Pre-Professional
Degrees

Pre-Dental

If you decide to pursue a professional career in dentistry, you will have the opportunity to be a part of an established profession that is projected to continue to grow. Although the road to success in the dentistry profession is long, the rewards are vast. Consider that the average salary for a dentist in the U.S. is $135,278 (source: Salary.com). Obtaining a degree in pre-dentistry will provide you with the solid foundation needed for going on to a professional school. There are many career paths in dentistry. While we most often think of the family dentist, there are specializations in exciting and fulfilling careers like pediatric dentistry, forensic dentistry, orthodontics, and many more. The ESU degree in Pre-Dentistry is an excellent way to explore all the options available to you in this career.


Salaries

  • Starting Median Salary: Approx. $95,000*
  • After 5 Years Experience: Approx. $112,000

Department Homepage

Quick Facts

  • You will be taught by professors with professional and educational experience from many different industries and schools.
  • Students have immediate access to professors for one-on-one mentoring as well as helpful guidance from advisors when choosing a dental school for advanced studies.
  • This degree is offered as a pre-professional degree through the Biological Sciences department.
  • In competitions at the Kansas Academy of Science 2008 Annual Meeting, over half of the student awards went to ESU students!

Career Opportunities

  • Dentist, general
  • Orthodontist
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
  • Prosthodontists
  • Dentist, all other specialties

Major Requirements

  • Students will be evaluated based on the following requirements for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Dental School:
  • 60 to 90 hrs of college credit
  • 3.2 or higher GPA & 3.4 or higher GPA in science courses
  • 90 to 120 college credit hours with a 2.9 or higher GPA
  • DAT academic avg. of 17 or above

Clubs

  • Beta Beta Beta
  • Biology Club
  • Caduceus Society

August 2008: www.payscale.com: Dentist August 2008: www.bls.com: Specific Careers for Dentistry