Last updated on May 27, 2026.

Western University Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine

WesternU’s College of Dental Medicine is committed to establishing a quality, innovative program that prepares you for success, whether in private practice, community service, research or academics. Our International Dentist Program (IDP) is designed to award a DMD degree to students who have graduated from dental schools outside of the U.S. or Canada. You will learn with an integrated team of health professionals in a part of the country with a wealth of clinical opportunities.

WesternU’s College of Dental Medicine is committed to establishing a quality, innovative program that prepares you for success, whether in private practice, community service, research or academics. Our International Dentist Program (IDP) is designed to award a DMD degree to students who have graduated from dental schools outside of the U.S. or Canada. You will learn with an integrated team of health professionals in a part of the country with a wealth of clinical opportunities. As a student in our program, you can take advantage of a quality, innovative curriculum based on the “best practices ” in health-care education today. You will use facilities with advanced educational and clinical technology within an established health sciences university dedicated to providing student-centered, interprofessional health education. Dental students of the College of Dental Medicine will embark on a journey with the enthusiastic support of administration, faculty and staff.

Program Size
20
Program Length
26 months
Application Open
March 5, 2026
Application Deadline
July 20, 2026
Program Start
February 1, 2027
Apply Now

Program Contact

Nicole Gutzke Associate Director of Admissions
Office of Admissions 309 E. 2nd Street Pomona, CA 91766 (909) 469-5335
admissions@westernu.edu
Apply Now

WesternU's International Dentist Program (IDP) is designed to award a DMD degree to students who have graduated from dental schools outside of the U.S. or Canada. The curriculum begins with a 10 week intensive course which calibrates IDP students to the first two years of curriculum and prepares them to enter the clinical education program.  This course includes study of preclinical sciences, integrated biomedical sciences and treatment of medically complex patients, behavioral science, interprofessional education, and clinical service learning.  Students then join regularly enrolled students as they enter clinical experiences and take the same courses for the following 2 years.  Upon graduation IDP students meet the educational requirement of having a degree from a CODA (Commission on Dental Accreditation) accredited school that is required for licensure in U.S. states. Please visit our website for detailed program information and application requirements.

Program Information

Degree Awarded D.M.D.
Program Size 20
Program Length 26 months
Application Open Date March 5, 2026
Application Deadline July 20, 2026
Program Start Date February 1, 2027
Supplemental Application Yes
Supplemental Fee Yes
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or hold U.S. legal permanent resident status (green card) No
Bench Test Yes
Program Website prospective.westernu.edu

Application Requirements

Required Standardized Tests

  • NBDE
  • INBDE

Supplemental Requirements

  • Requires supplemental application
  • Requires supplemental fee

Citizenship and Immigration Eligibility

Both U.S. citizens and international students requiring an F-1 student visa may apply for admission. International applicants, or any other applicants who are not U.S. citizens and who are living in the U.S., must provide proof of legal U.S. residency prior to matriculation.

Transcript Evaluation and Instructions

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), World Education Services (WES)

All coursework completed at non-U.S. institutions (excluding English-speaking Canadian institutions) must be evaluated by either World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). No other evaluation agencies will be accepted.

The credential evaluation must:

  • Be completed on a course-by-course basis
  • Include letter grades, pass/fail, or credit/no credit designations
  • Clearly specify whether each course is classified as undergraduate, graduate, or professional level

Applicants are responsible for requesting that the completed evaluation be sent directly to ADEA CAAPID by the evaluation service.

Accepted Evaluation Services

World Education Services (WES)
P.O. Box 5087, Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: (212) 966-6311

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
101 W. Pleasant St., Suite 200
Milwaukee, WI 53212-3963
Phone: (414) 289-3400

Please ensure all foreign transcripts are submitted for evaluation well in advance of application deadlines to allow sufficient processing time.

  • Official transcripts for any courses completed at U.S. institutions must be submitted directly to ADEA CAAPID.
  • Must be completed and submitted by application deadline.

Letters of Evaluation Instructions

  • Two letters of evaluation in English are required from dentists who can attest to your character, conduct, and professional ability. At least one of the letters must be from a dentist who is full-time faculty  at a dental school.
    • If the letter is not in English, provide the letter in its original language along with a certified English translation.
  • Letters  must be no more than one year old from the date the application is submitted, and are accepted through the ADEA CAAPID system.
  • If the letter is from a person outside the United States, the letter must not be more than two years old.
  • Must be completed and submitted by application deadline.

TOEFL Requirement Instructions

  • Applicants must be proficient in English speaking and reading comprehension.
  • All applicants whose native language is not English must submit official ETS TOEFL score results as part of their ADEA CAAPID application.
  • Must be completed and submitted by application deadline.  
  • You can read more about our TOEFL requirements on our website.

National Board Requirement Instructions

  • Applicants must have passed NBDE Part I & Part II, or the integrated NBDE. 
  • Official NBDE score reports must be submitted via your ADEA CAAPID application.
  • Must be completed and submitted by application deadline

Other Requirement Instructions

Qualified applicants will be invited to an onsite interview. An additional fee will be assessed for onsite interview to cover costs of dexterity testing.