Dental Hygiene, B.S.D.H.

Our baccalaureate degree dental hygiene program requires a minimum of 120 semester hours of coursework, including specific prerequisites. The 60 hours of prerequisite coursework can be completed in two academic years. If accepted to our Dental Hygiene Program, students attend an additional two years to complete their degree.

No. There are very heavy demands made on students' time. Attendance is mandatory and classes, labs and clinics are often scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  In addition, there is a significant amount of required study and at times, projects that are very time consuming.

The deadline for application submission is Jan. 15 of the year in which the applicant wishes to begin the program.

In-state or out-of-state applicants are afforded equal opportunity for admission.  All prerequisite courses must be from accredited institutions and transfer correctly to our program.  To see OU Transfer Equivalencies, click here. Applicants with questions regarding classes transferring to our program, please contact dental-hygiene@ou.edu.  

Beyond the necessary prerequisite courses, no other coursework in a particular area is given preference. Areas for additional study should include courses that are of interest to the applicant. Some suggestions for courses that may improve one's knowledge for any health-related career might include medical terminology, immunology or other biologic science courses, education or behavioral science courses, research, or any number of other courses that relate to a higher degree of knowledge.

Prerequisite courses may be taken online, as long as they transfer correctly to our program. Please use the Course Equivalency Table to determine course transferability.  To see OU Transfer Equivalencies, click here. Applicants with questions regarding classes transferring to our program, please contact dental-hygiene@ou.edu. 

They are not.  Applicants may be able to gain valuable information about the desirability of a career in dental hygiene as well as a better overall understanding of dentistry by working as a dental assistant. However, dental hygiene requires a different knowledge and skill set from those of dental assisting.

Foundational Prerequisite Courses must be completed or in progress during the spring semester of the year in which admission is sought. If the applicant is accepted into the program, original, official transcripts are required by OUHSC Admissions and Records, prior to June 15, verifying courses are complete and a grade of a C or better has been earned. 

Foundational Courses Include:  English II, Statistics, Chemistry, Human Physiology, Human Anatomy, Microbiology, Nutrition, Psychology

Non-Foundational Prerequisite Courses must be completed by August 15 of the year in which admission is sought. If the applicant is accepted into the program, original, official transcripts are required by OUHSC Admissions and Records prior to August 15, verifying courses are complete and a grade of a C or better has been earned. 

Non-Foundational Courses Include:  English Comp I, Public Speaking, Foreign Language, U.S. Government, U.S. History, CAS 1523, CAS 1533, or CAS 1543, Artistic Form, Western Culture, World Culture, and 3-hour Upper Division General Education Course.

Interviews take place in March.  We interview 75 applicants, so not all applicants that apply will receive an interview.  All communication from our program is handled through email.  Please note that If we don’t receive a response to our interview request by email, we will reach invited applicants by phone, so there is no need to call our office to check on the status of your application.

Our Admissions Committee aims for its decisions to be made by mid-April. Candidates are notified of their application status by email as soon as possible after the new class is selected. 

The top reasons applicants aren't selected are as follows:

• Total Cumulative Undergrad GPA may not be competitive

• Science GPA may not be competitive or possibly may have several courses still outstanding.  Science Courses:  General Chemistry, Human Physiology, Human Anatomy, Microbiology & Nutrition

• ACT Score may not be competitive

• Interview score may not be competitive

• Several Foundational Courses may still be in progress

• Foundational Courses may not be complete or in progress

• Several withdrawals or failing grades on transcripts
• We encourage applicants to review the statistics for past students accepted to our program to determine if their application is competitive.

• Retake foundational and/or science courses in which you did not do well

• Examine your knowledge of the dental hygiene industry and practice interview skills to prepare for the next interview cycle

Fall

Head and Neck Anatomy

General/Oral Histiology

Dental Morphology

Clinical Dental Hygiene Theory I

Clinical Dental Hygiene I

Oral Diagnosis

Oral Radiography I

Preventative Dentistry

Periodontics I

Spring

Pediatric Dentistry

Pharmacology

Geriatric Dentistry

Clinical Dental Hygiene Theory II

Clinical Dental Hygiene II

Oral Radiography II

Dental Materials Science

Dental Hygiene Research Methods

Ethics and Jurisprudence

Periodontics II

Applied Dental Materials

Fall

Oral Pathology

Clinical Rotation I

Dental Hygiene Process of Care

Clinical Dental Hygiene III

Pain Control

Community Health Issues

Periodontics III

Spring

Clinical Rotation II

Advanced Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice

Clinical Dental Hygiene IV

Practice Management

Senior Capstone Seminar

Community Health Practicum