Program Overview

Introduction to the Dental Hygiene Program

The Dental Hygiene program is designed to provide students with the fundamental and technical skills needed to pursue a career in the health professions field. Through a combination of classroom, clinic, and community outreach settings, students gain experience that prepares them for various clinical professions and provides the skills and knowledge for the interdisciplinary future of dental hygiene.

Degrees Offered

The Department of Dental Hygiene offers the following degrees:

• An Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene
• An Associate of Science to Bachelor of Science program route for students actively enrolled in the AS program seeking a BS degree
• A Bachelor of Science program for students who have an AS in Dental Hygiene either from Weber State University or another accredited university

Admissions Process

Degree-seeking students must complete Math and English General Education requirements. These requirements can be found in the Math and English Requirements video and the WSU Placement website.

Applicant Checklist

The applicant checklist reviews each necessary step to be a successful candidate for the dental hygiene program. Students should refer first to their program checklist when choosing general education courses, as many program prerequisites also count as general education requirements.

Program Requirements

Students should balance their course load with other general education requirements, as taking more than two science courses, including math, in a semester may be overwhelming. Medical Terminology (HTHS 1101) is highly recommended before the first course in anatomy and physiology. The Dental Hygiene program is highly competitive, with an average science support course GPA of 3.6 for students entering the program.

Health Sciences or Zoology Anatomy & Physiology

Students need to complete either the Health Sciences Integrated Human Anatomy & Physiology (HTHS) class series or the Zoology Human Anatomy & Physiology (ZOOL) class series for entrance into most College of Health Professions programs.

Possible Academic Plan

A possible academic schedule for a student's first two semesters at Weber State while pursuing dental hygiene is outlined below:

First Semester

• Math (find placement)
• English (find placement)
• HTHS 1101 Medical Terminology (2 credits)
• LIBS 1704 Information Navigator (1) or LIBS 2904 Information Resources in the Health Professions (1)
• And one of the following:
  • NUTR 1020 Science and Application of Human Nutrition (3)
  • PSY 1010 Introductory Psychology (3)
  • COMM 1020 Principles of Public Speaking (3) or COMM 2110 Interpersonal and Small Group Communication (3)
  • SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology (3) or SOC 1020 Contemporary Social Issues (3)

Second Semester

• Math (next class on path to QL)
• English (next class on path to ENGL 2010)
• HTHS 2110 LS Integrated Anatomy & Physiology I (4) or ZOOL 2320 Human Anatomy (4)
• One of the following:
  • NUTR 1020 Science and Application of Human Nutrition (3)
  • PSY 1010 Introductory Psychology (3)
  • COMM 1020 Principles of Public Speaking (3) or COMM 2110 Interpersonal and Small Group Communication (3)
  • SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology (3) or SOC 1020 Contemporary Social Issues (3) If math and English requirements are complete, replace those classes with other general education requirements found in CatTracks.