usually forwarded to the Dental Hygiene Office two weeks after the exam date. You may contact our office at that time to receive your results. Students are required to meet with their faculty advisor to discuss registration for the individual writing courses in order to review their academic plan.

Proof of Graduation

New York University requires all admitted students to present proof of high school graduation before enrolling at NYU. Admitted students must provide the Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Admissions with such proof of graduation by January 15th for the Spring semester, August 15th for Fall semester, and May 15th for Summer session.

We understand that the ongoing challenges associated with COVID-19 have created significant interruptions to many students' education, and prolonged school closures may result in a delay in final transcripts or examination results being available. Please contact our office if you have any questions or concerns.

International students: Please see additional information below.

Valid Proof of Graduation can be demonstrated with submission of the following:

  • A final high school transcript submitted directly from the student’s school. We will not accept a high school transcript submitted by the student. The final high school transcript must show the date of graduation. For students in a curriculum where national examinations or other certification signifies completion of high school, those documents will be required as proof of graduation.
  • Results from the General Education Development (GED) Test. Students may submit GED results in lieu of a final high school transcript. Students can take the GED Test almost anywhere in the United States and Canada and internationally at any of the 3,400 Official GED Testing Centers. More information about obtaining a GED.
  • Original or officially certified copies of nationally recognized high school graduation examination results, such as the Advanced Level General Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. NYU reserves the right to request that a student submit an evaluation or authentication of their final transcript or examination results by an educational credential evaluation service.
  • Admitted homeschooled students must either be able to provide evidence of a homeschool diploma, a certificate of completion that is considered the equivalent of a high school diploma in the applicant's home state, or they must complete and submit results of their GED test prior to enrollment at NYU.
  • If a student has an associate's degree or higher, the student must submit an official final transcript with the degree awarded. This is sufficient as valid proof of graduation.

Students who attended high school in the US can follow these instructions for submitting documents to NYU:

 

All mailed transcripts and other proof of graduation documents, however, should bear an official stamp, be signed and mailed from a student's school in a sealed envelope to NYU College of Dentistry, Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting, 345 East 24th Street, room 615, New York, NY 10010.

College official transcripts can be sent electronically to dental.dhadmissions@nyu.edu from the school official.

Students who attended schools outside of the United States should obtain a course-by-course evaluations from our partner Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). If further assistance is needed students should contact the Dental Hygiene Admissions Officer.

Undergraduate Credential Policy

Students who have not provided the required documentation will be de-enrolled from their courses before the first day of class. These students will also have a financial aid hold placed onto their accounts to prevent any funds from disbursing. NYU reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission, at any time prior to or after enrolling, if high school completion cannot be adequately verified.

The transferring of credits process is done after official college transcript(s) or translated course-by-course evaluated documents have been received (students must be registered for credits in order to post transfers on academic records). The prospective transfer course(s) are reviewed by the course director(s) of the course(s) or academic advisor for comparison of similar content and level. Science courses are transferred at a grade of “B” or higher. Liberal arts courses are transferred at a grade of "C" or higher. Students who transfer courses must still meet the competency requirements found within the course in order for the transfer to be completed. Courses that are transferred carry no grade point value at New York University.

There is a maximum of fifty (50) credits for transfer for the bachelor's degree and a maximum thirty-two (32) credits for the associate's degree. Applicants who have earned a dental hygiene degree will be evaluated for additional transfer credits (above 50 credits). Refer to Transfer Residence Requirement. In addition, all courses for transfer must be completed prior to matriculation.

Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions must be submitted and students must be registered for credits to post on academic records.

  • Note: Credits are not transferred for courses taken more than ten (10) years ago.
  • Note: The entrance requirement chemistry course does not transfer in place of the Chemistry for Allied Health Core Dental Hygiene course.

Writing Courses

Writing Placement Exam

All admitted students must take a Writing Placement Exam through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at New York University prior to the first day of mandatory orientation. Pending the results of the mandatory writing placement exam, students may be reviewed for satisfying the writing requirement. The transfer of writing courses are dependent on the results of the Writing Placement Exam and recommendations on awarding external transfer credits. The student may also be required to take an additional writing course (Introduction to Expository Writing - 2 credit course) before registering for Writing Workshop I.

The transfer of college-level writing-intensive English composition courses from an accredited college or university must be of a grade "B" or higher. Students must also meet the following criteria:

  • Official transcript(s) must be submitted.
  • Students may be asked to submit graded coursework and or course descriptions relating to the desired courses to be transferred.

Exam scores are forwarded to the Dental Hygiene Office approximately two weeks after the exam date. Students are required to meet with the Student Retention and Academic Advising Administrator to discuss registration for the individual writing courses and to review their academic plan.

American Language Institute (ALI) testing and an established curriculum may be required based on placement exam results.

Dental Hygiene Courses

The transfer of dental hygiene courses will be reviewed on a case by case basis and will only be considered for transfer if taken at an accredited dental hygiene program by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Principles of Dental Hygiene Courses

For students transferring dental hygiene courses, a letter of good standing is required from the director of the dental hygiene program where the courses were taken. For those students transferring Principles of Dental Hygiene courses or the equivalent, students must first take and pass (75%) a written and clinical examination. Upon passing both requirements, the student would be enrolled in Clinical Practicum Level 1 and/or 2 as recommended by the course director.

Residency is defined as the number of credits one must complete at New York University in order to graduate (in-person, online, or remote site course offering).

The residency requirement is 32 credits. To be eligible for a degree, a transfer student must complete a minimum of 32 credits with an average of 2.0 or higher in courses held in the Dental Hygiene Degree degree programs during two or more terms.

Courses taken at other New York University programs are considered to satisfy dental hygiene degree requirements.

NOTE: CREDITS ARE NOT TRANSFERRED FOR COURSES TAKEN MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO.

The transfer of any NYU College of Dentistry credits is subject to review and approval by the institution to which the student is applying. Official transcripts must be requested and ordered through the NYU Registrar.

Some students are accepted into the Dental Hygiene Programs contingent upon the results of testing through this institute or may be recommended to take intensive English courses through this department upon the results of the University's mandatory Writing Placement Exam (once accepted into the program).

The American Language Institute of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies of New York University offers intensive courses in English for students with little or no proficiency in the language. It also offers the University Preparatory Workshop program in English for students with English proficiency insufficient to undertake a full academic program but sufficient for a part-time academic program in combination with part-time English study. This combination may constitute a full-time program of study.