SAINT PETER’S COLLEGE CREATES NEW SEVEN-YEAR DENTAL PROGRAM WITH UMDNJ
Students Will Enroll at Saint Peter’s Before Gaining Entry to UMDNJ
August 18, 2003– Jersey City, NJ– Saint Peter’s College has created a partnership with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey which will allow qualified students to enroll in a seven-year dental program that begins with undergraduate course work at Saint Peter’s, followed by four years of dental school at UMDNJ. The agreement between the two schools was signed by Saint Peter’s President Father James N. Loughran and UMDNJ Dental School Dean Dr. Cecile Feldman at a ceremony at Saint Peter’s on Monday, August 18 at 5:30 p.m.
High school students who graduate in the top 10% of their high school’s class and have at least 1250 SAT scores are eligible for the accelerated program. They will complete Saint Peter’s biology major requirements in three years and follow with four years at UMDNJ. Students will be monitored by a joint committee from Saint Peter’s and UMDNJ to ensure they are maintaining academic excellence. At the end of seven years, graduates will receive Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees from the two schools.
Saint Peter’s joins Caldwell College and Fairleigh Dickinson University as the only private schools in New Jersey to have such an agreement with the UMDNJ dental school.
“By starting this program with UMDNJ, we are expanding the possibilities for our students,” said Saint Peter’s College biology professor, Dr. Leonard Sciorra, who spearheaded the relationship between the two schools. “Saint Peter’s has always had an excellent reputation for its science programs and this relationship with UMDNJ helps expand on that. We wanted to ensure that the program was cost-effective for our students and by making the program seven years, we feel we have achieved that goal.”
This program is the third joint venture between Saint Peter’s and UMDNJ. Physical therapy and physician’s assistant programs are currently in place.
Attending the signing were:
From UMDNJ – Dr. Cecile Feldman, Dean, Dental School, Dr. Cosmo DeSteno, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, Dr. Kim Fenesy, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Denise Mulkern, Acting Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance, Dr. Robert Saporito, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Jeffrey Linfante, Director Admissions and Recruitment, and Dr. Peter DeSciscio, Director of Continuing Education.
From Saint Peter’s College – Father James Loughran, S.J., President, Dr. Eugene Cornacchia, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Richard Petriello, Associate Academic Dean, Dr. Eileen Poiani, Vice President for Student Affairs, Virginia Bender, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment/Academic Administration and Dr. Leonard Sciorra, The Reverend Joseph E. Schuh Professor of the Health and Natural Sciences.
 | | | |
 |  |  | |
 |  |  | |
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City and a branch campus, specializing in adult education, is located in Englewood Cliffs. Saint Peter’s also offers classes in downtown Jersey City near the waterfront financial district and in South Amboy.