College of Dental Medicine Programs Receive CODA Re-Accreditation

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) programs received national re-accreditation from the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) this month. At a meeting on February 2, the commission granted the accreditation status of approval without reporting requirements to the school’s pre-doctoral program and four advanced specialty programs. This is the highest designation the commission grants.

CODA is the only accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for post-secondary dental and dental-related education programs. It oversees 66 accredited dental schools throughout the U.S., and re-assesses programs every seven years, with the exception of oral and maxillofacial surgery, which it reviews every five years.

The evaluation of CDM’s predoctoral and advanced education programs in endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics, and prosthodontics began with a comprehensive self-study process and documentation led by James Fine, DMD, senior associate dean for academic affairs. CODA representatives reviewed the self-study report before visiting campus from September 27-29. After a thorough examination of resources, curriculum, policies, and operational standards, CODA concluded that the school met standards for continuous quality and improvement of dental education programs.

“Re-accreditation affirms the strengths of our programs and the direction of our school,” said Dean Christian S. Stohler, DDS, DrMedDent. “This outcome is the result of a tremendous team effort involving those across the school. As we celebrate CDM’s centennial anniversary, this process has helped us assess our strengths and areas for growth as we chart the course toward the future of dental medicine.”


Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, among the first university-affiliated dental schools in the United States, was founded in 1916. As part of a world-class medical center, the school trains general dentists and dental specialists in a setting that emphasizes the interconnection between oral health care and overall health for both individuals and communities. The school supports research to advance personalized, evidence-based oral health care and contribute to the professional knowledge base for future leaders in the field. In its commitment to service learning, the school provides dental care to underserved communities of Northern Manhattan and also engages in dental and oral health care capacity-building initiatives abroad. Its faculty has played a leadership role in advancing the inclusion of oral health programs in national health care policy and has developed novel programs to expand oral care locally and in developing countries. For more information, visit dental.columbia.edu.

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. The campus that Columbia University Medical Center shares with its hospital partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, is now called the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.  For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.

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