Tufts Direct Application

The Office of Admissions processes the applications and facilitates the adherence to administrative policies designed to ensure equity in the treatment of all applicants. The respective department will only review applications when they are complete. In addition, interviews are only granted to individuals whose applications have been reviewed by postgraduate faculty.

Programs and Deadlines

All programs will begin in July of the academic year you are applying for, with the exception of the Advanced Dental Technology and Research program that begins in July and January. Most departments conduct rolling admissions; it is therefore strongly advised to submit your application as early as possible. Applications need to be completed by the deadline and late applications will be returned unprocessed without exception.

Individuals applying to the following programs must submit a Tufts Direct application:

Individuals applying to the Advanced Education in Esthetic and Operative Dentistry, Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Endodontics, General Practice Residency, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program, Orthodontics, Oral Medicine or Orofacial Pain, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology or Prosthodontics must complete the PASS application. Those applying to the Implant Dentistry may utilize either PASS or the Tufts Direct Application.

Please be aware that applicants can submit no more than three applications during one application cycle. If an applicant submits materials for more than three programs, only the first three applications received will be processed. Any additional applications will be not be processed.

Additional Documents (U.S. Trained Dentists)

Please do not complete the Tufts Direct application in addition to the PASS application. Individuals utilizing the Tufts Direct application must submit the following information directly to the Office of Admissions by the program deadline (Do not send materials directly to the department):

• A $125 fee (which must be paid through an online portal. Instructions will be sent in the email confirming receipt of the application.) No other method of payment will be accepted.
• A copy of your curriculum vitae that includes a list of academic honors, military service with dates (if applicable), membership in dental societies, extracurricular activities while in dental school (including continuing education courses), and any additional activities (including continuing education courses) since completing dental school (if applicable)
• A personal statement. Please address the aspect(s) of the selected postdoctoral program that interest(s) you and your plans after completion of the program
• Three letters of recommendation (in English) from the following individuals: the dean of your dental school, a department chairperson or faculty member, and an additional reference of your choice.  The identified individual must hold (or have held) the title associated with his/her name. Have the letters of reference returned to you in sealed and signed envelopes and forward them with your application;
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary education completed prior to enrolling in dental school. If the university awarded you a degree, the degree conferral must be included on the transcript;
• An official dental school transcript. If you have completed your degree, the degree conferral must be included on the transcript. If your university does not post your degree on the transcript, you must submit an official letter from the Registrar’s Office at your dental school that verifies completion of the DMD or DDS degree. If applying to the Advanced Dental Technology program you are not required to have a DMD, DDS or BDS degree. 
• NBD Exam Results:
  • If you have graduated from your dental program Part I and II results must be submitted at the time of application.
  • Students who are still completing their dental education are required to submit NBD Part I results at the time of application and NBD Part II results prior to matriculation.

*Note that it can take four weeks once requested for the score results to be sent to our office.

You must also list your results, and the date you took the examination(s), in the designated section of the application form. Please visit https://www.ada.org/en/jcnde/examinations to obtain a score report request form.

Additional Documents (Internationally Trained Dentists)

•  A $125 fee (which must be paid through an online portal. Instructions will be sent in the email confirming receipt of the application.) No other method of payment will be accepted.
• A copy of your curriculum vitae that includes a list of academic  honors, military service with dates (if applicable), membership in dental societies, extracurricular activities while in dental school (including continuing education courses), and any additional activities (including continuing education courses) since completing dental school (if applicable);
• A personal statement. Please address the aspect(s) of the selected postdoctoral program that interest(s) you and your plans after completion of the program;
• Three letters of recommendation (in English) from the following individuals: the dean of your dental school, a department chairperson or faculty member, and an additional reference of your choice. The identified individual must hold (or have held) the title associated with his/her name.  Have the letters of reference returned to you in sealed and signed envelopes and forward them with your application;
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary education completed prior to enrolling in dental school. If the university awarded you a degree, the degree conferral must be included on the transcript;
• An official dental school transcript. If you have completed your degree, the degree conferral must be included on the transcript. If your university does not post your degree on the transcript, you must submit an official letter from the Registrar’s Office at your dental school that verifies completion of the DMD or DDS degree. Official dental school transcripts must be submitted directly to the program (unless supplied through the WES evaluation). If applying to the Advanced Dental Technology program, you are not required to have a DMD, DDS or BDS degree.
• Submit an official report of an academic credentials evaluation (a course-by-course evaluation is required showing the degree earned). Suggested providers of credentials evaluation are Educational Credential Evaluators – www.ece.org, and World Education Services – www.wes.org
• Provide documentation that you have adequate assurance of receiving sufficient funds to meet the required expenses of life at the university for the expected period of stay, or an agreed part of it, including the cost of transportation home
• If you are a foreign applicant, you must demonstrate adequate command of the English language in reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Evidence of proficiency in the English language can be demonstrated by:
  • Completion of the dental degree at a university in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, or the United Kingdom
  • Minimum overall score of 90 or above achieved on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  • Minimum test scores of 7.0 achieved on the Academic format of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

**A TOEFL or IELTS score more than 2 years old on the date of the application deadline will no longer be valid. The requirement is mandatory, and any decisions made by the postgraduate department or Admissions Office may be rescinded if the required documentation is not provided by the requested date. To have your scores sent to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine use institution code 3902 and department code 38 on the TOEFL registration form.

For more information regarding the TOEFL contact:
TOEFL Educational Testing Services
Box 6151, Princeton
NJ 08541-6151

Or telephone 609-771-7760. You may also visit the website at http://www.ets.org.

For information on the IELTS please visit their website http://www.ielts.org/.

Fees and Consumer Information

Visit the Cost for Postgraduate Programs page to find cost of attendance by program.