Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene seek advanced positions in the traditional field of dental hygiene, as well as opportunities in related positions such as dental hygiene educator, legislative aide, health/patient advocate, insurance review specialist, public health hygienist, and health care manager.

Special Admissions Requirements

Dental Hygienists seeking entrance must have (1) obtained a passing score on the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination, (2) graduated from an accredited dental hygiene program, and (3) a current dental hygiene license in any one state. Penn College students currently enrolled in the associate-degree Dental Hygiene major may be eligible to declare a dual degree with this bachelor-degree major; please see the program director for information. Alternatively, students currently enrolled in the second year of a CODA-accredited associate degree dental hygiene program at another institution may be eligible for concurrent enrollment; eligibility will be based on additional requirements beyond College admission. Questions about the concurrent enrollment option may be directed to the Dental Hygiene program director. All students entering the major will be treated as transfer students, including students who have graduated with Penn College's associate-degree major.

Special Equipment Needs

Students must have access to a computer with consistent Internet access. Technical requirements are as follows: 

• Windows 11 or higher (recommended). 
• Intel Core i5 or i7 (generation 10 or higher) processor (recommended). 
• 8+ GB RAM (recommended).  
• 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended). 
• Laptop/computer must include a webcam and microphone (required). 
• Laptop/computer must include a wireless network card (required). 
• Broadband Internet connection when working off campus (required). 
• Additional plug-ins may be required (Information Technology Services Service Desk available for assistance). 
• Chromebooks and other devices running Chrome OS are prohibited. 

Remediation Strategies

All incoming students must meet placement requirements in math. Students are expected to remediate any deficiencies as explained in the College Catalog (see https://www.pct.edu/catalog/admissions-policy).

Transfer Procedures

Students must have earned a grade of 'C' or better in courses to be transferred. A maximum of 47 credits in dental hygiene courses may be transferred from an associate degree level curriculum as a block of credits, rather than as individual course credits. In addition, all general education courses that meet College requirements will be eligible for transfer according to College policy. At least 36 credits of the final four semesters of the student's profile must be satisfied by Penn College courses. Courses taken more than 10 years ago will be evaluated to determine if they meet current course requirements.

This major is subject to the transfer standards established by the College. The school dean must approve exceptions. Students desiring transfer into this bachelor-degree major must work closely with an adviser to choose appropriate, transferable courses to be eligible for selection.

International health credentials/licensure, sciences courses, and most math courses will not be accepted to satisfy requirements of this major. Please see additional information for international students applying to the School of Nursing & Health Sciences majors.

Program Goals

• develop skills and commit to lifelong learning to maintain competence in an evolving healthcare system.
• apply critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills in a health care environment.
• effectively communicate in diverse settings utilizing a variety of methods.
• demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity and the importance of cultural competence.
• expand their role and career opportunities beyond clinical dental hygiene.

Performance Standards

No minimum GPA requirements beyond those established within the College’s Academic Probation Policy.

The following grading system applies to all dental (DEN) courses in this major. There is no rounding of grades:

A= 90-100
B= 80-89.99
C= 75-79.99
D= 74.99 and below

The course sequence above is the suggested progression for full-time students; the major can be completed on a part-time basis, with students taking as few or as many courses as desired each semester.