There are various pathways through the Sewanee curriculum to meet the academic requirements to apply to dental school. It is strongly recommended to complete CHEM 120 in your freshmen year. Additionally, it is recommended to complete BIOL 233 by the end of your sophomore year. These recommendations will allow you the most options to timely take upper level science courses required for dental school. Physics is usually, but not always, taken in the junior or senior year (and is not required for preparation for the DAT entrance exam).
One year of Biology with Laboratory -
Note that BIOL 133 and BIOL 233 are non-lab courses that are pre-requisites for upper level biology lab courses that are required or highly recommended.
BIOL 133 Introductory Molecular Biology and Genetics
BIOL 233 Intermediate Cell and Molecular Biology
Highly recommended BIOL laboratory courses that cover core competencies on DAT:
BIOL 243 Molecular Methods
BIOL 270 Human Anatomy
BIOL 314 General and Human Physiology
Additional recommended BIOL courses that will enhance your core competencies in the biological sciences:
(*Please note these courses are also offered without a lab, and courses without a lab will not count toward the requirement for most dental schools).
- BIOL 203: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Lab)
- BIOL 275: Histology and Microanatomy (Lab)
- BIOL 280: Molecular Genetics (Lab)
- BIOL 289: Biotechnology*
- BIOL 319: Cancer Cell Biology*
- BIOL 328: Molecular Revolutions in Medicine*
- BIOL 330: Immunology*
- BIOL 333: Developmental Biology
- BIOL 340: Microbiology
- BIOL 389: Epigenetics*
- BIOL 316: Biochemistry of Metabolism and Molecular Biology (Please be aware that this course cannot count for more than one pre-dental requirement. Thus if you use this to satisfy your Biological Science requirement, you will have to take an additional chemistry course)
Two years/Four semesters of chemistry with laboratory
Note that some schools only require that you complete chemistry through organic regardless of semester hours, while others require the full two years.
Chemistry courses listed below are required by most dental schools and are highly recommended for DAT competencies:
CHEM 120 General Chemistry (Lab) or CHEM 150 Advanced General Chemistry (Lab)
CHEM 201 Organic Chemistry I (Lab)
CHEM 202 Organic Chemistry II (Lab)
Additional inorganic chemistry courses that will satisfy the fourth semester of chemistry for most schools that require an additional course:
CHEM 210 Solution and Solid State Chemistry (Lab)
CHEM 308 Inorganic Chemistry (Lab)
CHEM 352 Thermodynamics and Kinetics (Lab)
One year of physics with laboratory
Either Physics 101 followed by Physics 102, or Physics 103 followed by Physics 104, will provide a full year of physics with laboratory.
PHYS 101/102: General Physics I & II
PHYS 103/104: Modern Mechanics & Electric and Magnetic Interactions
Mathematics and Statistics
While these courses may not be required by most medical schools, they are highly recommended and are good background classes for required courses such as physics.
MATH 101/102 (placement required)
STAT 204
One year/Two semesters of English
Many Sewanee students fulfill the English requirement with the following courses:
- ENGL 101: Literature and Composition AND ENGL XXX OR
- HUMN (with GFWI) AND ENG LXXX
- WRIT courses also are accepted by some schools (please check you school to verify)
