Accelerated 7-Year Bachelor of Science (Biology) to Doctor of Dental Surgery Program (BS-DDS)

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  Program Learning Outcomes

  Please review the catalog page for BS Biology and the Doctor of Dental Surgery for the Program Learning Outcomes.
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  Eligibility

  Only high school graduates of the months immediately preceding the beginning of undergraduate study at University of Detroit Mercy are eligible for consideration as a program participant. Transfer students or students who have already begun course work at Detroit Mercy are ineligible.

  Once admitted, a program participant must be enrolled as a full-time student in each regular semester, including a two-week course at the Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry at the end of the Winter semester (beginning of the Summer) in year one of the program. All necessary undergraduate coursework must be completed at the McNichols Campus within the three calendar years immediately prior to the beginning of the formal dental school phase of the program.

  Students successfully completing all requirements of the program will be granted the Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology and the Doctor of Dental Surgery. The Bachelor of Science is awarded after the required credits at the Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry are completed to fulfill remaining undergraduate requirements.

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  Admissions Requirements

  The Selection Committee will consider for acceptance into the program an applicant who has met ALL of the following basic criteria:

  • Has been accepted for admission as a freshman student at University of Detroit Mercy.
  • Has submitted to the Admissions Office, following acceptance as a freshman student, a 350-400 word personal essay on a topic supplied at the time of application.
  • Has two letters of recommendations addressing the candidate's qualifications for the program.
  • Has achieved a high school ACT composite score of at least 28 (minimum of 26 on each subsection), or a combined SAT score of at least 1300 (minimum of 620 on ERW, minimum of 610 MATH), not super-scored. Applicants applying under the test-optional policy are eligible to apply. The average cumulative unweighted high school GPA for matriculants was a 3.85 and the average cumulative weighted high school GPA was a 4.14.
  • Has earned for the first six semesters of high school a grade point average of 3.5 overall on a 4.0 point scale, and the same for the combined mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology courses.
  • Has directed the high school office to supply to the Admissions Office an up-to-date high school transcript by January 15 of the application year.

  Applicants who have satisfied the above requirements will be reviewed by the 7-Year Dental Selection Committee. The selection committee will make the final determination on the limited number of students accepted into the program.

  Students accepted into the program should complete 25 hours of dentistry observation/shadowing of a general practitioner, before starting courses at Detroit Mercy.

  An applicant will be eligible for admission to the dental school phase of study following the successful completion of all aspects of the initial three years of the program. This includes:

  • Successful completion of all required dental prerequisite courses with a C or better
  • Overall GPA of 3.6 or better, and science GPA of 3.5 or better
  • Scores of 20 or better on all sections of the DAT (the Dental Admission Test, the national standardized examination required of all applicants for admission to professional schools of dentistry) prior to August 1 in the second summer of the program
  • Complete at least 60 hours of shadowing with a U.S./Canada-based general dentist
  • Successful submission of the AADSAS application prior to August 1 in their second summer and satisfactory interview in the fall of their third year with Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Admission's Committee
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  Application Procedures

  See the website for Detroit Mercy Admissions for the early and regular submission dates for applications.  All who are interested in being considered for admission into the 7-Year Program should specifically and clearly indicate this at the time they submit their applications for admission as entering freshmen into the College of Engineering & Science. Applications for the program are to be sent to the office of Undergraduate Admissions at the McNichols Campus, not to the program coordinator nor to the School of Dentistry.

  The student's overall application, essay, and interview will be used to determine which students are accepted into the limited number of seats in the program.

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  Bachelor Program Requirements -Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biology (120 credits)

  Science Courses

  • BIO 1200 General Biology I (3 credits) (meets Core C1 with BIO 1210)
  • BIO 1210 General Biology Lab I (2 credits) (meets Core C1 with BIO 1200)
  • BIO 1220 General Biology II (3 credits)
  • BIO 1230 General Biology Lab II (2 credits)
  • BIO 2700 Genetics (3 credits)
  • BIO 2900 Biostatistics (3 credits) (meets Core B2)
  • BIO 4210 Microbiology (3 credits)
  • BIO 4630 Physiology (3 credits) (meets Core IT2)
  • CHM 1070 General Chemistry I (3 credits)
  • CHM 1080 General Chemistry II (3 credits)
  • CHM 1100 General Chemistry Lab I (1 credit)
  • CHM 1120 General Chemistry Lab II (1 credit)
  • CHM 2250 Organic Chemistry Lab I (1 credit)
  • CHM 2260 Organic Chemistry Lab II (1 credit)
  • CHM 2270 Organic Chemistry I (3 credits)
  • CHM 2290 Organic Chemistry II (3 credits)
  • CHM 4710 Biochemistry I (3 credits)
  • CHM 4720 Biochemistry II (3 credits)
  • PHY 1300 Physics I (3 credits)
  • PHY 1310 Physics Lab I (1 credit)
  • PHY 1320 Physics II (3 credits)
  • PHY 1330 Physics Lab II (1 credit)

  Upper-Level Biology Courses

  • Credits are transferred back from the School of Dentistry after the first or second semester in the DDS program to reach 39 biology credits and a total of 120 credits.

  OR

  • For students who will not matriculate to the School of Dentistry in August of their fourth year, they can complete their undergraduate biology degree by completing:
    • One of the following:
      • BIO 4101 Urban Evolutionary Biology (3 credits)
      • BIO 4200 Evolution (3 credits)
      • BIO 4480 Ecology (3 credits)
    • Three additional biology laboratories (beyond BIO 1210,  BIO 1230, BIO 2310, BIO 2330, and BIO 2420)
    • BIO 4990 Biology and Social Issues (3 credits) (meets Core IT1)
    • Biology Electives (additional courses from BIO 2600-4999) to reach a minimum of 39 biology credits

  Additional Required Courses

  • MTH 1400 Elementary Functions (3 credits) or MTH 1410 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (4 credits)
  • DENT 1000 Introduction to Dentistry (0 credits)
  • DENT 3000 Integrated Biomedical Science I (3 credits) (meets Core IT1)
  • DENT 3010 Integrated Biomedical Science II (3 credits)
  • PYC 1000 Intro to Psychology (3 credits) (meets Core C2)
  • SOC 1000 Intro to Sociology (3 credits) (meets Core C2)
  • Additional Upper-level BIO courses are recommended if scheduling permits

  Core Curriculum 

  In addition to the courses required for this program listed above, the student must also fulfill the requirements of the University Core Curriculum for this program. Some of these courses may be satisfied by courses in your program. 

  Students in this Accelerated 7-Year BS-BIO/DDS program who complete their degree by transferring back credits from Detroit Mercy's School of Dentistry have been granted two core course exemptions:

  • Core E1, E2*, E3 - one course may be waived. 
  • Core D3, IT3, IT4, IT5- one course may be waived.

  *E2 may be waived if a student has taken ENL 1300 and ENL 1310 (six semester hours of English are required by the School of Dentistry). 

  Please review your Degree Evaluation or consult your academic advisor for more information. 

  
  

  Students are encouraged to submit transcripts or test scores from Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate, etc.  In some cases, these will be transferred in. Pre-requisite courses required for admission to the School of Dentistry should be completed at a four-year institution and not a community college.

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  Optional Concentration - Biology Research

  The Research concentration within the Biology major is designed for students who are interested in pursuing further research in graduate school or careers in industry, medicine, and science education. A research concentration will offer students an opportunity to read and explore scientific literature, develop hypotheses, design and implement experiments, collect and analyze data and communicate their findings. The Research concentration involves both course-based research experiences and mentored laboratory research experiences. Students will gain experience problem solving by using the scientific method.

  The concentration is a minimum of nine credits and must include six credit hours from courses 3000+ level or higher.

  Inquiry-based laboratory or course-based undergraduate research experience (at least 2 credits)

  • BIO 2710 – Genetics Laboratory (2 credits) 
  • BIO 3201 – Applied Metagenomics (3 credits) 
  • BIO 3510 – Histology Laboratory (2 credits) 
  • BIO 3950 – Advanced Microbial Phage Genomics: SEA GENES (4 credits) 
  • BIO 4490 – Ecology Laboratory (2 credits) 
  • BIO 4640 – Physiology Laboratory (2 credits) 
  • BIO 4750 – Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory (2 credits) 
  • CHM 1150 – Research in Chemistry Lab (1 credit)
  • CHM 2300 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (2 credits)
  • CHM 2310 – Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (1 credits)
  • CHM 3880 – Quantitative Analysis Laboratory (1 credit)

  Laboratory Research (3-7 credits):

  Each student must take two academic semesters and/or summers of mentored research, and it must include the preparation and presentation of a thesis.

  • BIO 4920 (1-2 credits): Directed Studies: Laboratory Research
  • BIO 4930 (1-2 credits): Directed Studies: Advanced Laboratory Research
  • SCIE 4998 (0-1.5 credits): Undergraduate Research Thesis I
  • SCIE 4999 (0-1.5 credits): Undergraduate Research Thesis II

  -OR-

  • CHM 2980 (1-2 credits): Introduction to Undergraduate Research
  • CHM 4980 (1-2 credits): Undergraduate Research
  • SCIE 4998 (0-1.5 credits): Undergraduate Research Thesis I
  • SCIE 4999 (0-1.5 credits): Undergraduate Research Thesis II 

  -OR-

  • SCIE 4980 (0 credits): Undergraduate Research 
    
  • SCIE 4998 (0-1.5 credits): Undergraduate Research Thesis I
  • SCIE 4999 (0-1.5 credits): Undergraduate Research Thesis II

  -OR-

  • HON 4997 (1 credit): Honors Thesis Proposal
  • HON 4998 (1 credit): Honors Thesis Approval
  • HON 4999 (1 credit): Honors Thesis Defense

  
  

  Research Portfolio (0 credits; Pass/Fail):

  Each student must prepare and submit a research portfolio containing the products from each of the courses in the research concentration. These include the presentations, reports, posters, research proposal, research reflections, final thesis, and final presentation. The research portfolio is the full story of the student's research trajectory and achievements. The portfolio is evaluated by the Research Concentration Committee.

  Total Credits: 9 credits
  
  Contact Rachelle Belanger, Ph.D., (belangra@udmercy.edu) or Jacob Kagey, Ph.D., (kageyja@udmercy.edu) for more information.

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  Optional Concentration - Applied Genetics

  Please review the catalog page for BS Biology for the concentration in Applied Genetics.
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  Optional Concentration - Neuroscience

  Please review the catalog page for BS Biology for the concentration in Neuroscience.
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  Dental School Courses Required to Complete BS-Biology degree

  Note that the bachelor degree is awarded after the completion of additional coursework from Detroit Mercy's School of Dentistry (after completing one or two semesters in dental school). These courses will be double-counted towards the DDS and BS degrees and will be used to complete the remaining BS Biology requirements. A student may also choose to complete the undergraduate degree before matriculating to the School of Dentistry. In this case, the student must complete BIO 4990, one of the following: BIO 4101, BIO 4200, or BIO 4480, three approved upper-level biology labs, and five credits or more from BIO 2600-4999. Total credits for the biology major must be at least 39 credits and all core requirements must be fulfilled (no accelerated program core exemptions).

  In accordance with University policy on similar joint programs, the financial aid and/or scholarships are awarded separately for the undergraduate and graduate/professional portions of the programs. Students admitted to the School of Dentistry are considered graduate/professional students for financial aid purposes and will be considered for scholarship consideration at the time of admission to Detroit Mercy Dental.

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  Degree Requirements - Doctor of Dental Surgery

  Please see the catalog page for the DDS program for the degree requirements. Students complete 191 credits for the DDS program. Graduate credits can be used to fulfill the 120 total credits and 39 biology credits for the undergraduate degree.