Diploma in Dental Assisting Program

The Diploma in Dental Assisting prepares graduates to work as licensed Registered Dental Assistants in clinical practice across a range of oral health settings. The program provides a comprehensive education in chairside assisting, including intra-oral procedures, infection control, radiography, dental materials, practice operations, and patient communication.

Students learn within Dalhousie’s dental clinics and simulation laboratory, working alongside dental and dental hygiene students in a team-based clinical environment, that mimics a real-world private practice setting. Exposure to the latest technologies, digital systems, and community-based clinics supports the development of professional competence and readiness for practice. Instruction includes classroom-based learning, simulation, and clinical participation in the Faculty’s dental hospital and external community clinics.

Graduates will be eligible to write the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) examination, a requirement for licensure in most jurisdictions across Canada. Accreditation will be pursued through the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC); once granted, accreditation will be applied retroactively to the first cohort.

Credential Granted: Diploma in Dental Assisting

Program Length: 32 weeks, full-time

Program Location: Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University

Work-Integrated Learning: Simulation and clinical education within the Faculty’s clinics

Career Preparation: Graduates are prepared for employment as a dental assistant in general and specialty practices, public health and community settings, and administrative or treatment coordination roles.

Diploma in Dental Assisting Program Admission

Admissions Policy
The Diploma in Dental Assisting program (DDA) employs a competitive average for admission purposes; meeting minimum posted requirements does not guarantee admission.

The selection of accepted candidates is primarily based on academic performance in the required classes. The Admissions Committee may consider non-academic factors in the selection process, including additional information submitted by applicants. While preference is given to Nova Scotia residents, we welcome applications from out-of-province and international students.  

Changes to Admissions Requirements 
Admission requirements are reviewed annually, and those from previous years may no longer apply. Prospective students are advised to monitor our website for up-to-date information. 

Transfer Students
We do not accept any advanced standing or transfer students from other Dental Assisting Diploma/Certificate programs. All applicants admitted to the Diploma in Dental Assisting Program must complete the full program at Dalhousie University.

Academic Requirements
Applicant must complete all admission requirements for the dental assisting program prior to final acceptance. Conditional acceptance may be granted if the admission requirements are in process.   

High School applicants
Applicants must have completed grade 12 or the equivalent. 
Minimum high school academic requirements include the following:

• A minimum overall average of 65% in five (5) grade 12 academic subjects
• Academic English 12 (65%)
• Academic Biology 12  (65%)
• Three additional grade 12 academic subjects

Applicants with Previous Post-Secondary Experience

• Satisfactory completion of the required grade 12 academic subjects and averages as outlined above or university-level courses in these subject areas.
• Applicants must have a minimum GPA of at least 2.3 on a 4.3 scale (or 60%).

Other requirements: supplementary documents 

Important dates

October 15, 2026	Application Opens
March 15, 2027	Deadline for Online Application and Application Fee
March 29, 2027	Deadline to submit official transcript
May, 2027	Final decisions
July 2, 2027	Deadline for Accepted students to submit final official transcripts and Immunization and CPR-HCP records

Application Procedure
The Faculty of Dentistry application form must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by March 15 of the entry year. Applications from all students, including those who have attended Dalhousie or King's must be accompanied by an application fee, which is not refundable and is not applicable to tuition fees. A new application form is required each year you apply.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

It is an applicant's responsibility to ensure that all application requirements are received by the DDA application deadlines.

Steps to Apply
Step 1: Determine your eligibility
Step 2: Complete and submit your application. 
            Submit an online application at www.dal.ca/apply by March 15, 2027
Step 3: Pay the application fee. A non-refundable application fee must accompany each application.  
Step 4: Submit Your Official Documents

1. High School transcripts
       a. Unofficial high school transcript

• High school applicants who apply ahead of the release of first-semester or mid-year grades are asked to upload an unofficial transcript via the application portal. This document must include grade 11 final marks and grade 12 courses being taken. This document does not need to be sent from the issuing institution and can be a self-initiated download or screenshot. 

       b. Official high school transcript

• High school applicants are asked to send an official transcript when final grades are released for any Grade 12 courses. 
• A transcript must be sent directly from the issuing institution to be considered official. We recommend submission by email to admissions.documents@dal.ca. Transcripts can also be sent via mail or courier.  
• Ontario and Nova Scotia students may include their ID on their application to initiate automatic download.

2. Official College and university transcripts, if applicable
If you have completed undergraduate or graduate studies at Dalhousie, you are not required to submit transcripts, as the Admissions Office has access to these online once you submit your application.
College and university applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. Your transcript must be sent directly from the issuing institution to be considered official. 

We recommend submission by email to admissions.documents@dal.ca. Transcripts can also be sent via mail or courier.  

3. Proof of English Language proficiency, if applicable. 
You are required to submit proof of English Language proficiency if you are from a country or school where English is not the primary language of instruction. 

There are three ways to demonstrate English Language proficiency: 
A) English Test scores,
B) Previous education in English and
C) Approved EAP programs. 

A. English Test scores
If the applicant's first language is not English, they must complete one of the English language proficiency tests outlined in the table below and achieve minimum scores as outlined in the table. English tests scores are valid for two years from the test date.

Test	Minimum Score		Instructions
IELTS (Academic)	Overall 6.5, no lower than 6.0 in each band		Upload a copy of the IELTS Test Form Report (TFR) to your application portal.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)	Overall 90; no lower than 20 in each band		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University. Institution code 0915
Duolingo English Test	Overall 120; Subscores 95		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University.
MELAB	Score of 55		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University.
CAEL	Score of 70		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University.
Pearson Test of English	Academic overall 61; communicative skills score 50		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University.
Cambridge English Assessment C1: Advanced/C2Proficiency	An overall score of 180		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University.
Oxford English Language Level Test (Oxford ELLT)	Overall 7; no individual component lower than 6		Request results sent directly to Dalhousie University.

B. Previous education in English 
If you have attended a recognized English-based institution for three years at the secondary (high school) level or one year at the post-secondary level, you are generally considered to have met the requirement.
Acceptable proof documents include:

• A degree or certificate indicating the language of instruction
• An official transcript indicating language of instruction, or 
• An official verification letter from the university confirming English was the sole language of instruction.

C. EAP programs

• Complete your English language pathway at Dalhousie
• Complete your English language pathway at one of our partner institutions: CLLC or Oxford International English School. 

Visit the Dalhousie English Requirements webpage for details. 

Official transcript submission

• Must be sent directly from the issuing institution.
• Ontario and Nova Scotia high school students may include their ID on their application to initiate automatic download.
• Dalhousie University students or alumni: Transcripts can be downloaded from Banner; do not send official Dalhousie University transcripts

Official Interim Transcripts

• Show completed coursework to date, and fall/winter course registrations 

Official Final Transcripts

• must be submitted from each institution attended
• Submitted upon completion of all credits
• Show all completed coursework and grades

The issuing institution forwards official interim or final transcripts to the Registrar's Office via mail or a secure web/email portal.

A. By Mail:
Registrar's Office, Dalhousie University
Henry Hicks Academic Admin Building, Room 130
6299 South Street
PO Box 15000, Halifax, N.S., B3H 4R2

B. By Email:
Applicants can have their schools submit official transcripts by email to admissions.documents@dal.ca.

C. MyCreds/MesCertif, My eQuals or Digitary CORE applicants:
* Share digital documents by selecting the 2nd Share option: Send my documents to a Registered Organization and then select "Dalhousie University-Undergraduate and Professional programs or University of King s College" in the Recipient field. Helpful videos are available for first-time users on the MyCreds Site.
 
Dalhousie University regards an applicant's failure to disclose all their previous academic experiences to be an academic offence which could lead to subsequent dismissal from the University. Applicants must ensure that all successful or unsuccessful university attendance is indicated on the application form.

Selection criteria:
The selection criteria used by the Admissions Committee include:

• Academic performance
• Place of residence

Applicants are encouraged to submit all information, including any special circumstances, they believe the Admissions Committee should consider. This information may be supplied in the form of a confidential letter from the applicant.  

Final Decisions:
Applicants will be informed of the status of their application (e.g. admissions offer, waitlist or no admissions offer) via email notification in May. An email notification will be sent with a link to log in to the Dalhousie Application Portal to access the decision letter.

Acceptance:
Acceptance is conditional on successful completion of all prerequisite courses, maintaining an appropriate academic average, and approval of completed immunization and CPR requirements. Accepted applicants must submit a tuition deposit before a specified deadline to reserve a place in the program. This amount is credited toward tuition fees if the student registers, but it is not refundable if the student withdraws. All accepted applicants are required to complete the Dalhousie Dentistry Immunization Record form and the CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) certificate. 

Waitlist:
A waitlist of qualified candidates is created for each entering class. Applicants may be selected from this list until the end of the first week of classes. We strongly recommend that waitlisted candidates begin completing the immunization requirements as early as possible to ensure timely submission should a place become available in the class.  If you are offered a position, your acceptance will be conditional upon submitting a Faculty of Dentistry Immunization/CPR Record that demonstrates compliance with the Faculty of Dentistry Policy on Students and Student Applicants with Infectious Diseases.

Notice of Unsuccessful Application:
Applicants who were not successful in gaining admission or who were placed on the waitlist but were not selected will receive a notice of unsuccessful application.

 

Health Requirements

General Regulations
The programs in the Faculty of Dentistry involves students interacting with patients in a health care environment, and places students in a position of special trust with patients. Therefore, certain Faculty regulations must be adhered to by all students, including but not limited to requirements for TB testing, immunization and CPR, criminal records and child abuse registry checks, clinic attire and clinical asepsis protocols. All requirements are outlined in the student Clinical Policy and Academic Policy manuals, provided to students at the beginning of each academic year.

CPR Requirements
Students accepted to the program must have a current CPR – HCP (Health Care Provider) or equivalent course that includes BLS and use of a bag-valve-mask for all ages, team dynamics and use of an AED by June 30 of the year of entry.

Immunization Requirements
Acceptance into the Faculty of Dentistry clinical programs is conditional upon receipt of evidence of complete immunization as follows:

• Tetanus
• Diphtheria
• Pertussis (Td/Tdap)
• Polio
• Measles (Rubeola)
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Hepatitis B (including post-immunization antibody titres and HBsAg)
• Varicella 
• 2-step Mantoux (TB) testing

See Immunization/CPR Requirements for Applicants with details about meeting specific requirements.

If post-HB vaccination antibody titre results have not been completed or results indicate “non-immune” at the time of acceptance, the applicant must, at a minimum, provide blood results for the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen by June 30 of the year of entry.

Applicants whose immunization results indicate that they are HBsAg positive or who have a viral load >10³ IU/mL (5 x 10³ GE/mL) will not be accepted into any of the clinical programs. Dalhousie University will reassess eligibility for admission should the applicant’s status change.

Students who do not acquire immunity from the HB vaccination series or who refuse the HB vaccine are susceptible to acquiring Hepatitis B. Applicants in this category will not be denied admission based on these criteria. However, after admission, any student becoming HBsAg positive or whose viral load exceeds 10³ IU/mL (5 x 10³ GE/mL) during their studies will be removed from patient care activities. Such modification of the clinical program may prevent a student from meeting progress and promotion requirements.

Students whose viral load is greater than 10³ IU/mL (5 x 10³ GE/mL), have an ethical obligation to report their status to the Associate Dean, Clinics, Associate Dean, Students and/or Associate Dean, Academics of the Faculty of Dentistry. The student will then be referred to the ad-hoc Committee on Bloodborne Pathogens.

The cost of all immunizations and blood tests is the responsibility of the student/applicant.

Annual influenza and Covid-19 immunization is recommended for all students during each year of study.

A full explanation of the process to meet the health requirements for the dental programs at Dalhousie can be found in the following memo: 

Immunization/CPR Requirements for Applicants

Criminal Records Check and Other Screening Documentation
The Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University does not require a Criminal Records Check or other screening procedure (e.g. Child Abuse Registry Check, Vulnerable Sector Screen) as a condition of admission into its programs. However, students should be aware that such record checks or other screening procedures may be required by facilities (schools, community clinics, armed forces, etc.) outside the University used for clinical placements, or experiences related to an academic class assignment. It is the student’s responsibility to have such procedures completed. The cost of the documentation completion is the responsibility of the student.

Such facilities may refuse to accept students on the basis of information contained in the record check or other screening procedure. If the student is unable to complete a clinical requirement due to a failure to meet the record check or screening requirements of the facility or if the student is refused access to the facility on the basis of the information provided, such a student may fail the class, and as a result may not be eligible for progress and promotion.

Note that facility requirements may change from time to time and are beyond the control of the University.

Details on the requirements for such documentation and the deadlines for submission of documentation in a timely manner are provided to students by the Faculty of Dentistry after registration in the program.

Students should also be aware that some professional regulatory bodies may require a satisfactory records check/screening procedure as a condition of professional licensure.

Diploma in Dental Assisting Program Course Requirements

A list of courses will be provided at a later date.