2025-2026

Dental Hygiene - Degree Completion Program, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene

Department of Dental Hygiene

College of Health and Human Services

The Dental Hygiene Completion Program is designed for students who are currently on a Dental Hygiene School waiting list, enrolled in dental hygiene school, or working professionals who have completed their studies as a registered dental hygienist from a regionally accredited institution who wish to receive their bachelor's degree in dental hygiene. This bachelor's degree allows students to take all courses online while continuing to work on their dental hygiene degree or in the dental hygiene profession. Extensive transfer credit is given for dental hygiene licensure. The focus of the degree is to prepare graduates for positions in public health, dental hygiene education, research, expanded practice, and graduate study.

This program is nationally recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA).

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's general studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Statistics (a prerequisite fulfilled by STA 270 or PSY 230) (3 units)
  • Required Dental Hygiene courses (21 units)
  • Dental Hygiene Major Electives (3 units)
  • Additional upper-division courses, some of which may be needed to fulfill NAU's General Studies or Diversity requirements. See NAU Diversity Course List for more information.
  • Other courses, if needed, to fulfill NAU's requirements, if, after transcript evaluation, appropriate units/courses have not been completed (12 units)

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Highest Mathematics Required STA 270
Additional Admission Requirements Required
University Honors Program Optional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A Recommended
Progression Plan Link Not Available

Purpose Statement

The Northern Arizona University Dental Hygiene Department offers the only Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene in the State of Arizona. With a national reputation for educating dental hygiene professionals since its inception in 1973, the program offers a high-quality education. The Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program (DHDCP) is specifically for dental hygienists who have an associate's degree, diploma, or certificate in dental hygiene from a regionally accredited institution or students currently enrolled in a regionally accredited dental hygiene program. Degree-completion students are often interested in pursuing roles outside of the traditional clinical private practice. Such roles may include teaching, research, corporate employment, or public health clinical or administrative positions. Graduates are prepared to practice in diverse settings with special emphasis on rural communities and other underserved populations through a curriculum centered on public health. While in the program, students take courses that emphasize: Public Health, Dental Research, Communication and Behavior, Professional Development, Global Oral Health, Interprofessional Practice, and Healthcare Policy and Management. Their capstone project requires the origination of a public health project that requires exhaustive assessment and planning. Projects are then implemented, and outcomes are evaluated in a final written report. This public health emphasis specifically prepares graduates to write grant proposals and serve in public health administrative roles. The future of dentistry is moving towards the development of a dental therapist; a new Masters prepared dental midlevel provider. After attaining a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, graduates are optimally poised to enter advanced dental therapy programs, work in independent practice, and/or work in affiliated practice.
 

Student Learning Outcomes
Outcomes align with Standards from the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation.

  • Patient Care
    • Provide oral health care and case management for a diverse population.
    • Systematically collect and analyze data on the general, oral, and psychosocial health status of a variety of individuals including a comprehensive exam and interpretation of appropriate diagnostic information including radiographic, periodontal, and other data needed to assess the patient's needs.
    • Use critical decision-making based on assessment data to reach conclusions about oral health needs to determine the dental hygiene diagnosis and need for care coordination.
    • Collaborate with patients and other health professionals to formulate individualized comprehensive dental hygiene care plans.
    • Perform preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene interventions.
    • Determine the effectiveness of dental hygiene interventions and provide appropriate follow-up care and/or health maintenance.
  • Improving Health in Individuals and Communities
    • Promote the values of oral and general health and wellness.
    • Respect the goals, values, beliefs, and preferences of others.
    • Assess community oral health needs and resources.
    • Plan community-based oral health programs.
    • Implement community-based oral health programs.
    • Evaluate outcomes of health promotion and disease prevention activities.
  • Core Competencies
    • Demonstrate professional, ethical, and legal behavior.
    • Use critical thinking and problem-solving in the provision of evidence-based practice.
    • Provide dental hygiene care based on accepted scientific theories and the current standard of care that is humane, empathetic, and caring.
    • Perform self-assessment for life-long learning and professional growth.
    • Act as a change agent to improve community oral health and/or advance the profession through service activities and affiliations with professional organizations.
    • Communicate effectively with individuals and groups from diverse populations.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

    • Students must currently be on a Dental Hygiene School waiting list, enrolled in Dental Hygiene School, or working professionals who have completed their studies as a registered dental hygienist from a CODA accredited institution who wish to receive their Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene.
    • Once students are accepted into the Degree-Completion program, they must complete all DH coursework within 7 years to be eligible for graduation.
Transfer Block

  • NAU accepts a maximum block transfer of 64 units from an associate degree program (or diploma or certificate program). You must fulfill NAU's General Studies and diversity requirements. Many transfer units may apply toward fulfilling those requirements.

    With a valid dental hygiene license, NAU is able to accept up to 26 units of licensure requirements as non-traditional credit. In optimal circumstances, the sum of the maximum block transfer (64 units) plus the maximum non-traditional licensure credit (26 units) will total to 90 units, leaving a balance of 30 units to be completed at NAU. These will include 12 units of upper-division electives. We encourage students to discuss elective options with their advisor, so as to ensure the courses will help them advance toward their professional, personal, and degree-completion goals.

Major Requirements

  • This Degree Completion Program, in addition to completing an Associate's Degree, requires 30 units from NAU, distributed as follows:

    • Dental Hygiene Common Core: 21 units
    • Degree-Completion Electives: 9 units


    Take the following 30 units:

  • Dental Hygiene Common Core (21 units)

  • Degree-Completion Electives (9 units)
    You will complete the remaining 9 units dependent upon whether your Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) has been completed upon admittance to the program.

    • Select from the following (9 units):

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    Prerequisites

    STA 270 (or its transfer equivalent) must be completed early in the the program, since it is a prerequisite for DH 373W and DH 450. The prerequisites for STA 270 are as follows: (MAT 108, MAT 110 or MAT 114), with a Grade of "C" or better, or Math Placement Test Results.

     

General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or General Studies Requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.