Dental Assisting-Pathway II Admissions
Applications are only accessible during each program’s designated application window.
Winter 2026 Application Coming soon. The application window for the Fall 2025 semester is closed.
2026 Admissions Requirements
The admission requirements and information outlined below are based on the Winter 2026 admission cycle (2025-2026 academic year). The application is expected to open in mid-September 2025. The deadline to submit your program application is Monday, December 15, 2025 at 11:59pm (end of day). We strongly recommend submitting your application before the final day to avoid any last-minute issues. If problems occur after office hours, staff may not be available to help before the deadline.
The next admission cycle is for the Fall 2026 semester. The application is expected to open in early February 2026, with an anticipated deadline in mid-August 2026.
This program follows WCC’s Limited Enrollment Admission Process. Applicants must meet all admission requirements. Qualified candidates are admitted on a first-qualified basis until all accepted and alternate seats are filled.
Please note:
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the available seats for two or more consecutive admission cycles, WCC reserves the right to implement its Competitive Admission Process for future admissions.
Each year, approximately 24 students are admitted to the program—12 for a Fall semester start and 12 for a Winter semester start. In addition, approximately 4 alternate candidates are selected each semester in case any seats become available before the program begins. This is a full-time program, and part-time enrollment is not available.
Required Checklist
All required checklist items below must be successfully completed and verifiable before you are eligible to apply to the program.
1. Academic Reading Level of 6 (College Level)
See the Additional Information section below for more details.
2. Academic Writing Level of 6 (College Level)
See the Additional Information section below for more details.
3. Current and Valid CPR Card
Submit a copy of your current and valid CPR card.
4. Pass all 3 portions (GC, RHS, and ICE) of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Certified Dental Assisting (CDA) Examination or Graduate from an American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Accredited Dental Assisting Program
Submit a copy of your current DANB CDA Certification or official transcripts showing a posted graduation date from a school where you completed an ADA CODA accredited Dental Assisting program.
- Students admitted to the program must submit the Industry Certification/Non-Traditional Credit Form along with a copy of their current certification before credit can be awarded and posted to their WCC transcript. These credits will count towards graduation requirements. For questions about the form or the non-traditional credit process, contact Transcript Evaluation at [email protected].
5. Students must be employed in a dental office at least 24 hours per week as a chairside dental assistant. The participating dentist must validate the students’ skills. The following forms must be completed by the student and participating dentist to verify participation and employment.
- Student Agreement of Participation Form - See Student Forms webpage.
- Dentist Agreement of Participation and Employment Verification Form - See Student Forms webpage.
6. Background Information Acknowledgement
Under the Bureau of Health Professions (BHP) for the State of Michigan, an individual who has been convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a maximum term of 2 years or a misdemeanor involving the illegal delivery, possession, or use of alcohol or a controlled substance (including motor vehicle violations), may be ineligible to take the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) Examination and obtain a Michigan license.
All individuals applying for a health professional license or registration in Michigan are required to undergo a criminal background check and submit fingerprints. The requirement for this procedure is pursuant to Public Act 26 of 2006. If no criminal history information is found, the record will be provided to the BHP for review.
The Bureau of Health Professions will not provide a definitive answer on how the conviction will impact an applicant for a Michigan license until the time an individual applies for licensure with the state. At that time, the full history of the situation is reviewed. The BHP considers when the offense occurred, what the nature of the offense was and what has happened since the offense (schooling, etc.). They also take into consideration whether this was a single incident or if the conviction represents a pattern of behavior. If they feel comfortable with the information provided and feel that the applicant has positively moved on with his or her life, they will proceed with processing the application.
However, if BHP continues to have concerns after reviewing the information, they can request additional information or court records. If the case is very clear and recent sanctions are still imposed, they can deny licensure. If time has elapsed since the offense but they want more assurances that the offense will not occur again, they may ask that a Notice of Intent to Deny be issued. This Notice would provide the applicant with an opportunity to request a hearing and demonstrate why he or she should be able to become licensed. An administrative law judge would hear the case and make a decision.
Students must answer the following questions on their application. If a student answers “Yes” to any of the questions, they may not be eligible to sit for the RDA licensing exam and/or obtain an RDA license.
- Have you ever been convicted of a felony or are you currently serving any sentences for felony convictions?
- Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a maximum term of two years or a misdemeanor involving the illegal delivery, possession, or use of alcohol or a controlled substance?
- Have you ever been disciplined by a regulatory board, certifying agency or examination agency or education institution?
- Have you ever been declared mentally incompetent by a court of law?
7. Review Important Information:
You must confirm that you have reviewed this information in order to access and submit your program application.
- Degree requirements, including continuing eligibility requirements.
- Department website for additional details and resources.
Additional Information
- Establishing your Academic Reading and Writing Levels may include:
- Submitting test scores or exemption documentation to Admissions.
- Completing placement testing through the Testing Center.
- Meeting with Academic Advising to determine appropriate course placement to raise your level.
- For more details, visit WCC’s website and review:
- Students must maintain employment as a chairside dental assistant for a minimum of 24 hours per week throughout the program. If there is a change to your employer, both the student and the participating dentist must submit the following updated forms:
- All Dental Assisting (DEN) and support courses to the program must be completed with
a minimum grade of C/2.0.
- Students who are dismissed from the program may not be eligible to reapply to the program.
Entrance Requirements (After Admission & Before Program Start)
Upon admission, the following entrance requirements must be successfully completed in order to begin the program. Failure to meet or comply with these requirements will result in forfeiting your status in the program. Detailed instructions and deadlines will be provided to students who are offered acceptance or alternate status after admission decisions are released.
1. DA Pathway II Orientation Canvas Site
Students must complete the orientation checklist and the Introduction to Online Learning for Pathway II course. Details will be provided by the department.
2. Mandatory On-Campus Workshop
Attendance at the two (2) day on-campus workshop at the beginning of the semester. Details will be included in the program acceptance and alternate candidate notification emails. Please note that students will also need to be on WCC’s main campus for the following:
- Clinical mid-term during the middle of the semester.
- Clinical final at the end of the semester.
3. Course Registration
Accepted students are required to register and remain registered in all first-semester courses by the specified deadline. Detailed registration instructions will be provided by the department. Courses will be made available in Canvas on the first day of the semester. First-semester courses include:
- DEN 204 (Advanced Functions)
- DEN 230 (Alternative Dental Assisting Education Project)
- If you graduated from an ADA-CODA accredited program and it has been verified by the Health & 2nd Tier Admissions Office, you do not need to register for DEN 230. You only need to register for DEN 204.
4. Health Records, Drug Screen, and Criminal Background Check
Students may be required to undergo criminal background checks, drug testing, and/or fingerprinting, as requested by the Dental Assisting Department. Any student with a positive drug screen for substances prohibited by State of Michigan or Federal Law (including marijuana) or controlled substances will not be eligible to begin the program.
- Failure to receive an acceptable criminal background/fingerprinting at any time, will result in dismissal from the program.
5. Failure to Meet Requirements
Students who fail to meet or comply with any of the above requirements will not be eligible to begin the program and will forfeit their status.