Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene Administration Degree Program

Description

Taft College’s Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene Administration (BSDHA) Degree Program will offer all courses online and consists of two years focused on education that culminates competence in preventing and treating oral diseases. Throughout the program, students will engage in facilitated learning to gain a foundation in education/teaching, administration, business, and public health. The Program provides students the knowledge, experience, and educational requirements necessary to seek career options beyond clinical practice.

Program Goals and Objectives

The Taft College Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene Administration Degree Program provides higher education to practitioners seeking to improve career opportunities in dental hygiene. As a licensed dental hygienist, career options are diverse and increasingly demanding education at the baccalaureate level for entry level positions in administration, public health, education, advocacy, and corporate sales. The Taft College Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene Administration degree program gives students the knowledge, experience, and educational requirements necessary to qualify for such diverse careers.  

Curriculum 

Program Course Content may include:

Lower Division Courses:  A maximum of 80 semester units verified by admissions process. NOTE:  A college level statistics course must be included among the 80 units.  

Prior Learning Credit: 15 Upper Division Semester Units

Course content and outcomes aligned with and assessed by national, state, and regional requirements for practice as a dental hygienist. (Dental Hygiene National Board Examination, the Western Regional Examination Board (WREB), the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS), and other examination approved /required by the Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC) including examination of state law and ethics)  

Upper Division Units: 40 Upper Division Semester Units are required (including 15 upper division units of prior learning credit) 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completing of the Bachelor of Science degree program, student will be able to apply:

1. Legal and Ethical Principles. Graduates will integrate personal and professional ethics with legal aspects governing the research and practice of the dental hygiene profession.
2. Community Awareness. Graduates will evaluate local public oral health needs and design services to address identified needs.
3. Life Long Learning. Graduates will value life-long learning of experience, skills, and knowledge of current trends in and emerging techniques and approaches within the dental field by creating a professional growth plan.
4. Critical Thinking. Graduates will construct, analyze and select problem-solving strategies related to research methods, adult learning, business, and administration of patient care through various career options.

Earnings Potential

To see your earnings potential, link to the Associate in Science in Dental Hygiene Program. This page provides salary potential for those within the area of clinical practice. Training to gain a foundation in education/teaching, administration, business, and public health through the BSDHA Program enables a wider range of career options and increased salary potential.

Application

Taft College accepts 35 qualified students into its Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene Administration Degree Program each fall semester. There are minimum admission requirements that all applicants must meet to be considered for acceptance into the program.

The application period for the Fall class is March 1 to March 29 at 5:00 p.m. Designated dates are included in the application once posted on the webpage. A completed online application and all supporting documents must be received in the Taft College Admissions Office by 5:00 p.m. on March 29. Postmarked dates are not acceptable. 

See the side menu, IN THIS SECTION: Apply to B.S. Dental Hygiene Administration Program, for complete details

The application must have proof of the following:

1. Graduate of an Associate Degree Dental Hygiene Program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
2. Cumulative College GPA 2.75- Transcripts from all colleges
3. Licensed Registered Dental Hygienist in good standing (RDH) in California.
4. Completion of lower division general education courses that meet the CSU/IGETC requirements for graduation with a baccalaureate degree is highly recommended.

After the selection process is complete, you will be notified as to your status by April 30, 2024.

Fees

Course fees are $130 per unit for California residents ($46/unit course enrollment fee; plus $84/unit upper division course enrollment fee*)

*Upper Division Coursework Fee (California Education Code (CEC), 78042(g)(5); CCR, title 5, section 58520 

California Residents:

Estimated $5200 (excluding costs for course materials/textbooks).

Non-Residents:

$536 per unit for non-residents ($46/unit course enrollment fee; plus $84/unit upper division course enrollment fee; plus $406/unit non-resident tuition fee) (excluding costs for course materials/textbooks). 

Federal Financial Aid Program

In order to be eligible for federal aid, students are required to enroll in a course of study leading to a degree or a certificate and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students must physically reside in the State of California. Financial aid applications and the Taft College Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy are available in the Financial Aid Office located in the Counseling Center.

Contact the Financial Aid Office at 661-763-7762 if you have questions regarding your eligibility.

Selection

The BSDHA degree completion program utilizes a blended combination of multi-criteria selection.

Available seats (35) will be filled by applications with the highest-ranking score using the multi-criteria point allocation form. All other eligible applicants will be placed on the waitlist for the next available open seat.