Dental Early Admission Program [DEAP] (Dental School)
Introduction
The Dental Early Admission Program (DEAP) is a collaboration between Texas State University and the UTHealth San Antonio School of Dentistry. Students admitted to DEAP who meet all requirements begin dental school at UTHealth San Antonio after their third year of college. Credits earned during dental school are transferred back to Texas State and these credits complete the requirements for a bachelor of science degree with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. Thus, DEAP participants earn both a bachelor of science and a doctor of dental surgery degree in seven years, rather than eight or more. DEAP is sometimes referred to as the 3+4 Plan.
Applying to the Program
You will submit your application to UTHealth San Antonio School of Dentistry after completing at least 12 hours but no more than 30 hours of college credit at Texas State University. Dual credit hours from high school are not included in this total. To apply, you must complete an application form that you can obtain ONLINE. You will need two letters of recommendation, one from a pre-health advisor and one from a science faculty member. The application form must be accompanied by official transcripts from Texas State and any other colleges or universities you have attended and a passport- size photo. Applications must be submitted by March 1 of each year. Student interviews are typically conducted in April of each year. Even if you can complete the required courses at Texas State in fewer than three years (typically using AP or dual credit coursework), UTHealth San Antonio School of Dentistry expects you to attend Texas State for three years before beginning dental school.
Contact information for the pre-health advisors can be found here.
Requirements of the Program
If you are admitted to DEAP you must successfully complete all of the following requirements during your three years at Texas State:
- Follow a special three-year curriculum designed by Texas State. You can contact an academic advisor at the College of Science and Engineering Advising Center (Centennial Hall room 202, 512.245.1315) for assistance in proper course selection.
- Maintain an overall and science GPA of at least 3.4. Your science GPA consists of all the biology, chemistry, physics and math courses you take. All classes you take count toward this GPA, so if you repeat a course, the grades for both attempts will be included in the GPA calculation.
- Earn a grade of "C" or better in all the prerequisite courses required by the UTHealth San Antonio School of Dentistry. See the link below for a list of these prerequisite courses. Note: all these courses are included in your three-year curriculum.
- Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) and score a minimum of 19 on the Academic Average (AA) portion of the DAT. There is no minimum requirement for the Perceptual Ability (PA) portion of the DAT. The DAT needs to be taken during the summer after the second year.
- Submit a formal application through the Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS) between May 1 and November 1 after your second year of college. (You must include your DAT score as part of this application).
- Attend a required orientation session at the UTHealth San Antonio School of Dentistry.
- Establish a record of ethical behavior during your college years (reflected in the letter of recommendation described below).
- Receive a positive recommendation from the Texas State University Pre-Health Committee that will accompany your TMDSAS application. The Pre-Health Committee interviews students and generates letters of recommendation each spring.