• Attend Columbia College’s Dental Assistant Program Orientation prior to the start of the program.
• Admissions interview(s) to determine suitability for the profession and opportunity for success in the program.

Please Note: Admission is offered on a first-qualified, first-accepted basis. A waitlist may be established. The Dental Assistant Professional Diploma program is very competitive; therefore, Columbia College reserves the right to grant or refuse admission to any applicant.

Courses at Columbia College are taught in Canadian English. To qualify for admission, learners must demonstrate their language proficiency, typically through their high school or post-secondary transcripts, or through an academic assessment test.

Important Note: Students submitting transcripts to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements, may still be required to write the ACCUPLACER Assessment test after an admissions file review and formal interview with the Program Manager.

The following requirements must be met prior the start of your program and/or practicum:

• Security Clearance
• Up-to-date Immunization Record
• Standard First Aid & CPR Training Level C
• Health and Wellness Status, including Oral Health

See further details in the Practicum Overview section.

Provisional Registration

• Registration with the College of Alberta Dental Assistants (CADA) is mandatory for anyone wishing to practice the profession of dental assisting in Alberta.
• As a graduate of the Columbia College Dental Assistant Professional program you will be eligible to apply for provisional registration (a permit to practice after graduation*) with the CADA. *Graduates can expect to wait 2-4 weeks after completion of practicum for confirmation from the CADA that provisional registration is in effect before starting to work as a dental assistant.
• Information for Provisional Registration can be found on the CADA website

To graduate from the Dental Assistant Professional Diploma Program, students must:

• Earn 51 credits by achieving a passing grade in all 13 courses,
• Achieve an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher (equivalent to a B or 75-79% average),
• Demonstrate basic competency in all clinical/laboratory and patient care skills and,
• Successfully complete the practicum portion of the Program.

Plan your future with clarity with our transparent tuition and general fees structure, effective from August 1 each year. For detailed information about tuition, fees, and costs associated with the program please visit our Tuition and Fees Page.

Additional Fees

In addition to program tuition, students are responsible for purchasing the following for this program:

Required Items

• • Laptop computer
  • Uniforms/scrubs and duty shoes
  • Protective eyewear
  • CPR Level BLS
  • Immunizations
  • Dental Exam + Treatment if required (cleaning, filling, etc.)

Post Graduate Requirements

• • CADA (College of Alberta Dental Assistants) Provisional Registration fees: please refer to https://abrda.ca/
  • NDAEB (National Dental Assisting Examination Board) Exam: please refer to https://ndaeb.ca/

Refund of Tuition Fees

1: Review Program Information

Familiarize yourself with the program information to understand the qualities essential for student success.

2: Confirm Admissions Requirements

Verify that you meet all academic and non-academic admission requirements for the program.

3: Understand the Selection Process:

• Thoroughly review the selection information to comprehend the process and associated deadlines.
• Note that submission of applications, proof of admission requirements, and all supporting documents are prerequisites for consideration in the selection process.
• The selection commences four months before the program start date and continues until all spots are filled.
• During the selection phase, applicants are evaluated and ranked based on their overall suitability for the program, which includes a review of the complete application and a formal interview. Admission decisions are not solely based on academic achievements. Qualified candidates may be offered a spot in the program or placed on the waitlist. Columbia College retains the discretion to accept or decline any application.

4. Application Submission

• Apply to the program and ensure submission of your transcripts and any other required supporting documents.
• Applicants have the flexibility to initiate their application process either online or in person at the College.
• Please note that an application fee is required at the time of submission, and processing of the application will commence upon receipt of this fee.

5. Admissions Interview

• Arrange and attend your formal admissions interview as part of the application process.
• Monitor Application Status
• Stay informed about any changes to your application status and fulfill any outstanding admission requirements by maintaining communication with your admissions advisor.

Communication During the Selection Process

Email serves as the primary communication channel. To ensure you receive all communications, manage your email account properly and consider adding the @columbia.ca domain to your safe sender’s list to prevent missing crucial information.

While You Wait

If you’ve been accepted into the Practical Nurse program and are awaiting its commencement, you have the option to enroll in certain courses. Available courses may include ENGL110 Fundamentals of English Composition and PSYC110 Basic Concepts of Psychology.

Columbia’s Dental Assistant Professional Diploma Program is excited to offer the theory portion of the Ortho Module to students in the DAPP who are in good academic standing in each Semester.

The clinical portion of the Ortho Module is offered once they have successfully written the NDAEB exam and become a Registered Dental Assistant.