Bachelor of Science - Dental Hygiene

Bachelor of Science - Dental Hygiene
Degree Completion Program for Dental Hygienists

 


Program Overview
This program is designed for the student who has completed a degree from an accredited (American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation) dental hygiene program at another educational institution and desires to continue their education toward a baccalaureate degree.

The goal of the program is to work with the student to develop an individualized program of study that meets their educational interests and needs and expands their career opportunities to include but are not limited to; clinical and classroom education, program administration, public health program planning and delivery, advanced clinical practice and specialized patient care and research. Courses in advanced dental hygiene studies emphasize evidence based practice in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences. Your time and efforts in this program will provide you with a collaborative, challenging experience which will prepare you to pursue expanding career opportunities.

All of the courses required in the core curriculum are offered online. UMKC has designed computer mediated online learning through two learning methods, Asynchronous and Synchronous learning. Asynchronous learning means that learning can take place at any location and at any time. It virtually means access to learning is available 24/7. The second learning method, Synchronous learning, is delivered in real time through such technology as weekly Internet – based formats using chat rooms.

Click on the topics below to learn more:


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Can I go part-time?
A. Yes, it is possible to go through the Degree Completion Program part-time and most students choose this option as they are either working, have family responsibilities or both.

Q. How much will it cost?
A. Tuition rates are available by accessing the link at the end of this section. Out of state students who complete their coursework on a part time basis are eligible for in-state tuition, therefore students that are out-of-state residents, will most likely want to pursue their degree on a part-time basis to avoid out-of-state tuition. Part-time students during Fall/ Spring semester must enroll for no more than 6 credit hours per semester, Summer semester, no more than 3 credit hours. In addition, residents from the Kansas counties of Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties, who are pursuing a bachelor's degree, pay the same undergraduate costs per credit hour as Missouri residents.
Follow this link for a tuition fee schedule: Tuition and Fees

Q. Is the Degree Completion program completely online?
A. All coursework is offered online and 3 visits to UMKC are required during the course of study.

Q. How do I know what courses I need to take?
A. Coursework to be taken is determined on an individual basis by utilizing transcripts, general education worksheet and course equivalency information. The program director will be more than happy to work with you in determining what courses you need to complete a degree.

Q. Is there financial aid available?
A. There are various awards and honors available specifically for dental hygiene students. More details and additional information on financial aid can be obtained from:
Student Financial Aid Office
5115 Oak Street, 1st Floor
Kansas City, Missouri 64110
816/235-1154 Or use this link – Financial Aid
Find Scholarship information for Dental Hygiene Students with this link -- Dental Hygiene Scholarships

Q. How many credit hours do I need to graduate?
A. Students must complete 30 credit hours through UMKC and have a minimum of 124 semester hours to earn a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene.

Q. How do I know if online courses are a good option for me?
A. Check these links to find out more.


Fast Fact on the Degree Completion Program for Dental Hygienists

  • Licensed dental hygienists with Bachelor of Science degrees are in demand by many types of employers from the advanced practitioner to education, program administration or community dental health. Graduates from the Division of Dental Hygiene are at the leading edge of their profession because of their intensive training allows them to move freely in a wide range of settings or to pursue advanced graduate degrees.


Mission Statement and Goals

We share our mission and goals as constant reminders of what we are striving to achieve.

To enrich dental hygienists through a collaborative challenging experience resulting in competent graduates able to pursue advanced and/or alternative career opportunities.

Research

  • To be knowledgeable in utilizing and applying research to provide evidence based patient specific care.
  • To realize the importance of dental hygiene/dental research in the development of a competent oral health care professional.
  • To successfully apply critical thinking skills

Career Opportunities

  • To explore possible alternative career options inside and outside of the dental field.
  • To provide graduates the credentials to pursue a variety of alternative health/oral health careers.
  • To foster student commitment to lifelong learning and career development

Community

  • To take an active role in effecting solutions to community problems and needs that will improve the access to care and ultimately the health of all citizens.
  • Advance student awareness of providing care to an increasingly diverse patient population in private/public/community health settings.
  • Become an active participant in a global community of professionals by developing leadership skills that allow for involvement in interprofessional responsibilities and activities.


Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program
  • Results and successful completion of the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination
  • Satisfactory academic GPA (a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.5)


Program Requirements
This program is designed for the students who have completed a degree from an accredited (American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation) dental hygiene program at another educational institution and desire to continue their education toward a baccalaureate degree. All students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science degree completion program in dental hygiene must complete the general education requirements of the Division of Dental Hygiene and at least 30 semester credit hours at UMKC. These 30 credit hours include the UMKC Division of Dental Hygiene core curriculum and any incomplete general education requirements.

Degree Completion core curriculum courses are taken in conjunction with students enrolled in the UMKC dental hygiene graduate program. In addition to a UMKC campus program orientation (usually in August), online students are required to attend on average, two campus visits throughout their program of study, held on the UMKC School of Dentistry campus- typically constituting a long weekend.
Formal applications for admission to this program must be submitted by February 1 for the class beginning in August of each year. The program may be completed on a full or part-time basis. Out of state students who complete their coursework on a part time basis are eligible for in-state tuition, therefore students that are out-of-state residents, will most likely want to be a part-time student to avoid out-of-state tuition. Part-time students during Fall/Spring semester must have no more than 6 credit hours per semester, Summer semester, no more than 3 credit hours in order to be eligible for in state tuition.


Required Core Curriculum For Degree Completion


Courses

Credit Hours

DH4020

Local Anesthesia and Pain Control

2

DH4040

Introduction to Research and Instruction

2

DH4080

Introduction to Research Design

2

DH4500

Seminar in Health Care Issues

1-2

DH4600

Evidence Based Decision Making in the
Clinical Practice of Dental Hygiene

2

DH4620

Principles in Dental Hygiene Education

3

* DH4680

Dental Hygiene Clinical Instruction I

2-4

DHGR595

Scientific Writing

1-2

 

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS:

15-21


* Requires a half - day per week in clinic as student instructor.
It is highly recommended that the student take the following:
For students who do not reside in the Kansas City area (online students) some courses (DH4640 Student Teaching and Conference I and DH4680 Clinical Instruction and Conference I) require teaching (didactic or clinically) at a college/university setting other than UMKC. In those cases, an affiliation agreement is required. It is the student's responsibility to get permission from the sponsoring institution to teach in their facility. Once the student has initiated contact, the course director for the respective class will contact the program director of the sponsoring institution.

Students must have 124 credit hours to earn a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene. The last 30 hours must be taken in residence at UMKC (online learning through UMKC is considered in residence). Core curriculum courses are taken in conjunction with students enrolled in the UMKC graduate dental hygiene education program.

In addition to the core curriculum required by the Division of Dental Hygiene, the University of Missouri – Kansas City stipulates that all degree candidates must complete the specified general education requirements.

General Education Requirements

The general education courses consist of: Communication, Mathematics, Higher-Order Thinking, Managing Information and Valuing, Humanities and Fine Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences. These courses can be taken online through UMKC or The University of Missouri Center for Distance and Independent Study (CDIS) which offers many educational courses via online or in a correspondence format. A copy of the CIDS catalog can be obtained at http://cdis.missouri.edu or by calling 1.800.609.3727.

Any general education courses that the student has not completed will be included in the student's individual program of study and count toward the required 30 credit hours. The Director will consult with each student individually to develop a program of study, which will assist the student in reaching his or her educational goals.

All Bachelors of Science Dental Hygiene candidates must complete and submit a General Education Worksheet documenting courses completed and those required to meet the institutional general education requirements. All course equivalencies will be reviewed and confirmed by the program director. Course equivalencies can be found at: http://www.umkc.edu/catalog/Bachelor_of_Science_in_Dental_Hygiene.html#193647

To view a list of the required general education courses download the General Education Worksheet.

Options regarding College Algebra:
While all general education courses can be successfully completed via online learning (College Algebra is offered through CIDS), College Algebra is one course that candidates often prefer taking in a traditional classroom setting because it is a course that often requires foundational prerequisite coursework prior to taking. The UMKC University system does not offer math placement testing. If you desire a placement evaluation or perceive you will need foundational coursework prior to College Algebra, you may wish to complete prerequisite coursework at a local institution and transfer these credits to UMKC as electives. If College Algebra is transferred from another institution, it will not count toward the required UMKC 30 hours.

Elective Courses
A number of elective course are offered to help students fulfill a program of study that meets their needs and educational interest. Electives may be taken in the School of Dentistry, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and / or School of Business and Public Administration or through the University of Missouri Center for Distance and Independent Study. Each student will consult with the director of the degree completion program to determine the particular choice of study and to develop an individual curriculum based on the college hours completed previously. The following courses may be taken as electives in the degree completion curriculum:

DH4320 Special Patient Care Practicum ..........................................................2-4
DH4330 Oncology Practicum ..............................................................................2-4
DH4350 Periodontics Co-Therapy Practicum...................................................1-4
DH4340 Community Dentistry Practicum..........................................................2-4
DH4380 Research Practicum .............................................................................2-4
DH4625 Dental Hygiene Administration............................................................2
DH4630 Practicum in Dental Hygiene Administration....................................2-4
DH4635 Practicum in Clinical Supervision ......................................................2-4
DH4650 Student Teaching and Conference I ............................................2-4
DH4650 Student Teaching and Conference II ...........................................1-4
DH4660 Independent Study: Online Extended Care Permit Course  ... 3
DH4660 Independent Study  .............................................................................. 1-4
DH4685 Dental Hygiene Clinical Instruction II.................................................1-4
DH4750 Geriatric Oral Health Ed ...................................................................... 1-5
Students must maintain continuous enrollment through the University of Missouri system at all times during their course of study. If a student fails to be continuously enrolled, they will be dropped from the UMKC student roster and will be required to reapply for admission into their respective degree programs.


Graduation Requirements
1. A minimum of a 2.5 GPA.
2. Successful completion of 124 credit hours with the last 30 hours taken at UMKC.
3. Successful completion of all general education coursework required for a degree in dental hygiene.
4. All other requirements for graduation as stated in the General Graduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the UMKC General Catalog.
5. Successful completion of a portfolio as presented in DH4500. The final portfolio must be turned into the program director 6 weeks prior to the students anticipated graduation date.
6. In addition to a UMKC campus program orientation (usually in August), online students are required to attend on average, two campus class session throughout their program of study, held on the UMKC camp- typically constituting a long weekend. You will be notified well in advance of the specific dates and times for the visit.


Application Materials

  • Application for admission to the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a non-refundable $35.00 application fee for online applications, $45.00 paper application. www.umkc.edu/apply

*Completing the application process does not serve as a statement of acceptance or adminssion to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
**Web browsers for the online application: Microsoft Windows users will get the best results by using Internet Explorer version 7.0 OR Mozilla Firefox version 3.5 or later. Apple users will get the best results using Safari versin 3.0 or later OR Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or later.

  • Supplemental application to the Division of Dental Hygiene.
  • General Education Worksheet
  • Three reference forms (one must be from the director of the accredited dental hygiene attended).
  • Official transcripts of all previous academic work.
  • Click here to download all forms

All application material must be mailed to Professor Lorie Holt


Contact Information
Lorie Holt Director, Degree Completion Studies
Division of Dental Hygiene,
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry
650 E. 25th Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
Feel free to call collect: (816) 235-2057
e-mail at holtla@umkc.edu


Policy related to individuals with bloodborne infectious disease
It is the responsibility of all health care workers (HCW) who perform exposure prone procedures to know their bloodborne pathogen status, specifically related to hepatitis B virus (HbV) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Further, it is the responsibility of the faculty, staff or student who tests positive for HIV or HbV to report test results to the Chair of the UMKC Infection Control Committee. An expert review panel will review the circumstances, if any, under which the individual may continue to perform exposure prone procedures.
For more information on the policies and procedures related to the presence of a bloodborne infectious disease, please contact the Dental Hygiene Program Director.


Students’ Right-to-Know Statement
In accordance with Public Law 101-542, UMKC reports 71% of its first-time freshmen return the second year. However, the UMKC School of Dentistry reports 96% of its first-time dental students return the second year. The UMKC Police Department publishes an annual campus report on personal safety and crime statistics. The report is available at the UMKC Police Department Office, 213 Student Services Building, 4825 Troost Building


Statement of Human Rights
The Board of Curators and UMKC are committed to the policy of no discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, or Vietnam Era Veterans’ status. The Affirmative Action Office, 356 Administration Center, 5115 Oak St., is responsible for all relevant programs. Call (816) 235-1323 for information. People with speech or hearing impairments may contact the University by using Relay Missouri, 1 800 735-2966(TT) or 1 800 735-2466 (Voice).

Contact Info

Lorie Holt Director, Degree Completion Studies
Division of Dental Hygiene,
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry
650 E. 25th Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

Feel free to call collect: (816) 235-2057
e-mail at holtla@umkc.edu

Links and Downloads

Important Dates

 


Dental Hygiene – Degree Completion Calendar


School of Dentistry Calendar