Orthodontics Advanced Specialty Training Program
Orthodontics Advanced Specialty Training Program
The Department of Orthodontics at the University of Illinois Chicago offers a program which leads to a Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics through the College of Dentistry and the M.S. in Oral Sciences degree under the auspices of the Graduate College.
Learn more about the Department of Orthodontics.
Program Description
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A minimum of 30 consecutive months of continuous attendance is required of candidates for the Specialty Certificate and Master of Science degree. Eight to nine residents begin the program each July. Students must register for a full program each semester during their residency, which will include the clinical and didactic courses required for the Specialty Certificate, Oral Sciences courses, research, and teaching.
The program is designed to prepare residents for American Board of Orthodontics diplomate status. The curriculum is composed of seminars, lectures, clinical practice with emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving. The program includes instruction and extensive experience in diagnosis and treatment planning, biomechanics, orthognathic surgery and other interdisciplinary procedures. The residents will have the opportunity of treating the full range of different malocclusions in children and adults in a state-of-the-art orthodontic facility.
An original research project intended to produce results suitable for publication in a peer reviewed journal is required for the receipt of the Certificate in Orthodontics as well as the MS Degree. Residents are also encouraged to present their scientific results at regional and national meetings.
The program can be individualized for those who wish to combine specialty training in orthodontics with a Ph.D. degree. The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The content follows the ERASMUS recommendations.
Admission Eligibility
Applicants must possess a DDS, DMD, or equivalent degree or be on track to graduate with required degree prior to matriculation into the program.
Applicants in the United States must have a DDS, DMD or equivalent degree to apply.
A foreign-trained dentist can apply for the program as long as the applicant earned a foreign DDS credentialed degree equivalent to the DDS, DMD degree like the United States.
Tuition & Fees
The 2025 – 2026 total programmatic tuition and fees are approximately $44,700 annually ($12,457 per semester) with $ 7,329 university student fees (with anticipated annual increase of 3 % pending approval by the Board of Trustees). There are also one-time instruments, camera, laptop and supplies at roughly $10,000 (See 2025 Instrument List Pricing – Price may vary in 2026). Billing will occur in each of the 3 semesters, Fall, Spring and Summer. (Note: All fees are subject to change for the next academic year. We will update the latest tuition upon approval of the school.)
The college does NOT provide a tuition waiver. Consequently, you may wish to apply for financial assistance to help cover the cost of your education. Consideration for federal and/or state aid programs require applicants to complete the FAFSA. For eligibility and further information visit the UIC Office of Student Financial Aid.
International students need to provide evidence of funding to the UIC Office of International Services during their application process.
International Student Funding & Documentation Requirements
Unfortunately, we are not able to advise the student on any private lenders that work with international students.
Compensation plan – UIC Advanced Education Specialty Program in Orthodontics provides the below compensation plan for eligible students as follows:
- First year of program – $12,000 per year
- Second year of program – $15,000 per year
- Third year of program – $18,000 per year
International student fee: There is a fee of $130.00 per semester (Fall and Spring) and $65.00 per summer session for all international students attending UIC in valid non-immigrant status such as F-1, J-1, H-4, and J-2 The fee will allow the Office of International Services to continue to provide essential services, upgrade technologies used for student advising, increase programming options, and host cultural events to increase and expand upon the UIC Experience.
How to Apply to the Postgraduate Program
The UIC College of Dentistry Department of Orthodontics participates both in PASS (Postdoctoral Application Support Service) and in the National Matching Services. Applicants should request BOTH Applicant Agreement Packages.
The deadline for the 2025-2026 admission cycle is August 15, 2026. If you miss the application window, please check our website in the near future for more updated information.
All of the following required official documents must be uploaded through the PASS website by August 15, 2026. (https://www.adea.org/pass/). Do not mail anything directly to the department.
Original copies of official documents will be required only upon acceptance to the program.
- Completed PASS Application Form.
- Three Professional Evaluations.
- Official Dean’s/Institution Evaluation.
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume.
- Official undergraduate college transcripts.
Official undergraduate college transcripts are required for all undergraduate colleges attended. The copy/unofficial transcripts can be uploaded to Pass in the meantime for selection. The official transcript is only needed once the applicants are matched and accepted to the program. - Official dental school transcripts.
Official dental school transcripts are required for all dental schools attended. The copy/unofficial transcripts can be uploaded to Pass in the meantime for selection. The official transcript only needed once they matched and accepted to the program. - Required test.
We require ONE of the following tests: INDBE, GRE, ADAT, or DAT official scores. Applicants may upload the unofficial test scores to PASS for application purpose. After the match results come out, the applicants who match with our program will be required to provide the official test scores to the university’s central admissions office.If the applicant has not taken the DAT, ADAT, MCAT or National Dental Board Examinations (NBDE or INBDE), the GRE General test is required.Institution code to use when ordering your GRE score report is 1851. No departmental code is required.Note: As stated above, foreign-trained applicants unable to submit NDBE Part I/INBDE exam results are REQUIRED to take one of the three standardized tests ADAT, DAT, or GRE.
- Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination results is REQUIRED of all international applicants and applicants who are educated in a country where English is not the primary language.Our TOEFL requirements are the same as for the MS in Oral Sciences degree program as set by the UIC Graduate College. Refer to the section of English proficiency.
- 2 x 2 photo of applicant in JPEG or PNG format (Note: Photo needs to be emailed to ortho@uic.edu)
- Application Fees (payable to UIC Department of Orthodontics)
All applicants are required to submit a non-refundable processing fee of $25.00 to the UIC Department of Orthodontics through our online payment portal.Click to enter the payment portal.
Should there be any questions on the online payment portal, please contact, Huibi Liu at ortho@uic.edu.
Interviews
All interviews are scheduled by invitation from the Department of Orthodontics. Faculty and applicants meet during interviews. After the interview is concluded, the admission committee meets and the results are forwarded to the Match Program.
Any questions regarding application procedures should be directed to:
Department of Orthodontics
College of Dentistry
University of Illinois Chicago
801 South Paulina Street, M/C 841, Room 131
Chicago, IL 60612-7211
Fax: 312-996-0873
E-mail: ortho@uic.edu
Important Information Regarding the Graduate College Application to the MS in Oral Sciences Program
The fee to the UIC Graduate College is a separate fee from the application fee to the UIC Department of Orthodontics, and will be required after the application matches.
NOTE: At this time, please do not complete the application and do not pay the application fee to the UIC Graduate College.
The Graduate College Application will have to be filled only by the candidates who are ACCEPTED in the Program, after the matching process is complete. The links below for Domestic and International applicants are simply informational.
Admission criteria are applied equally to all applicants regardless of race, sex, gender, color, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation.
Please Note: The Department of Orthodontics will only interview applicants that exclusively apply to match-only programs.
Additional resources for prospective applicants and potential evaluators.
ADEA PASS and Match application video tutorial
Information on detailed application prerequisite and matriculation requirements
ADEA PASS Contact: JonesY@adea.org or 202-289-7201 Ext. 190
More information about UIC Graduate/Professional Degree Seeking applicants can be found at:
Additional information for international applicants:
International applicants may contact UIC Office of International Services (OIS) directly with their citizen question. They would best be able to advise on the applicant’s specific situation. UIC Office of International Services contact email is OIS@uic.edu.
MS in Oral Sciences
MS in Oral Sciences (MS OS) is a requirement for this program. You will have to complete a separate application found here: https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professiona… and include the following:
- A non-refundable application fee of $70 (U.S. currency) is required to have your application reviewed.
- An international credential evaluation fee of $100 is assessed on any applicant presenting international course work requiring an evaluation regardless of residency.
- Letter of Recommendation from a practicing clinician and/or research mentor. You may reuse a letter from your PASS application but will have to request that your letter writer re-send this via the UIC application system.
- Please note: As of 2022, GRE/standardized test scores are no longer required
- Personal Statement. The statement should include a summary describing the applicant’s career goals, area of interest, purpose, and desired discipline of study.
- International Students only: minimum levels of English proficiency as set by the University’s Office of Admissions.
Please note that after final acceptance into an Advanced Education program, you must apply to the Graduate College for the MSOS no later than May 15th for matriculation into the fall cohort. *International candidates must apply no later than February 15th for fall matriculation. Please be aware that you will be charged an application fee twice, as the College of Dentistry does not have any oversight over university admissions fees.
Insurance
Once registered for courses, you are automatically covered under UIC’s Campus Care, through a fees assessment. Should you already have insurance, you will need to show proof of coverage to have this fee waived.
Clinic Clearance
The attached Immunization Form must be completed before you are permitted to participate in any clinical activities. Please create an account with CastleBranch and submit your completed form to ensure that your clinical privileges can be authorized.
Out of State/Non-Licensed Applicants
Accepted applicants who do not have an Illinois dental license will need a Temporary Dental Training License to practice in Illinois. To download and complete the application, please proceed to the following link: http://www.idfpr.com/profs/dentist.asp. The license fee is $150.00. Please apply directly to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. If you need the Certification of Acceptance for Specialty Training form for your Temporary Dental License, please email the department at ortho@uic.edu and martak@uic.edu.
Important: For Illinois resident licensure: Do not have your school certify your degree completion (ED-Den) with the IDFPR until your institution has conferred your degree. We urge you to complete this immediately.
Financial Aid
The UIC Office of Financial Aid is available to provide the necessary resources to fund your education:
Please update your existing FAFSA no later than 6/30/2026 using UIC school code 001776- https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. If you do not update your application by this date, you will not be eligible to receive aid for the summer term. For the fall term and beyond, please complete a new FAFSA.
