Graduation Policies
Graduation Requirements and Honors
Successful and timely completion of all courses and the requirements must be accomplished before a student will be approved for graduation from the School of Dentistry. Students must complete the curriculum within 6 years (including summer sessions) in residence, or are subject to dismissal. Students in a dual degree program may request from the Dean a waiver of the 6-year requirement.
Criteria for Graduation
- The student must have completed all required courses and elective courses in which he/she enrolled, and have no outstanding I, X, or unresolved F grades.
- D grades indicate poor performance and are not acceptable in clinical discipline coursework.
- The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000.
- The student must successfully complete the INBDE prior to graduation.
- The student must be formally recommended for the degree by the ULSD Faculty Assembly and by the Dean, and must be approved for the degree by the Board of Trustees.
Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE)
Integrated National Board Dental Examination is a comprehensive examination that was developed to integrate content from the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences. It emphasizes the decision-making process relevant to the safe practice of dentistry and is designed to assist state boards of dentistry to determine the qualifications of candidates for dental licensure. Passing the INBDE is a requirement for dental licensure by all state licensing boards in the United States and it fulfills the written examination requirement for licensure.
It is the responsibility of each student to manage his or her learning to prepare for the examinations, with guidance and assistance from the school. At the University of Louisville School of Dentistry there is a Board Review course offered over the summer after the third year of dental school to prepare students for a successful completion of the Integrated National Board Dental Examination.
The INBDE’s retest policy is Five Years/Five Attempts. Candidates must pass the examination within a) five years of their first attempt or b) five examination attempts, whichever comes first.
Graduation with Honors
Students who graduate with cumulative grade point averages of at least 3.70 will be recognized as follows:
- cum laude: 3.700 or higher
- magna cum laude: 3.800 or higher
- summa cum laude: 3.900 or higher
