Dental Hygiene Department

Program Director: Ann Brunick
Supervising Dentist: Graham Smith, D.D.S.

East Hall Room 120
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: 605-658-5960
dh@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/dh

FACULTY

Professor:

Ann Brunick, M.S., University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Associate Professor:

Carissa Regnerus, M.A., University of South Dakota. 

Assistant Professors:

Erik Mutterer, M.A., University of South Dakota.
Katie Williams, M.S., Eastern Washington University.
Graham Smith, D.D.S., University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

CERTIFICATE

Dental Hygiene Leadership Graduate Certificate  

Program Description

Because of the changing landscape in national healthcare and the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene students and graduates may wish to seek additional knowledge and opportunities for career enhancement. Career opportunities for dental hygienists are expanding outside of the traditional clinical setting in many parts of the country. Current knowledge in the topic areas of leadership, community health, health policy, current trends, comprehensive patient care, collaborative dental hygiene practice and interprofessional education and practice are slated for inclusion into the certificate curriculum. The certificate will offer significant relevant information for both current and future practitioners.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://apps.usd.edu/academic/gradapp/login.cfm and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
2. Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation) must accompany an application for all students. Official transcript of all academic work at the undergraduate and graduate levels are required for international students. The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
3. Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per University policy.
4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited American college or university are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, or a minimum PTE score of 53 is required for graduate admission. Applicants from or who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from English-speaking countries are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score if their academic records after review indicate that English was the classroom language for their schoolwork.
5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose or goal statement.  Statement of purpose should reflect why their program of study will specifically meet their personal and professional goals.

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

6. Two (2) professional letters of recommendation are required.
7. Applicants must successfully complete a criminal background check upon acceptance.

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the above criteria may be admitted on a provisional basis.

Programs

• Dental Hygiene Leadership Graduate Certificate