Oral Sciences, MS
This unique program caters to individuals interested in various scientific and research aspects of oral and craniofacial biology. Students in the program may be traditional bachelor’s graduates, dentists enrolled in clinical specialties, or individuals interested in enhancing their application to professional school.
FALL 2025 ENROLLMENT | Applications accepted June 1, 2024 - April 1, 2025
Program Director:
Ernesto De Nardin, PhD
Oral Biology Department, School of Dental Medicine | Room 511 BRB
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Jacobs School of Medicine
Faculty and Curriculum
Faculty at UB's School of Dental Medicine are committed to providing students an inclusive and diverse learning environment and promoting improvements to oral health, not only at our school, but worldwide. Our highly trained faculty, innovative curriculum, and clinic experience are among the top reasons our students choose our school.
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required to complete the program, including thesis research and preparation of the thesis:
- Required "core" courses (21 credits)
- Elective courses and Culminating Experience- Research and Thesis (9 credits)
Required courses and possible electives can viewed in The Graduate School Degree and Course Catalog.
Your electives are selected in consultation with the Oral Sciences Program Director, and should be closely related to your research interests. Successful completion of the program requires passing the public defense of your thesis and final acceptance of the written thesis.
This is a research-oriented degree program and does not include clinical training. As such, the didactic curriculum of the Master’s program in Oral Sciences may not necessarily be directly related to a clinical setting. The overall design of the program is to provide background, expertise and current concepts of basic sciences related to dental research and oral biology.
Due to the nature of the topics covered by the curriculum, students are often simultaneously enrolled in an advanced dental education clinical certificate program which complements their knowledge base. In addition, the enhanced curriculum allows students to take some courses alongside first year students in our DDS program. The scope of the enhanced curriculum is to prepare prospective dental school applicants in strengthening their application.
Program Policies and Guidelines
The University’s Graduate Education Policies apply to all students enrolled in the Oral Sciences Program. They are compatible with those of the University at Buffalo’s Graduate School.
A complete description of Graduate School policies may be viewed on The Graduate School website.
All prospective and enrolled Oral Sciences graduate students must thoroughly review these Graduate Education Policies and retain them for future reference.
The Oral Sciences Program involves a group of faculty from several departments of the School of Dental Medicine, all of whom are members of the faculty of the Graduate School. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the faculty, a wide range of research interests are represented which affords students the opportunity to engage in research that is especially suited to their individual interests, abilities, and career goals. Students may choose to pursue research from many different areas, including biological, clinical, and behavioral studies. The research opportunities are numerous. View our Faculty Research Interests page for an overview of potential research opportunities.