In order to be eligible to apply to the 2026–27 pilot ACFD BTDPC program, candidates must:

• Be graduates of a minimum four-year recognised university dental program.
• Be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada on or before the deadline date for application.
• For the first pilot year in the 2025-2026 BTDPC program, candidates must successfully pass the NDEB NDECC to obtain licensure in Canada. However, the program has initiated the process of accreditation through the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada for the upcoming 2026–2027 pilot year. The results of this process may change these requirements. Information about accreditation and licensure requirements will be updated on this website before the end of January 2026.
• Meet minimum proficiency requirements in both written and spoken English or French.

Submitted to NDEB (Credential verification by NDEB)
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and are a graduate from a non-accredited program will need to provide consent for ACFD to request their list of required documents from NDEB. Applicant will consent to provide their NDEB Equivalency Pathway application information and results from all attempts be forwarded directly to ACFD.

Submitted to ACFD
The BTDPC Program application requires the following documents:

• Personal Statement of Clinical Experience (with list of verifiers)
• If applicable, evidence of academic experience supplemental to their dental degree
• CV and list of verifiers
• Proof of citizenship or permanent residency status in Canada
• Written and oral comprehension language proficiency is verified through one of the pathways below

Provide final official proof of previous Education in English/French transcripts. Test scores must be valid and verifiable. English tests must be no older than two years.

Proof of Previous Education in English/French
Three or more years of full-time education (five academic for-credit courses taken per year) in English/French in Canada or another country/institution where English/French is recognized as the official/primary language of instruction. We only consider courses that were taken for credit, and we will not consider courses that were failed or English/French as a Second Language and English-language Learner (ELL) courses in the five course per year calculation.

English – Exam
TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) minimum score of 90 with no section less than 21 IELTS (Academic) minimum score of 7.0 in each of the four components of a single test

French – Exam
Test de connaissance du français tout public (TCF) OR Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) – minimum result equal to or greater than 400/699 in oral comprehension and written comprehension; and a result equal to or greater than 10/20 (TCF) or 400/699 (TEF) in the written expression test.

All qualified candidates will also be required to complete a Professional Conversational Language Assessment score (Administered by English Language School and Faculty St. Jean, UAlberta)

Interviews will be administered online through ACFD utilising the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) format. Factors such as critical thinking, decision making, ability to work as a team, etc., will be evaluated in a series of discrete short interviews with independent evaluators. The minimum score is dependent on the average interview score and the standard deviation. As such, the minimum interview score will be reviewed and set yearly.

We anticipate the second pilot application process to open in early 2026.

Please note that this program is currently in development and will undergo pilot testing and evaluation for two years. Fees for the second pilot year in 2026 are not yet known.

Immunizations
Complete and fully documented immunization is a program requirement. The vaccination requirements are based on Provincial guidelines for healthcare students in a post-secondary institution and serology/immunization outside the guidelines is not routinely done or recommended. All immunization records need to be written and legible. A certified translation must be provided for all non-English documentation. Students without acceptable records will be required to complete their primary immunization series which can take many months so early action on this requirement is strongly advised.

Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector
A clear Police Information Check (PIC) is required under the Protection for Persons in Care Act. All students going to any clinical placement or rotation are required to complete a PIC (also known as a Criminal Record Check, Security Clearance Check, or Police Clearance), which must include a Vulnerable Sector check. The PIC must have been completed within 6 months of the program start date. The clinical practice site will determine the criteria for acceptance/denial of a placement.

*Other conditions for acceptance of admission may apply.