Child receiving a medical swab test at an outdoor clinic.

Dental Public Health Postgraduate Program

The Dental Public Health residency prepares dentists with an MPH (or equivalent) for board certification by the American Board of Dental Public Health and careers in population-based oral health. The 12-month full-time program combines supervised fieldwork, academic courses, and practical experience tailored to your interests and career goals.

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Why choose UCSF Dental Public Health?

Through courses, fieldwork, and research, you’ll build advanced expertise in dental public health. Residents graduate with the skills to:
 

  • Manage oral health programs for population health
  • Demonstrate ethical decision-making in the practice of public health
  • Evaluate systems of care that impact oral health
  • Design surveillance systems to measure oral health status and its determinants
  • Communicate on oral and public health issues
  • Lead collaborations on oral and public health issues
  • Advocate for public health policy, legislation, and regulations to protect and promote the public's oral health, and overall health
  • Critically appraise evidence to address oral health issues for individuals and populations
  • Conduct research to address oral and public health problems
  • Integrate the social determinants of health into dental public health practice

Program details

Tailored learning experience

Tailored learning experience

Your residency is customized to your background and professional interests. Educational plans are regularly reviewed and updated, with nontraditional tracks available for unique career paths.

Program accreditation
Research opportunities

Research opportunities

Research is central to the program. You’ll conduct original projects under the mentorship of UCSF faculty and within a broad network of dental public health professionals.

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Joint MPH and certificate option

Don’t have an MPH yet? You can pursue the UC Berkeley–UCSF joint program, which combines:
 

  • Year 1: Full-time coursework at UC Berkeley, leading to an MPH degree (courses include biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy, environmental health, and behavioral sciences).

  • Year 2: Transition to UCSF for the Dental Public Health residency.

    This integrated pathway also allows you to leverage your MPH research project to jumpstart UCSF’s requirement for two oral health–focused research projects.

Explore MPH at Berkeley

Admissions and application process

Applying to the UCSF Dental Public Health Residency requires careful preparation. Here you’ll find the eligibility criteria, application steps, and key details to guide you through the process.

  • To be eligible for admission to the Dental Public Health postgraduate program, you must:

    • Hold a DDS/DMD or equivalent (e.g., BDS) by the start of the program
    • Hold a Master of public health (MPH) or equivalent (see FAQ) by the start of the program
    • Meet English proficiency requirements:
      • TOEFL iBT score of 90+ if English is not your native language and you have not completed at least one year of full-time college/university-level study in the U.S. or Canada (English-speaking institutions only)
      • Scores must be within two years of the application cycle opening
      • Consulting, insurance, and health care administration
      • Note: MyBest Score is not accepted

  • Step 1: Submit ADEA PASS application (by the deadline). Include personal essay, CV, official dental school transcripts, unofficial undergraduate/graduate transcripts, three PASS evaluation forms, dean’s evaluation, and required scores.

    Step 2: Pay UCSF application processing fee through the UCSF application fee portal.

    • $60 for domestic applicants
    • $80 for international applicants

  • If you completed coursework outside the U.S.:

    • Submit a course-by-course evaluation of all international transcripts through:
    • Upload an unofficial copy of the international transcript to ADEA PASS
    • Note: Submitting a WES ICAP report fulfills both the evaluation and transcript requirement

  • Dentists without an MPH may apply to the UC Berkeley–UCSF joint program.

    • Apply separately to UC Berkeley’s Interdisciplinary MPH program via SOPHAS.

    • Email the MPH program director once you apply to note your interest in the joint program.

    • Note: Do not complete an ADEA PASS application for this track.

    UC Berkeley MPH application deadlines

    UC Berkeley MPH application instructions

    • Invitations are issued directly by the residency program.
    • Interviews typically take place in January (dates TBD).
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Meet the faculty

Learn from UCSF’s distinguished Dental Public Health faculty, who are leaders in research, policy, and community-based practice.

See all DPH faculty
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Our residents

Residents in the UCSF Dental Public Health program develop expertise in population-based oral health through applied research, policy analysis, and leadership experiences across academic, public health, and community settings.

See current residents

Professional resources and opportunities

A dental instructor and students wearing full protective gear examine a dental handpiece in a clinic.

Have questions about the Dental Public Health residency?

Find answers to the most common questions about admissions, program structure, and opportunities in the UCSF Dental Public Health residency.

Visit the FAQ Contact admissions