Prerequisites for Dental Hygiene Bachelor of Science Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| English Composition I & II | 6 | |
| Speech | 3 | |
| College Math (or higher) | 3 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I 1 | 4 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II 1 | 4 | |
| Chemistry 1 | 4 | |
| Microbiology 1 | 4 | |
| General Psychology | 3 | |
| Sociology | 3 | |
| U.S. History (may include 3 hours Texas History) | 6 | |
| U.S. Government | 3 | |
| Texas Government | 3 | |
| Computer Science (with lab) 2 | 3 | |
| Humanities | 3 | |
| Visual & Performing Arts | 3 | |
| Nutrition | 3 | |
| Electives 3 | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 62 | |
- 1
Laboratory time required
- 2
Workforce courses POFI and ITSC will not be accepted for Computer Science.
- 3
Recommended electives include foreign language, research design, and statistics. No PE or remedial courses accepted.
Dental Hygiene Bachelor of Science Program
Dental Hygiene applicants will be considered for admission upon satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
- Applications for the on-campus BSDH and Post-Degree Certificate programs will be available online starting April 1 and ending August 31 of the year prior to the year of entry.
- Properly completed application along with required fees and documentation
- Must have graduated from an accredited high school or equivalent
- A grade of at least C must be earned in each of the required courses while maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (see Guide for Transfer Student)
- Must have a minimum of 20 hours of shadowing experience
- Must have previously completed an associate or bachelor’s degree prior to enrolling in the program.
- Casper Test by Altus
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination if high school attended was not in the U.S.
- Three letters of recommendation from 2 professors and 1 employer using the institutional form.
- Print and fill out your portion of the form and give it to the person writing the recommendation. The person completing the recommendation should send the completed recommendation form to the registrar. The official university form must be submitted and can be found here.
Applicants outside of Texas must reside in a participating National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) state to be accepted into our program. To see if your state participates, or to get more information, please visit the NC-SARA website.
Residents of the State of Texas, applicants to the Bachelor of Science Degree program, and applicants with course-work in the last five years are given preference in the selection process. Personal interviews are required and scheduled based upon committee evaluation.
Students applying to the Dental Hygiene Program are required to take the Casper test as part of a holistic application process. The Casper test is an online, open-response situational judgement test. The test helps identify behavioral tendencies of applicants who will be working in a profession focused on serving people.
Relative competitiveness of the applicant pool is determined by the above requirements. Additional factors considered include:
- nature of academic program
- demonstrated strength in science prerequisites
- demonstrated leadership
- community service activities
- evidence of public/humanitarian service
- extracurricular activities
- communication skills
- employment history
- awards/honors
- healthcare experience
- bachelor’s degree or higher
- overcoming adversity
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| DHBS 3101 | Pre-Clinical Technique | 5 |
| DHBS 3103 | Oral Disease Prevention I | 3 |
| DHBS 3105 | Dental Radiology I | 2 |
| DHBS 3107 | Head and Neck Anatomy | 2 |
| DHBS 3108 | Oral Histology and Embryology | 2 |
| DHBS 3109 | Dental Anatomy | 3 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| DHBS 3201 | Clinical Practice I | 3 |
| DHBS 3202 | Clinical Seminar I | 3 |
| DHBS 3205 | Dental Radiology II | 1 |
| DHBS 3206 | General Oral Pathology | 3 |
| DHBS 3209 | Dental Emergencies | 2 |
| DHBS 3210 | Oral Disease Prevention II | 1 |
| DHBS 3211 | Periodontology | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| DHBS 3500 | Clinical Seminar II | 1 |
| DHBS 3501 | Clinical Practice II | 3 |
| DHBS 3506 | Dental Materials | 3 |
| Hours | 7 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| DHBS 4301 | Clinical Practice III | 4 |
| DHBS 4302 | Clinical Seminar III | 2 |
| DHBS 4303 | Community Dental Health | 3 |
| DHBS 4308 | Pharmacology | 2 |
| DHBS 4310 | Applied Nutrition | 1 |
| DHBS 4311 | Special Needs Patients | 2 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| DHBS 4401 | Clinical Practice IV | 4 |
| DHBS 4402 | Clinical Seminar IV | 1 |
| DHBS 4403 | Community Dental Hlth Practice | 2 |
| DHBS 4406 | Applied Oral Pathology | 1 |
| DHBS 4407 | Current Applications in Dental Hygiene | 2 |
| DHBS 4408 | Practice Management | 2 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 66 | |
Graduation Requirements
In order to be eligible for graduation, a student must complete the following requirements:
- The candidate must, in the opinion of the faculty, have satisfactorily completed the prescribed curriculum of the respective UTSD Dental Hygiene Program;
- The candidate must have grade point average of C (2.0);
- The candidate must have 128 sch to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene or 100 sch to obtain a Certificate;
- The candidate must have discharged all of the financial obligations to UTSD and/or UTHealth Houston; and
- The candidate must have a sustained record of satisfactory professional and ethical behavior.