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.
Applications will be accepted June 1 - April 1, 2024.
On this page:
The University sets general admissions requirements for graduate study. These include letters of recommendation; a minimum undergraduate GPA; and demonstration of English Language proficiency for international applicants. Please refer to the General Admissions Requirements page for full details.
Program-specific requirements are described on this page.
About the Program
The Oral Sciences graduate program is an academic, research-oriented program that leads to the Master of Science (MS) degree. The overall goal is to provide background, expertise and current concepts of basic sciences as related to dental research in oral and craniofacial biology.
Students may pursue the traditional master's program or consider the other options described below.
- Dual-Enrollment | Students in the program may pursue dual-enrollment in a clinical specialty program and complete the master's program in conjunction with their advanced certificate program. The dual-enrollment option is available for trained dentists. A separate application is required for each program of interest.
- Enhanced pre-professional curriculum track | This track is available to students and is primarily for non-dentists who wish to apply to professional school (e.g. dental school) after completion of the MS program. The enhanced curriculum allows students in good standing to enroll in a limited number of basic science dental school courses. NOTE: The track is not intended for applicants who already hold a DDS, BDS, or equivalent Doctoral Dental degree, and/or who are applying to a clinical specialty program; clinical applicants will not be considered for the enhanced curriculum track except under extraordinary conditions by contacting the program director.
- 5-year MS/DDS track | This unique option is available to prospective students with an active DDS waitlist offer. The opportunity is designed for individuals with an interest in research. Candidates must be on the current DDS waitlist and submit an application to the MS program to be considered. Students are accepted to the MS program with a provisional acceptance to the DDS program. During the first year, students enroll in a limited number of basic science dental school courses alongside the master's courses. The following year, individuals begin the DDS program as first-year dental students provided that they satisfy certain minimum academic requirements. Students continue research over the summer and finish the MS research component during their second year of studies. Dental school course enrollments from the first year are waived during year two, freeing up time during the academic year for students to complete the master's thesis.
The program typically takes about two years to complete, but additional time must be allocated if the degree is pursued in conjunction with a clinical specialty program.
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 and roughly represented by the faculty interests described in the Faculty Interests document.
Phone: (716) 829-3551
Email: ymg@buffalo.edu
304B Foster Hall Oral Biology 3435 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14214-8031
Phone: 716-829-6014; Fax: 716-829-6014
Email: cli9@buffalo.edu
Asst. Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Restorative Dentistry
320 Foster Hall, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214
Phone: (716) 829-3943
Email: mbvisser@buffalo.edu
Students are required to enroll in required core courses as well as elective ones, to complete an original research project, and to write and orally defend a master’s thesis.
A minimum of 30 credit hours of course work, including the satisfactory completion of a written thesis based on independent research, are required for the MS degree.
All students must take the program’s required courses. Exemptions or substitutions may be granted by the program director only upon written request from the student based upon valid academic justification. The program director will inform the Graduate School of these substitutions. Each student may take credit hours of elective course work, usually related to the student’s area of research. Elective courses must be chosen after consultation with the student’s major professor and graduate committee.
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.
Details about the Cost of Attendance are available on the Advanced Education overview page.
- Students enrolled exclusively in this degree program, including the enhance curriculum track, are charged tuition and fees applicable to graduate students.
- Individuals simultaneously enrolled in a clinical program pay appropriate graduate student tuition and fees plus any applicable clinical program costs.
- Students enrolled in the MS/DDS program pay graduate tuition and fees during year one and DDS tuition thereafter.
Financial support is not available from the Oral Sciences Graduate Program. Students are expected to have their own financial resources to pay for program. The University's Office of Financial Aid can provide information regarding types of available aid including loans.
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 obtained from the Graduate School:
549 Capen Hall, Amherst Campus / (716) 645- 2939
All prospective and enrolled Oral Sciences graduate students must thoroughly review these Graduate Education Policies and retain them for future reference.
Application Information
Fall 2024 Applicants
| Step | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Applications Accepted | June 1, 2023 - April 1, 2024 |
To apply, please submit all documents listed below. Your application will not be complete until these items have been received and you have submitted your application for formal review.
Required (All candidates applying via the UB Application)
1. The On-line UB Application
- Please complete all questions on the application completely and accurately.
- You must select your desired entry term (i.e. Fall 2024) and intended program of study as you begin the application.
- The personal information section of the application provides special instructions for international applicants; be certain to following instructions on how to accurately enter your name.
2. $50.00 non-refundable application fee
- Once you have submitted your online application for review, you will be able to pay the application fee by credit/debit card. Your application cannot be reviewed until the fee has been paid. Please note that the $50 application fee is non-refundable.
3. CV/Resume (upload to application)
4. Personal Statement (upload to application)
5. Letters of Recommendation
- Two letters of recommendation and a Dean's letter (if graduated from a US or Canadian dental school), otherwise three letters of recommendation.
- Recommendation letters must be uploaded electronically by your recommenders.
- You will submit names, titles and email addresses for three recommenders. They will receive an email request to electronically submit a letter on your behalf. The notification is traditionally sent to recommenders after the application is submitted for review. However, you can opt to have the email requests sent immediately as you enter recommender names; this option is suggested for candidates who are applying close to the application deadline to ensure sufficient time for upload.
6. Unofficial transcripts from EVERY college/university attended
- Transcript copies are accepted at the time of application and should be uploaded via the secure applicant portal. Do not mail original documents to us at the time of application unless specifically requested. If you are accepted into the program you will be asked to submit original transcripts with proper signatures, seals or stamps.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Academic documents from international institutions must be accompanied an ECE or WES document. Transcripts in a language other than English, require an exact, certified translation; an ECE course-by-course report is preferred. International applicants please include copy of certificate/diploma with proof of degree.
7. Unofficial GRE Score (if applicable)
- The GRE is required for application to the MS program in Orthodontics.
8. Unofficial NBDE Scores (optional)
- Unofficial scores from the National Board of Dental Examination Part I and/or Part II; required for all programs using the PASS application. Note: PASS candidates who take the iNBDE during their final year of dental training should provide the intended test date; scores must be submitted before a formal offer of admission is granted.
- The NBDE is optional for all non-PASS programs.
Additional Requirements — International Applicants
In addition to the requirements listed above, please provide the following information on the ADEA PASS Application:
English Language Proficiency | ADEA PASS Application
International applicants must report a TOEFL score (79+) obtained within eighteen months of the application deadline; unoffocial score reports are sufficient.
NOTE: An official score report is not required; please do not send directly to the school.
Upon acceptance into the program, you will be asked to submit a copy of your passport along with financial documents. F1 and I-20 documents will also be requested, as applicable.
* All documents become property of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and are not returnable to the applicant.
Is the Oral Sciences Program limited to applicants with a DDS/DMD/BDS degree?
- No. Applicants with a traditional bachelor's degree are welcome to apply. While some applicants hold advanced dental degrees, they are usually interested in simultaneous enrollment in the MS program while pursuing a certificate of advanced dental study.
How long does the program take?
- Time to degree usually takes about two years for a student exclusively enrolled in the MS program. Clinical residents, however, who are simultaneously enrolled in the MS program usually need three years because of their clinical obligations.
Does the Program require the GRE?
- No, the GRE is not an application requirement.
What are the minimum requirements to apply to the program?
- An undergraduate bachelor's degree by the time of enrollment is required of all applicants. The University's Graduate School also requires a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 for matriculation into graduate programs. In exceptional circumstances, the Graduate School may allow a GPA slightly below a 3.0; but this is rare and only granted under extraordinary conditions. A competitive academic record is an important factor in the selection process, with evidence of strong performance in science courses.
Will the Master Program in Oral Sciences help me get an acceptance to Dental School?
- The MS program and the DDS program are independent programs. There is no assurance that completing the MS program will guarantee acceptance in the DDS program. Our Oral Sciences program, however, may help candidates become more competitive for professional school due to the nature and focus of the curriculum. Indeed, many of our graduates have continued on to dental school at UB and elsewhere. In addition, certain tracks in the MS program allow students to enroll in some of the dental school basic sciences courses (which are also open to graduate students). These courses would be waived in the first year of dental school, should one of our MS students be accepted into the DDS program.
Will the Master Program provide any clinical training?
- No. The Oral Sciences Program is an academic research-oriented graduate program; enrollment implies a commitment to learn about and to engage in research. This means that the didactic curriculum of the MS program in Oral Sciences may not necessarily be directly related to a clinical setting. Rather, the overall design of the program is to provide background, expertise and current concepts of basic sciences as related to dental research and oral biology. Research projects may be involved in clinical studies. The overall scope of the research project, however, concentrates on research design, experimental methods, and basic science.
What are the areas of research that the program provides?
- Being a multidisciplinary program, research areas are numerous and varied. Some examples are: immunology and host response; microbiology; biochemistry; salivary-bacterial interactions; biofilms; bone physiology; autoimmunity; physiology of pain; temporomandibular disorders; epidemiological studies; biomaterials; and lasers.
How soon can I start my research project?
- There is no fixed for deadline. Traditionally, students connect with potential research mentors after the first semester of classes. However, if a student has agreed to start with a research mentor right from the beginning, this is a possibility.
Will the Program provide financial assistance?
- No. The Oral Sciences Program does not provide funds for student financial support via stipends, fellowships, assistantships, tuition waivers, or any other form of support.
Questions?
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716-829-6927
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