Dental Assistant - Program Admissions

Gain acceptance to the college in the “AA/Pre-Dental Assistant” major

• Apply online
• Submit high school transcript
  • Required if graduated high school 5 or fewer years ago
  • If the language of record is not English, a certified translation must be included with the official transcript
• Submit official college transcript from ALL colleges previously attended
  • If the language or record is not English, a certified course-by-course evaluation that includes GPA and course levels must be provided
• Submit Accuplacer, ACT, SAT, or MCA test scores
  • Or schedule a time to take the Accuplacer exam at SCTCC or a location near you

• A minimum grade of “C” or better AND a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above in pre-requisite coursework is required to be considered for admission.
• Students can apply with pre-requisites in-progress, MUST be complete prior to the start of the program. Priority will be given to students with all pre-requisites complete at the time of application.
• When applying to the program, applicants must be in Good Academic Standing at SCTCC
  • Not on warning or probation - cumulative GPA 2.0 & cumulative completion rate of 66.67%.
• RE-TAKE Options: Each pre-requisite and General Education course may be taken 3 times.
  • Consult with an advisor about the impact of repeated courses.
• Program application dates and periods may vary and/or be extended. Priority is given to those who apply during the first application period. Stay up to date by checking the program page frequently.
• The Dental Assistant program is competitive, the college may not be able to accept all applicants that meet the minimum admission standards.

AAS Degree General Education Pre-Requisites

Diploma Option General Education Pre-Requisites

CPR requirement: Basic Life Support (BLS) American Heart Association OR American Red Cross 

• AFTER accepted to the Dental Assistant program, students will be required to have CPR while students in the program 

• CPR Requirements will be discussed at the orientation session

Please click here to access the Dental Assistant Program AAS application.

Please click here to access the Dental Assistant Program Diploma application.

• Submit the Dental Assistant program application and supporting documents during the program open application period.  Supporting documents should be mailed following the instructions provided on the Apply Online link (available during the program open application period.)
• Applicants will be ranked using the Dental Assistant Program Acceptance Criteria.
• Non-accepted applicants are encouraged to reapply during the next program application period after reviewing ways to gain more points on the Point System.
• The American Heart Association CPR/AED health care provider level course should be taken if you are selected as one of the top applicants to start the program.  

6 weeks after application period closes:

• Accepted applicants will have letters sent to the top 30 ranking students
• Alternate List applicants will be notified of their status
• Non-accepted applicants are notified & encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss:
  • ways to improve your application before reapplying to the program
  • your educational options / course selection for next semester
  • Other programs and opportunities at SCTCC

Students admitted to the Dental Assistant program

• Applicants will be notified of the date and time for the mandatory Dental Assistant student orientation, usually held in May.
• Applicants must be CPR certified. Information about this will be discussed during the orientation session 
• Applicants will be required to take and pass a MN Criminal Background study, and electronic fingerprinting.

Students placed on the Alternate List for Dental Assistant

• Applicants who meet the requirements but were not admitted because the program was full will be placed on a ranked alternate list.
• Applicants placed on this list will be eligible for admission to the program if spaces open prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
• ALL applicants who wish to gain admission to the Dental Assistant Program in the future must reapply, including those who were on the previous year’s alternate list.

If an applicant is accepted and declines to be admitted into the program, no preference will be given to the applicant should he or she choose to apply in any subsequent year. In order to be considered for admission in any subsequent year, such students will need to go through the entire application process again.