Applicants for the MSDH program will be considered for admission upon satisfactory completion of the following requirements:

• The application process opens on November 1st and closes on June 1st for entry in August of the same year. Applicants will be notified of their standing on or around July 1. Students will be offered admission for August.
• Bachelor’s degree (in any field) from a regionally accredited university or college
• Certificate or associate degree in dental hygiene from a - CODA-accredited dental hygiene program. More information on CODA accreditation can be found here.
• GPA of 3.0 or higher in your dental hygiene coursework.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended.
• State license to practice dental hygiene.
• One letter of recommendation from a professor or 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 UTHealth Office of the Registrar. The official university form must be submitted to: 
  •    Office of the Registrar
                                UTHealth
                                P.O. Box 20036
                                Houston TX 77225-0036
• 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.

Curriculum

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
First Semester		Hours
DHMS 6501	Graduate Seminar in Education I	3
DHMS 6502	Introduction to Educational Research	3
	Hours	6
Second Semester
DHMS 6503	Academic Leadership & Communication	3
DHMS 6506	Clinical Teaching	3
	Hours	6
Third Semester
DHMS 5352	Biostatistics for Dental Professionals	3
DHMS 6505	Graduate Seminar in Education II	3
	Hours	6
Second Year
First Semester
DHMS 6508	Graduate Seminar in Education III	3
DHMS 6507	Clinical Teaching Practicum	4
	Hours	7
Second Semester
DHMS 6509	Education Practicum	4
DHMS 6510	Capstone	4
	Hours	8
Third Semester
DHMS 6511	Capstone Extension (If a student has not completed their capstone project as planned, they can register for an additional hour of this extension course. )	1
	Hours	0
	Total Hours	33

Graduation Requirements

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 a C (2.0) grade point average.
• The candidate must have discharged all of the financial obligations to UTSD and/or UTHealth Houston and
• The candidate must have completed a minimum of two semesters at UTSD.
• The candidate must have a sustained record of satisfactory professional and ethical behavior.
• The candidate can enroll full or part-time but must complete the program within five years.