Program: Dental Hygiene (B.S.) - University of South Dakota

61 Major Hours, 120 Degree Hours

Admission Requirements:

Application for admission to the USD Dental Hygiene professional program is required. Applications are scored based on GPA, ACT composite score, recommendations, and an interview; up to 40 students are selected annually. Application materials are due by February 1 prior to the fall semester of the year for which a student is applying.

Application materials may be found on the Department website at www.usd.edu/dh. They include an application form, Technical Standards form, 3 recommendation forms, ACT composite score, dental office observation/experience, and transcripts.

Pre-admission Requirements, Including Department Specified General Education Requirements (49 hours)

Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to admission into the professional curriculum. These courses may be taken at other institutions; however, it is important to obtain approval from the Department Chairperson prior to taking these courses off campus in order to ensure their transferability. Students should apply for admission into the program by February 1 prior to the fall semester of the year they desire entry. Students must consult department advisors for assistance with their schedules. An asterisk (*) denotes courses that will be used in scoring application.

CHEM 106 - Chemistry Survey (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] *
CHEM 106L - Chemistry Survey Laboratory (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] *
CHEM 107 - Organic and Biochemistry Survey (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] *
CHEM 107L - Organic and Biochemistry Survey Laboratory (C) [SGR#6, HSDC] *
Civics Course Requirement - Select 1 of the following (SGR#3):
CIV 100 - American Civics (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] [CIV]
HIST 151 - United States History I (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] [CIV]
HIST 152 - United States History II (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] [CIV]
POLS 100 - American Government (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] [CIV]
POLS 210 - State & Local Government (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] [CIV]
Select one of the following:
CMST 101 - Foundations of Communication (C) [SGR #2, HSDC] *
CMST 215 - Public Speaking (C) [SGR #2, HSDC] *
ENGL 101 - Composition I (C) [SGR #1, HSDC] *
Mathematics (C) [SGR #5 ]*
MICR 230 - Basic Microbiology *
MICR 232 - Basic Microbiology Lab *
PHGY 220 - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology I [SGR #6, HSDC] *
PHGY 220L - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology Laboratory I [SGR #6, HSDC] *
PHGY 230 - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology II [SGR #6, HSDC] *
PHGY 230L - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology II Laboratory [SGR #6, HSDC] *
PSYC 101 - General Psychology (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] *
SOC 100 - Introduction to Sociology (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] *
Additional Mathematics 3cr - any math course, any STAT course, BADM 220-Business Statistics, CSC 105-Intro to Computers, PSYC 371-Statistics in Psychological Research, SOC 309-Statistics Research Methods, or TET 200-Basic Skills in Technology
Professional Interest Electives - 4 credits required; Suggested disciplines from which to choose classes: Addiction Counseling and Prevention, Business, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Communication Studies, Educational Psychology, Foreign Language, Health, Health Sciences, Health Services Administration, Psychology, Sociology, Speech Communication.
DHYG 210 - Head & Neck Anatomy * (Must be taken Spring Semester prior to entry to program)
DHYG 318 - Medical and Dental Emergencies * (Must be taken Spring Semester prior to entry to program)
* Note-Student wishing transfer credit for DHYG 210 and DHYG 318 must have completed the subject matter in these courses with the equivalent of a “C” grade or higher. In addition, the courses must have been taken within three years of the request for transfer. For any and all skills that may apply to the courses for which transfer credit is given, the chairperson of the University of South Dakota Dental Hygiene program will be the sole determiner of whether the transferring student’s skills meet the University standards. In the event that the chairperson determines that the transferring student’s skill levels may not meet proficiency standards, it is understood that the student will enroll in the University course for credit.

General Education requirements (9 hours)

Arts and Humanities fulfilling SGR Goal #4 (6 cr.)-3 credit hours must be in Fine Arts and 3 credit hours must be in Humanities.
Advanced Composition Course in addition to ENGL 101, SGR Goal #1 (3 cr.)

Departmental Requirements (62 hours)

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan.

Dental Hygiene, B.S. 4-year plan guide

Distance Program Leading to Professional Licensure

Location Matters. This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for a professional license or certification and allows students to enroll in at least one course through distance education during the first semester. Pursuant to Federal Regulations, the program may only admit students who are located in states where the program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure or who attest in writing that they intend to seek licensure or employment in a state where the program meets those requirements. As part of your application to this program, you will be asked to provide additional information regarding your location to assist the program in determining your eligibility for admission.

If you have questions regarding licensure, we encourage you to contact a program representative prior to submitting your admission application. For more information, visit USD’s Licensure-Track Programs page for links to the USD program websites and state licensure board websites.

Additionally, this program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. If you have questions regarding supervised field study, please contact a program representative.

Distance education courses or programs will not be offered outside of the United States without prior written approval from the University, which may be withheld for any reason. If you are taking distance courses while physically located outsides of the United States, it is your responsibility to confirm the following: (a) if the country will recognize an online degree; (b) whether the program meets licensure or certification requirements in the country including the availability of supervised field study opportunities in the country; and (c) if the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings or fees associated with online distance education programs.