The baccalaureate entry level program in dental hygiene provides students with knowledge of the social, dental and clinical sciences and competencies needed by the dental hygienist in contributing to the attainment of optimum oral health for individuals through the life span. The graduate is prepared for beginning positions in dental hygiene and for further study at the graduate level.

Students are admitted to the program in the junior year after completing the prerequisite courses and general education requirements. Upon completion of the degree, students are eligible to take the appropriate examinations for licensure as dental hygienists. The Wichita State University dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Preprofessional Curriculum

Students applying for admission to the entry level baccalaureate program must complete the 40-42 credit hours of program prerequisite courses and the requirements of the WSU General Education Program. Students should consider taking 15 credit hours per semester or attending summer school.

Admission to the Entry Level Baccalaureate Degree

Persons interested in the dental hygiene program should direct their inquiries to:

Department of Dental Hygiene
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas 67260-0144
Phone: 316-978-3614

Acceptance into the College of Health Professions does not guarantee admission into the dental hygiene program. To qualify for admission to the dental hygiene program students must:

1. Be enrolled in, or admitted to, WSU;
2. Have completed, or have plans to complete, the prerequisite requirements the spring semester before beginning the program;
3. Have an overall grade point average of at least 2.750 in all courses completed and no grade lower than a grade that generates 2.000 credit points per credit hour in any of the specified required courses; and
4. Submit application materials by the established deadline.

Program Requirements

A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene program, including 58 total credit hours of professional curriculum. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of the College of Health Professions, students in the BS in dental hygiene - entry level program must take the following courses:

¹

Additional required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

Professional Curriculum

Special Requirements

Students are required to purchase uniforms, loupes and instruments needed during clinical learning experiences. Students are required to purchase professional and general liability insurance coverage. The cost of this insurance is included in the university's comprehensive fee schedule and is part of the fee requirements for this major. In addition, students are required to provide their own transportation to and from the health care agencies used for clinical experiences.

Students must successfully complete a background check prior to beginning any dental hygiene course.

Information related to special requirements is available to students at:

Department of Dental Hygiene
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, Kansas 67260-0144

Applied Learning

Students in the entry-level Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene program are required to complete an applied learning experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing a series of clinical courses with DH 435 Dental Hygiene Clinic IV being the final clinical course of their curriculum. Students use knowledge and skills from courses across the curriculum to assess, plan, implement and evaluate dental hygiene care for their patients. Students must demonstrate competency in their clinical skills for a variety of patients through supervised clinical evaluations.