Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry applicant admission requirements (2025-2026)

January 15, 2025

This information is available with, and constitutes part of, the application. It is assumed that all applicants have read and understood it prior to submitting the completed application.

Degree programs offered

Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)

A. Application Fees

* See Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. Canadian Residency.

Applications are not considered received until the application is submitted and the non-refundable application fee has been paid by the posted deadline.

All correspondence, including decision release information will be sent via email and posted to your application portal.

It is important to check your email and application portal regularly and specifically around the deadlines and important dates listed below.

B. Deadlines and Important Dates

1. All Applicants

2. Canadian Indigenous Applicant Category

In addition to the above deadlines, applicants to the Canadian Indigenous Applicant Category are required to meet the following deadlines:

3. Individual Applicant Category

In addition to the above deadlines, applicants to the Individual Applicant Category are required to meet the following deadlines:

4. Applicant selected for Interview

In addition to the above deadlines, applicants that are granted an interview are required to meet the following deadlines:

C. Required Application Documentation

The following documents will be required to complete your application:

Please send all documentation to the following address:

Admission for Dentistry
University of Manitoba
424 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

Electronic transcripts should be submitted to applicant.services@umanitoba.ca.*

In order to be considered official, electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the email of the office responsible for issuing transcripts. Transcripts emailed or forwarded by the applicant are considered unofficial.  The University of Manitoba is a registered receiving organization with MyCreds^TM. Applicants from participating member universities and colleges can release their transcripts to the University of Manitoba through their MyCreds^TM portal. Applicants should select 'Share' and then 'Organization' instead of opting for 'email'.

In order to be considered official, electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the email of the office responsible for issuing transcripts. Transcripts emailed or forwarded by the applicant are considered unofficial.

The University of Manitoba is a registered receiving organization with MyCreds^TM. Applicants from participating member universities and colleges can release their transcripts to the University of Manitoba through their MyCreds^TM portal. Applicants should select 'Share' and then 'Organization' instead of opting for 'email'.

• Self-Declaration form and Essential Skills form are required of all applicants. The forms will be completed as part of the online application for admission.

Applications are not complete until all necessary documents are received.  It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that our office receives all required information.

Applicants must notify the Admissions Office immediately should they either enroll at a post-secondary institution not previously declared on their application or enroll in additional coursework not declared on the previously submitted final transcript provided for assessment. Applicants will be required to provide proof of registration.

D. Required Admission Documentation

All successful applicants to the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry are required to submit the following:

Immunization Requirements

All candidates who are offered a position in the incoming class must provide an up to date immunization record in order to register and attend classes.

Each applicant offered admission will receive a link to the fillable PDF immunization document which must be completed and returned to the Immunization Program Office prior to registration in the program.

Students may complete their forms and have their immunization records ready to submit, however you will not be able to submit any of your documents until:

1. You have received an invitation from RFHS Immunization Program to your email account via Medeo (check spam folder in case) 
2. You have registered for a Medeo account 
3. You have received a direct message from the Immunization Program staff through Medeo 
   • Once this message has been opened by you, you can send and receive attachments through this Health Mail portal in Medeo and can then submit your Health Questionnaire and your immunization records. 

Prospective students should refer to and be familiar with the College’s Infectious Diseases Policy Statement on the College’s website.

Any student applicant with an infectious disease should either delay their application to the program or disclose this information upon being accepted into the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. Should a student who has been accepted into the program but has been found to be unable to meet the College’s Infectious Disease policy requirements, every effort will be made to accommodate the student until the guidelines are met. In some cases, it may be necessary to suspend or terminate the student from the program if it is shown that the policy guidelines are unable to be met.

Adult Criminal Record and Child and Adult Abuse Registry Checks

An adult criminal record and child abuse and adult abuse registries self-declaration will be required of all applicants. Official adult criminal record check is required for all admitted students by the time of registration, and annually thereafter in accordance with existing policies of other health, education, and social services programs at the University of Manitoba. Applicants will need to comply with any University policy on criminal record and abuse checks that may be in effect as of the time of registration. Official adult and child abuse registry checks will be applied for through the College prior to the first day of class.

Essential Skills and Abilities Document

All candidates who are offered a position in the incoming class must complete and sign this document. Prospective students should refer to, and be familiar with, the requirements in the College's Essential Skills and Abilities for Admission, Promotion and Graduation in the DMD program document. Should a student who has been accepted into the program be found to be unable to meet the College's essential skills requirements, every effort will be made to reasonably accommodate the student according to College and University policies. In some cases, it may be necessary, upon review by the Essential Student Abilities Committee, to suspend or terminate the student from the program if it is shown that the policy guidelines are unable to be met.

A. Citizenship and Residence

The Admissions Committee gives priority to Manitoba applicants. The University of Manitoba defines Manitoba applicants as those who:

• have graduated from a Manitoba high school; or
• prior to application, have a recognized degree from a university in Manitoba; or
• prior to application, have completed a minimum of two consecutive years of full-time academic studies in a recognized program at a university in Manitoba, while physically residing in Manitoba; or
• prior to application have been a resident in the Province of Manitoba for a minimum of two (2) years following high school; the two year residence period will not be considered broken where the Admissions Committee is satisfied that the applicant was temporarily out of the province on vacation, in short-term volunteer work or employment, or as a full time student.

A minimum of 25 of the 29 positions in the first year dental program will be allocated to Manitobans. In any deliberations, the closing date of applications is to be regarded as the official date governing the determination of a candidate’s citizenship or residence status.

B. Calculation of the Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA)

Applicants with two years of pre-dental studies:

(2 x the average on the CORE courses)
PLUS
(1 x the average on lowest year)
PLUS
(3 x average on best year)
DIVIDED BY SIX

Applicants with three or more years of pre-dental studies:

(2 x the average on the CORE courses)
PLUS
(0 x the average on lowest year)
PLUS
(3 x the average on best year)
PLUS
(1 x the average on each remaining full academic year of studies)
DIVIDED BY SIX (or seven or eight etc., as appropriate)

Notes

Relating to AGPA Calculation

• It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform the Admissions Office in writing of any deferred exams or grade changes. All final grades, including grade changes must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the document deadline in order for them to be included in the final selection process. Grade changes will not be accepted after the documentation deadline date. If a grade is not available by the documentation deadline date, an ‘F’ grade will be used in the final admission determination and calculation.
• Should a grade be retained on your record yet excluded from your institutional GPA calculation, that grade will be used to meet admission requirements and the GPA calculation for your application to the University of Manitoba.
• The grades from a minimum of 24 new credit hours (never previously taken) per regular Fall/Winter session (September - April) must be submitted for a year’s average to be included in the ranking process.
• Courses graded “Satisfactory”, “Pass/Fail” will be excluded from the Core Avg, the AGPA and the sessional credit hour count and will not be considered for meeting any of the admissions requirements.
• Upon written submission at time of application Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) courses can be used to fulfil core course requirements. However AP/IB courses shall not be used to fulfil the minimum new credit hour requirement (see Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, A. Academic Requirements, 1. Completed Coursework).
• Six credit hours of core subjects (i.e., Chemistry 1 and Chemistry 2) may be repeated and the higher grade(s) obtained will be used only in the core average computation. If more than six credit hours of core subjects are repeated then all additional grades not included in the repeats will be averaged in the core average computation only (e.g., if Chemistry 1, Chemistry 2, and Organic Chemistry 2 are repeated one of which will be an average of all courses completed towards that core subject).
• An applicant, upon written submission at the time of application, may request the elimination of grades completed at least eight years prior to the commencement of a more recently completed program of studies for the purpose of calculating the Adjusted Grade Point Average. All academic requirements, as stipulated in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, must be met in the more recently completed program of studies.

C. The Results of the Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (DAT)

In the interview selection process applicants will not be considered for admission if they have, in the best Canadian English DAT score a PAT score of less than 14.

Only the average of the Reading Comprehension, Biology, Chemistry and PAT scores (DAT average) from the single best Canadian English DAT of the last three years will be used in the calculation of the overall score.

D. Selection of Applicants for Interview

1. General Applicant Category

a) Core Course Average

In order to be considered for an interview, an applicant must demonstrate a minimum core course average, as determined by the Committee. Averages may change from year to year depending on the competitive nature of the applicant pool.

b) Canadian Dental Aptitude Test

In order to be considered for an interview, an applicant must demonstrate a minimum DAT average (average of the Reading Comprehension, Biology, Chemistry and PAT scores), as determined by the Committee. Averages may change from year to year depending on the competitive nature of the applicant pool.

2. Canadian Indigenous Applicant Category

a) Core Course Average

In order to be considered for an interview, an applicant must demonstrate a minimum core course average, as determined by the Committee. Preference will be given to Manitoba applicants. Averages may change from year to year depending on the competitive nature of the applicant pool.

b) Canadian Dental Aptitude Test

In order to be considered for an interview, an applicant must demonstrate a minimum DAT average (average of the Reading Comprehension, Biology, Chemistry and PAT scores), as determined by the Committee. Averages may change from year to year depending on the competitive nature of the applicant pool.

Offers for interview will be granted based on the core courses average, Canadian DAT scores and information derived from the autobiographical sketch, in combination with the competitive nature of the applicant pool within this applicant category.

Note: Selection decisions in this category are necessarily subjective; decision rationale is neither recorded nor provided to the applicant.

3. Individual Applicant Category

a) Core Course Average

In order to be considered for an interview, an applicant must demonstrate a minimum core course average, as determined by the Committee. Preference will be given to Manitoba applicants. Averages may change from year to year depending on the competitive nature of the applicant pool.

b) Canadian Dental Aptitude Test

In order to be considered for an interview, an applicant must demonstrate a minimum DAT average (average of the Reading Comprehension, Biology, Chemistry and PAT scores), as determined by the Committee. Averages may change from year to year depending on the competitive nature of the applicant pool.

Offers for interview will be granted based on the core courses average, Canadian DAT scores and information derived from the autobiographical sketch, in combination with the competitive nature of the applicant pool within this applicant category.

Note: Selection decisions in this category are necessarily subjective; decision rationale is neither recorded nor provided to the applicant.

E. Final Selection

1. General Applicant Category

Applicants from the General Applicant Category are rank ordered by an overall score based on the equal weighting of the Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) (as of June 1st of the year of application), the Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) scores, and the interview scores. A minimum of 20 applicants will be accepted in this category.

2. Canadian Indigenous Applicant Category

A maximum of five applicants may be accepted in this category based on information gathered in the interview process in conjunction with academic standing (as of June 1st of the year of application) and Canadian DAT performances.

Note: Admissions decisions in this category are necessarily subjective; decision rationale is neither recorded nor provided to the applicant.

3. Individual Applicant Category

A maximum of four applicants may be accepted in this category based on information gathered in the interview process in conjunction with academic standing (as of June 1st of the year of application) and the Canadian DAT performances. Positions unfilled will be made available to the General Applicant Category.

Note: Admissions decisions in this category are necessarily subjective; decision rationale is neither recorded nor provided to the applicant.

F. Tie Breaking Procedure for Offers

In the event of a tie, the following procedure will be used:

1. Increase the number of significant figures used in the calculation.
2. Where a tie still exists, the application that was received first will be used to break the tie.

All completed applications are time stamped upon submission; in the case of a paper application, these applications will be time stamped after they have been entered into the system by a University of Manitoba Admissions Office staff member.

G. Notification of Decision

Decisions will be posted to the applicant’s portal. Applicants must log into their application portal to view the decision and to accept or decline their offer. If the offer is not accepted and the subsequent deposit paid by the deadline date indicated in the letter, the offer will lapse. Lapsed offers will be considered a declined response. It is imperative that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

Applicants offered admission will have 5 business days to respond and will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $1000.00 to indicate their acceptance of the offer. This deposit will be credited to first year fees or forfeited if the applicant subsequently declines.

H. The Incoming Class of 2024

In 2024, of the 261 applications received for the first year Dentistry class of 29 students, 83 applicants were short listed and granted an interview.

Individuals who wish to have their applications reconsidered should submit their request to the Admissions Office. Past experience has shown that most inquiries can be satisfied at this level without further reference. Persons wishing reconsideration of the decision shall direct their request to the Admissions Office in writing within ten (10) business days of the posted decision date. All appeals must come directly from the applicant and not a third party (e.g. parent, sibling, friend, agent, etc.).

Should the student wish to pursue the reconsideration decision further, such an appeal will be made in accordance with the Senate Committee on Appeals Procedures.

• Review the Senate Committee on Appeals procedures

Applicants are advised that appeals of reconsideration decisions by the Senate Appeal Committee focus on questions of correct adherence to published policies and procedures, and not on subjective issues or the relative merits of the application.

The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and Admissions Office are able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. However, it is policy not to instruct applicants as to a specific course of action they should follow, but rather to provide the information needed for applicants to make their own choice with respect to the alternatives available. The following points require special attention:

1. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their plans with all who can usefully advise them, but they should be aware that second and third hand information about admission policies may not be accurate.
2. No official at the university can guarantee the admission of any applicant. Admission is determined by the Committee on the basis of an annual competition.
3. All applicants are advised to supplement any personal enquiries with a written request so that an official written response can be made. It is only these written responses which will be considered as evidence of any advice given (see Section 8: Contact Information).

The University of Manitoba is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. If you are a student with a diagnosed disability (permanent, chronic, or temporary) who may require academic accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Services at 204-474-7423 or by email at student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca to learn more about the confidential supports that are available.

The following other contacts may also be useful.