Academics, Doctor of Dental Surgery and Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program gives students the opportunity to obtain a D.D.S. degree and Ph.D. with a focus in an area related to Craniofacial Oral-biology. In this program, students are trained to become interactive and competitive in sponsored research relating to dental and craniofacial-related procedures. Students entering this program are attending one of only 17 universities in the country that offer this unique and challenging degree path.

While in this program, students spend the first three years focusing on the graduate Ph.D. component, only entering the customized dental school training component after completing the Ph.D. qualifying exam and making significant progress with their dissertation research.

Primary objectives of this program include:

• Dissertation research and preparation
• Dental school curriculum completion
• Perform research in dental and craniofacial-related areas
• Preparation for a career as a successful clinician-scientist

The academic path that students will follow during the course of this program includes courses in biostatistics, surgical anatomy and oral pathology. An overview of the program from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences provides more detail on admission requirements and the anticipated timeline necessary to complete the D.D.S. and Ph.D. track.