Master of Science in Dental Hygiene Academics Information

The Master of Science in Dental Hygiene degree program in the Periodontics Department and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers graduate students in-depth learning experiences in research methods, teaching, and the health care sciences. The Master of Science in Dental Hygiene prepares professional dental hygienists with specialized skills in one or more of the following areas: health promotion/education, management/administration, research, advanced clinical practice, and consumer advocacy.

Students explore a variety of resources to help them reach their maximum potential as health care professionals. The goal of this program is to prepare dental hygienists to expand the knowledge base and skill set of the profession by nurturing the intellectual development of the professional in a student-centered, individualized and flexible online environment.

Primary objectives of this program include:

• Establish a foundation of basic and dental science principles that support the dental hygiene specialty and prepares graduates for academic and research success
• Research experience will provide a foundation for the research process as well as prepare the student to pursue Ph.D. levels of study
• Academic experience will provide a foundation for future educators in dental hygiene

This is a fully online program. This 36 credit hour graduate program may be completed on a full or part-time basis, and requires a minimum of one and half to two academic years for full-time students and a maximum of four years for part-time students. 

The academic path that students choose during the course of this program includes course work in: research, dental hygiene clinical and didactic education, public health, and policy. A sample plan of study for the Master of Science in Dental Hygiene program from the catalog shows the normal semesters in which courses are scheduled to be taught.