Doctor of Dental Surgery Program Completion Policy

Policy Owner: Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Policy Contact: Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

POLICY STATEMENT

It is the expectation that a student will be allowed to complete the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry four-year curriculum in no more than six years. In addition, the first two years of the DDS curriculum must be completed within three years. The Student Affairs Executive Sub-Committee must approve the extension of a student’s time from four years to six years. This will occur in the Pre-clinical and Clinical Progression Sub-committees of the Student Affairs Committee. If a student fails to meet this timeline, it will result in dismissal from the Doctor of Dental Surgery program.

Exceptions

Students who take Parental Medical Leave, a Military Service Leave, or a Leave of Absence and are a student in good standing at the time of the leave, may be granted an exception to the six-year program completion deadline. These cases will be reviewed on a case per case basis.

Details about Family Leave are further described in the School of Dentistry Student Handbook.

Appeals Process

If a student wishes to appeal a dismissal decision under this policy, they must notify the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in writing within fourteen days of the dismissal decision. The Associate Dean will schedule a special hearing of The Student Affairs Executive Sub-Committee to hear the appeal. If a student wishes to appeal the finding of the special hearing, they may file a grievance with the Academic Compliance officer within ten days.

REASON FOR POLICY

The School of Dentistry believes that it is imperative that the four-year academic program be completed within a timeframe that fosters the successful attainment of skills that lead to minimum competency for initial entry into the clinical practice of dentistry. As a school, we acknowledge that circumstances may arise that require an extension of the academic program time.

This policy is designed to articulate a specific timeframe in which all students must complete the four-year Doctor of Dental Surgery curriculum program, irrespective of leave of absences for medical, mental health, or parental, repeating years for academic or behavioral infractions, including accrued excused absences.

PROCEDURES

There are no procedures associated with this policy.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

There are no forms associated with this policy.

APPENDICES

There are no appendices associated with this guideline.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There is no FAQ associated with this policy.

DEFINITIONS

Students

Any individual enrolled in the doctor of dental surgery, masters of dental therapy or a bachelor of science in dental hygiene programs in the School of Dentistry.

RESPONSIBILITIES

There are no responsibilities associated with this policy. 

RELATED INFORMATION

There is no related information associated with this policy. 

HISTORY

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS