--- title: "AGD Fellowship and Mastership: Requirements and Path" description: "AGD Fellowship (FAGD) and Mastership (MAGD) requirements for 2026: membership, CE hours, the exam, fees, deadlines and the rule changes starting in 2029." url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/agd-fellowship-and-mastership publisher: Copeland Consulting Services email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact --- # AGD Fellowship and Mastership: requirements, hours and the path between them AGD Fellowship (FAGD) needs three continuous years of AGD membership, 500 approved CE hours, a passed exam and a convocation visit. Mastership (MAGD) needs Fellowship plus 1,100 total approved hours, 400 of them hands-on. Both require an application by December 31. Details come from AGD pages checked in October 2026. GuideUpdated October 26, 20269 min read 1. 1 ## Fellowship (FAGD) AGD lists three continuous years of membership, 500 approved CE hours, a passed exam, a convocation visit and an application by December 31. 2. 2 ## Mastership (MAGD) AGD requires Fellowship plus at least 1,100 approved CE hours, with at least 400 hands-on hours, and has no Mastership exam. 3. 3 ## Only some hours count AGD says hours must be earned as an AGD member from PACE or ADA CERP approved organizations. 4. 4 ## Rules change in 2026 and 2029 Student CE credit doubles on January 1, 2026, and new Mastership subject minimums begin January 1, 2029. The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) offers two continuing education awards for general dentists: Fellowship and Mastership. This guide lays out what AGD lists for each, based on AGD pages opened in October 2026. AGD changed its guidelines in 2025, and some changes start in 2026 and 2029, so the year matters. Always confirm the current rules with AGD before you plan. ## What are the AGD Fellowship and Mastership awards? They are recognition awards for [continuing education](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/continuing-education) earned through AGD. Fellowship comes first, and Mastership builds on it. AGD says it honors “members who have achieved the highest levels of continuing education and professional distinction through its Fellowship, Mastership, and Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition awards.” Short names appear often. [FAGD](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fagd) means Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, and [MAGD](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/magd) means Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. The glossary entries on [AGD Fellowship](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fellowship-agd) and [AGD Mastership](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/mastership-agd) explain the terms. AGD itself is explained under [Academy of General Dentistry](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/academy-of-general-dentistry). AGD names a third award for those who finish Mastership. It is called Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition (LLSR). It is covered at the end of this guide. For the difference in plain terms, see [FAGD vs MAGD](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/fagd-vs-magd). ## What are the AGD Fellowship requirements? AGD’s awards page lists five conditions for Fellowship, plus an application step. The first condition is three continuous years of AGD membership. Fellowship requirement (AGD page, 2026) Detail from AGD AGD membership Three continuous years by Dec. 31 of the year you apply. The count starts no earlier than the month of dental school graduation. License Not suspended or revoked within the past five years, and not currently under probation, suspension or revocation. Exam Pass the AGD Fellowship Exam at any time as an AGD member. You do not need 500 hours of CE first. CE hours 500 hours of approved CE. Convocation Attend the AGD Convocation Ceremony at the Scientific Session. Successful candidates have three years after approval to do so. Application Submit the application and fee by Dec. 31 to be considered for the next class. The page listed a fee of $860. AGD also offers help with the exam. Its page describes a Fellowship Review Course, “a two-day program offered annually during the AGD Scientific Session,” with an option to take the exam right after the course. A Fellowship Exam Study Guide with 100 practice questions is sold separately. If your membership lapses after you earn Fellowship, you do not apply again. The Mastership FAQ says that “once a member has earned Fellowship in the AGD they are entitled to use the designation if they maintain membership in the organization.” ## What are the AGD Mastership requirements? Mastership requires Fellowship and a much larger body of CE. AGD’s requirements page lists the items below. The center of the award is 1,100 approved CE hours earned as an AGD member. Mastership requirement (AGD page, 2026) Detail from AGD Be an AGD Fellow Fellowship is a prerequisite Membership Three continuous years by Dec. 31 of the year the application is received License Not suspended or revoked in the past five years, and not currently under probation, suspension or revocation Total CE At least 1,100 hours of approved CE as an AGD member, including the first 500 hours applied to Fellowship Hands-on hours At least 400 of the 1,100 hours from participation courses in specific disciplines Subject minimums At least 600 of the 1,100 hours must meet minimum hour requirements in specific disciplines Application and Convocation Apply by Dec. 31, then attend Convocation within three years of approval. The page listed a fee of $930. The Mastership FAQ gives the key facts in plain terms. It says there is no Mastership exam. It says you do not need 1,100 hours after Fellowship, because “you need to earn a total of 1,100 approved CE hours as an AGD member.” In most cases, the first 500 hours that count toward Fellowship also count toward Mastership. AGD’s FAQ explains how hours split. At least 400 must be hands-on or participation hours. The remaining 600 can be lecture, participation or self-instruction. AGD adds that 150 of those hours can come from teaching and publication hours. ## Which hours count, and which do not? Only hours earned as an AGD member, from approved providers, on scientific topics tied to dental practice. AGD states these rules in several places. - **Membership.** “Only hours earned as an AGD member can be applied to the award CE requirements.” - **Approved providers.** “Only hours earned from AGD PACE- or ADA CERP-approved organizations can be applied to the award CE requirements.” - **Content.** AGD’s FAQ says course content “must be scientific in nature and directly related to the practice of dentistry.” - **Not every live course.** The FAQ answers “No” to whether any live CE course counts, and explains that the course must come from an approved provider. [PACE](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/pace) is AGD’s Program Approval for Continuing Education. AGD says the program approves organizations rather than individual speakers or course content. Before you register for a course, check that the provider holds PACE or ADA CERP approval, and keep the certificate. AGD’s FAQ notes that [CE credit](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/ce-credit) can also come from other routes: - **Residency.** Dentists who join AGD within four years of finishing a one-year CODA-accredited General Practice Residency, Advanced Education in General Dentistry program or specialty residency may earn up to 150 hours of participation credit. A two-year program may earn up to 300 hours. AGD asks for a copy of the residency certificate or a letter from the program director. - **Teaching.** AGD says you can apply up to 150 CE credit hours toward Fellowship if you hold a faculty appointment at an accredited institution or teach for a PACE or ADA CERP approved organization. A verification letter from the program director is required. A [general practice residency](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/general-practice-residency) is one way to earn early credit, according to AGD’s FAQ. Study club credit depends on the provider that issues it. See [dental study clubs](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-study-clubs) for how clubs handle CE credit. ## What changes in 2026 and 2029? AGD’s House of Delegates approved changes in 2025. Some begin in 2026, and the Mastership subject changes begin in 2029. AGD’s page lists these items: Effective date Change Jan. 1, 2026 Student-member CE that can apply to Fellowship rises from 50 hours to 100 hours. Of those, 30 can be self-instruction. Jan. 1, 2026 Service points toward LLSR can start on Jan. 1 of the year you receive the Fellowship Award, not Mastership. Jan. 1, 2029 Mastership candidates must complete 12 participation hours in Sleep Medicine. Jan. 1, 2029 Minimum hours change in eight existing subject areas. AGD also states a timing rule. Members applying for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 Mastership Award “will be required to meet the existing CE requirements until the 2030 application period.” Beginning with the class of 2030, members pursuing Mastership must show CE in Sleep Medicine in Dentistry. AGD gives its reason: “dentists play a critical role in screening for and treating sleep-related breathing disorders.” The total of 1,100 hours and the 400 hands-on hours do not change. What changes is the way hours are spread across subjects. AGD says the specified MAGD hours rise from 568 to 582, and the specified participation hours rise from 372 to 378. The minimum totals of 600 and 400 stay as they are. The table below shows the subject areas where AGD’s chart shows a different MAGD minimum after January 1, 2029. Hours are the minimum for the subject. The full chart is on AGD’s page. Subject area (AGD code) MAGD minimum through 12/31/2028 MAGD minimum from 1/1/2029 Electives (130) 46 36 Myofascial Pain/Occlusion (180) 46 36 Operative Dentistry (250) 46 36 Anesthesia/Pain Mgmt/Sedation/Pharm (340) 12 36 Orthodontics (370) 12 18 Practice Management (550) 24 12 Oral Med/Oral Dx (730) 12 36 Esthetics (780) 46 36 Sleep Medicine (710) none 12 (new) Because of these shifts, a dentist who is partway through Mastership should check the transcript against the 2029 chart. AGD also offers an Award Navigator at no cost to members. AGD says a team will “review your transcript, map out your specific requirements, and create a customized roadmap.” ## How do you plan the path from Fellowship to Mastership? Plan around the three limits that AGD sets: membership years, approved hours and subject minimums. The steps below are a general planning order, drawn from AGD’s stated rules. 1. **Join AGD early.** Hours count only when earned as a member, and the three-year count starts no earlier than the month of dental school graduation. 2. **Choose approved providers.** Check PACE or ADA CERP approval before each course. Use AGD’s PACE provider search tool. 3. **Log every course.** Submit hours to your AGD transcript with the right subject code. AGD’s page shows how to edit a subject code online. 4. **Pass the Fellowship Exam when ready.** AGD says you can take it at any time as a member. You do not need 500 hours first. 5. **Keep earning after 500 hours.** AGD’s FAQ says the 1,100 hours are a running total, so hours earned before you apply for Fellowship are not lost. 6. **Track hands-on hours.** The 400-hour participation minimum is the one most likely to shape your course choices, because lecture and self-study hours do not count toward it. 7. **Watch the subject minimums.** Compare your transcript to AGD’s chart for the year you will apply. 8. **Apply by December 31.** Submit the application and fee, then plan to attend Convocation within three years of approval. 9. **Consider MasterTrack.** AGD lists MasterTrack programs as “a regular course of study leading to Mastership.” AGD also notes that a lapse does not erase Fellowship. If a former Fellow rejoins after a lapse, the designation can be used again and work toward Mastership can resume. Hours earned while not a member do not count. ## What comes after Mastership? AGD offers Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition (LLSR) to AGD Masters. The page lists three requirements for LLSR: - Three continuous years of AGD membership by Dec. 31 of the application year, and Mastership. - At least 500 CE hours after receiving Mastership, 150 of which must be participation hours, earned in at least eight of the 17 recognized clinical subject areas. - 100 service points from dental-related community or volunteer service, or service to organized dentistry. AGD says LLSR launched in 2003 and that members can earn more than one. The page listed a fee of $770, rising to $800 on January 1, 2026. Service to organized dentistry connects to [organized dentistry](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/what-is-organized-dentistry) and the [continuing education pillar](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-continuing-education). ## What should you check before you apply? Check dates, fees and your transcript. This guide reports what AGD’s pages said in October 2026, and AGD can revise its guidelines. A few items to verify directly: - The current application fee and deadline on the AGD application page. - Your transcript hours, including the subject codes. - Whether each course provider holds PACE or ADA CERP approval. - Which year’s rules apply to your application, given the 2029 changes. - Questions to AGD: the pages give [education@agd.org](mailto:education@agd.org) and the Membership Services Center at [membership@agd.org](mailto:membership@agd.org). A state license has its own CE rules, and those are separate from AGD awards. For Missouri license renewal, see [Missouri dental CE requirements](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/missouri-dental-ce-requirements). This guide does not give legal advice. ## Next step Read the [continuing education guide](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-continuing-education) to place AGD awards alongside other CE paths. [Contact Dr. Copeland about AGD and continuing education](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=study-club). Dr. Jon Copeland, DDS, is a general dentist in Wildwood, Missouri, with a Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry (2024). ## Frequently asked questions ### What are the AGD Fellowship requirements? As of AGD's 2026 page, you need three continuous years of AGD membership, a license not suspended or revoked in the past five years, a passed Fellowship Exam, and 500 approved CE hours. You must also attend the Convocation Ceremony and apply by December 31. Confirm current details with AGD. ### What are the AGD Mastership requirements? AGD lists Fellowship, three continuous years of membership, a clean license record for five years, and at least 1,100 approved CE hours earned as an AGD member. At least 400 hours must be hands-on, and at least 600 must meet subject minimums. You then apply and attend Convocation. ### Is there an exam for AGD Mastership? No. AGD's Mastership FAQ says there is no exam associated with the Mastership Award. Fellowship does include an exam. You can take the Fellowship Exam at any time as an AGD member, and AGD says you do not need to finish 500 CE hours first. ### Do I need 1,100 hours after I earn Fellowship? No. AGD says you need a total of 1,100 approved hours as an AGD member. In most cases the first 500 hours that count toward Fellowship also count toward Mastership. The hours form one running total, not two separate sets. ### Which CE courses count toward FAGD and MAGD? AGD says course content must be scientific in nature and directly related to the practice of dentistry. Only hours earned as an AGD member from AGD PACE or ADA CERP approved organizations count. Always check a provider's approval before you register. ### How much do the AGD award applications cost? AGD's awards page listed an application fee of $860 for Fellowship and $930 for Mastership when checked in October 2026. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the AGD application page before you apply. ## Terms on this page - [Academy of General Dentistry](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/academy-of-general-dentistry) - [General practice residency](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/general-practice-residency) - [Continuing education](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/continuing-education) - [Organized dentistry](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/organized-dentistry) - [House of Delegates](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/house-of-delegates) - [Fellowship (AGD)](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fellowship-agd) - [Mastership (AGD)](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/mastership-agd) - [Study club](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/study-club) - [CE credit](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/ce-credit) - [FAGD](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fagd) ## Sources 1. [AGD: AGD Awards and Recognition (FAGD, MAGD and LLSR)](https://www.agd.org/education/awards-recognition/agd-awards-and-recognition) 2. [AGD: Mastership Requirements](https://www.agd.org/education/awards-recognition/agd-awards-and-recognition/awards-and-recognition/mastership-requirements) 3. [AGD: Mastership FAQs](https://www.agd.org/education/awards-recognition/agd-awards-and-recognition/agd-mastership-faqs) Written by Copeland Consulting Services and checked against the sources above on October 26, 2026. Rules, data and guidance change, so check the linked page before you act on it. ## Keep reading - [FAGD vs MAGD: what each AGD award means and requiresFAGD is Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. It needs three years of membership, 500 approved CE hours and a passed exam. MAGD is Mastership. It needs 1,100 approved CE hours, 400 of them in participation courses, and has no exam. The first 500 Mastership hours also count toward Fellowship.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/fagd-vs-magd) - [Dental continuing education: Missouri rules, AGD awards, study clubs and CE formatsMissouri dentists must complete 50 hours of continuing education every two years, with at least 40 hours tied directly to patient treatment, health and safety. Hours are reported through CE Broker. Beyond the license rule, the AGD sets separate award goals: 500 approved hours for Fellowship and 1,100 for Mastership.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-continuing-education) - [Dental study clubs: what they are, how to join one and how to start oneA dental study club is a group of dental professionals who meet regularly to discuss real cases and learn together. Some are run by national education networks, some are organized locally by alumni of a course, and some are informal. Credit for fellowship or mastership requires an approved provider.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-study-clubs) - [AGD Mastership requirements: hours, fees and steps (2026)The AGD Mastership Award requires three continuous years of AGD membership, a license in good standing, at least 1,100 approved CE hours with at least 400 in participation courses, an application, and attendance at the AGD Convocation. There is no Mastership exam. The AGD lists a $930 fee as of 2026.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/agd-mastership-requirements) - [Missouri dental CE requirements and CE broker explainedMissouri law requires a dentist to show 50 hours of continuing education from the two years before renewal. The Missouri Dental Board now uses CE Broker as its official CE system, and licensees report CE there before the license expires or during renewal. A basic account costs nothing.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/missouri-dental-ce-requirements) - [What is organized dentistry? How the ADA and MDA workOrganized dentistry is the system of dental societies that represents dentists. In the tripartite model, a dentist joins a local component society, a state society and the American Dental Association. The ADA's House of Delegates is its legislative body, and its Board of Trustees is its managing body.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/what-is-organized-dentistry) ## Talk with Dr. Copeland [Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)