| The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree requires two academic years of predental hygiene courses followed by two additional years of enrollment in the Dental Hygiene Program. Courses in the dental hygiene educational program are principally scientific and clinical. This curriculum offers educational, communicative and clinical skills necessary for the dental hygiene graduate to become a member of the dental health team. Dental hygienists provide educational, clinical, and consultative services to individuals and populations of all ages, including the medically compromised, mentally or physically challenged, and socially or culturally disadvantaged. Students will learn about the ethics, values, skills, and knowledge essential to the profession. Health promotion, disease prevention, as well as the dental hygienists role in the community are emphasized. Dental hygiene students use their skills to assess the patients medical, dental, and social histories. Dental hygiene sciences education, nutritional counseling, and tobacco cessation are included in the curriculum. Through dental examinations of patients, emphasis is placed on teaching students to problem solve, interact with the dentist, treat a wide variety of patients, perform preventive procedures, and evaluate patient outcomes. The dental hygiene baccalaureate degree program provides necessary instruction in expanded functions now required of dental hygienists practicing in California. The program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Post-secondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. Admission Admission to the school is granted through the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs which receives and processes all applications, evaluates credentials and mails letters of acceptance to applicants who qualify for entrance. Because of the university's selective admissions policy and limited enrollment, only those applicants are accepted who present evidence of intellectual promise and strong personal qualifications, including good moral character. Prior to enrollment, accepted students must provide evidence of sound health and meet the school's health requirements. (Before registration, the Student Health Service form, signed by the applicant's attending physician, must be filed with the Student Health Center.) Admission to the university in all cases is determined by the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs and appropriate selection committees. Application forms may be obtained by mail, online or in person from the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs. A nonrefundable fee of $25.00, payable to the "USC School of Dentistry", must be sent with the completed application.
A 2x2 photograph with the applicant’s name on the back is also required to be submitted with the completed application and transcripts. Credentials for admission must include complete records of all previous college or university work. The student must request the registrar of each school attended to forward one official transcript of record directly to the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs. These should include the program of studies in which the applicant is currently registered. The university does not initiate requests for these credentials. Applications for the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene should be filed well in advance of February 1 of the year in which the student wishes to be admitted. The program begins in August. Applicants for admission are requested to file their applications after they have completed one full year of college pre-dental work or pre-hygiene class. Although students may transfer to USC at any time and begin prerequisite course work, the dental hygiene curriculum begins in the junior year. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the dental hygiene program. Two applications are required, one for the USC Undergraduate Admission Office and one for the School of Dentistry. Admission Requirements There is no minimum number of transfer units you must complete before applying for admission. In order to determine which courses are equivalent to USC’s courses, please see USC’s articulation website at http://www.usc.edu/dept/ARR/articulation. To be considered for admission, candidates must include the following prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or better:
Additionaly, General Education categories I, II, III, and V must be completed or in progress at the time of application. See USC's articulation website for a list of transferable courses. General Education Requirements The university's general education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This new program requires six courses in different categories, plus writing and diversity requirements, which are described in the General Education program. All students who (1) enter the dental hygiene program in the School of Dentistry as juniors in the summer of 1997 or later; or (2) begin college elsewhere in the summer of 1997 or later; or (3) began college earlier but transfer to USC in the summer of 2000 or later, must satisfy the requirements of the new general education program. Other students whose schedules permit are encouraged to follow the new program as well. It is recommended that one semester of organic chemistry be completed in addition to the other chemistry requirements. It is also recommended that the courses taken be chosen from those that will satisfy the general education requirements. It is the responsibility of the applicant to document the completion of the required number of transferable courses and prerequisite courses. SEE ARTICULATION OFFICER AT HOST INSTITUTION OR VISIT THE USC TRANSFER CENTER for additional information. You can also view on-line at www.usc.edu/dept/ARR/articulation. Course work from schools that offer accelerated programs in the sciences is generally not acceptable. Most courses from four-year institutions are transferable. Online course work will be accepted for GE and prerequisites, but not for any science courses that require a lab. Where applicable, the applicant may contact the USC School of Dentistry Office of Admissions for specific acceptability and course equivalences for purposes of admission to the dental hygiene program. Technically or vocationally related courses will NOT be accepted. Examples of unacceptable courses are: dental assisting courses, dental technology courses, secretarial science (typing, shorthand, etc.), or any other technically or vocationally related courses. Also, no foreign coursework will be accepted. Notification of acceptance will be sent by the Office of Admission and Student Affairs after May 1. All entrance requirements must be completed by the summer preceding the September matriculation. Complete final credentials must be on file in the Office of Admission and Student Affairs by July 15. Orientation Students who have been accepted into the program and who have reserved their place in the class by paying the appropriate tuition deposit will be forwarded orientation materials by July 31. Eligibility for Degree A student is eligible for the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene after attaining the qualitative and quantitative level expected in the dental hygiene curriculum. This specifically includes: no unresolved marks of "F", "IW", "ICW", "N", or "NCr"; no conditions existing at the termination of the final trimester that would result in academic probation, clinical probation or academic disqualification. In addition, each student must have demonstrated the characteristics expected of a health professional and have fulfilled the financial and other obligations required for graduation. |