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).
The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program (BSDHCP) is specifically designed for dental hygienists with an Associate Degree, Diploma, or Certificate in Dental Hygiene. The BSDHCP will enhance your theoretical and clinical knowledge and promote career advancement in management, education, public health, sales, marketing and research. The degree is also aimed at those who want the option to move into a new field related to Dental Hygiene, pursue a Master's Degree, or who want to strengthen professional skills in communication, evidence-based practice, computer use, and statistics.
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.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University 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 | View Progression Plan |
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.
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
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.
This Degree Completion Program, in addition to completing an Associate's Degree, requires 30 units from NAU, distributed as follows:
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.
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.
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.
Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.