Dental Hygiene Degree

5 semester program.

Admission is based on weighted criteria.

Applications Due:May 15 of each year to apply for the following Fall semester (August) class on the Grand Strand campus.

Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed for admission.

To Apply for the DHG program you must:

1. Apply to and be accepted at HGTC, which includes paying the $30 application fee, submitting official high school and college transcripts and submitting the “Additional Admission/Placement Requirements Affidavit.”(The Affidavit is viewable on a later slide and may be printed from the “Forms” box on the Libguides page.)

2. Complete the 4 prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher and within the departmental required time limits.

3. Have a 2.75 GPA on all prerequisite/core courses completed.

4. Complete the online Dental Hygiene Department “Information Session” (http://libguides.hgtc.edu/healthscience) which includes reviewing the Technical Standards for the DHG program. Once the Dental Hygiene program receives verification of completing the online Information Session, documentation forms for the required 10 hours of observations will be e-mailed to the student.

5. Complete 10 hours of observations: 5 in a private dental office and 5 in the HGTC Dental Hygiene Clinic.

6. May not have more than two unsuccessful attempts in your Dental Hygiene prerequisite/core courses.

Additional Admission Placement Affidavit

Dental Hygiene CoursesRequired GPA of 2.75 with only C’s or higher accepted

Prerequisite CoursesENG 101* – English Composition CPT 101 -Introduction to Computers (5 yr. time limit)BIO 210 ***– Anatomy and Physiology I (5 yr. time limit)CHM 105 or 110 – General, Organic, and Biochemistry or College Chemistry

Core CoursesBIO 211 – Anatomy and Physiology II (5 yr. time limit) BIO 225 – Microbiology (5 yr. time limit)SPC 205 – Public SpeakingPSY 201 – General PsychologySOC 101 – Introduction to SociologyMAT 101** – Beginning AlgebraHumanities – choose one humanities(ART 101, 105, 108, ENG 201, 202, 205, 206, 208, 209,214,224,FRE 201,202,HIS 101,102,201,202, MUS 105, PHI 101, 110, 201, REL 103, SPA 201, 202, THE 101)

*English Progression/dependent on test scores: ENG 032-ENG 100-ENG 101 – ENG 102 **Math Progression/dependent on test scores: MAT 032-MAT 101

***BIO 210 has a prerequisite of BIO 101, BIO 112 or CHM 110 or the required test scores:Compass: Reading – 85, Writing – 78, Algebra – 46SAT: Verbal - 480, Math – 440ACT: Reading -19, English – 19, Math-21

Information Session with the Department Chair

This is an online session which the Dental Hygiene faculty created to tell you about classes, clinicals, fees, jobs, and many things you need to know about working in the field of Dental Hygiene - a great time to have your questions answered.

You may access the online Information Session by going to the top right corner of the Dental Hygiene Tab of the Libguides page, http://libguides.hgtc.edu/healthscience. You will also need to review the Information Packet found in this location.

Information and instructions on completing the required 10 hours of observations – 5 in a private dental office and 5 in the Dental Hygiene clinic on HGTC’s Grand Strand Campus – are included in this Information Session.

Viewing the online Information Session is a requirement that must be completed before you will be eligible to submit an application for the Dental Hygiene program.

Acceptance into the DHG program is limited and competitive. There is no guarantee of acceptance. Your grades are very important. Even though the minimum GPA requirement is 2.75 you should strive for a much higher GPA.

The scoring criteria in the previous slide is used to determine which applicants will be accepted into the Dental Hygiene program. The 18 students with the highest number of points are accepted each year.

The number of points needed for selection will vary each year. Acceptance depends on your points vs. the points of the other applicants at that time, therefore admissible points may change each review period.

Be the Best Applicant You Can Be!Applying with the highest number of points you can obtain is important!!!

You may increase your points by:

Applying for and obtaining residency status – go to http://www.hgtc.edu/admissions/residency.html for a residency application. Obtaining a South Carolina driver’s license and car registration (if the car is in your name) are normally an important part of this process. Read the application and instructions carefully.

Applying with the best grades possible! You can also increase your points by increasing your GPA as you will see in the Academic Rigor section of the point criteria. You can use the calculator on the Libguides page to see how much your GPA will increase by retaking or taking a different course in the same prereq category and receiving a higher grade. Always check with financial aid before retaking any course.

Completing the Expanded Duty Dental Assisting course at HGTC – view the STEPS session for Dental Assisting and speak with a Health Science Advisor to determine if this is a good option for you. If you have completed the EDDA program be sure to include a copy of your certificate with your DHG application.

Working in a Dental Office – if you have worked in a Dental office for a full year within the last three years be sure to submit a letter from your employer, on letterhead, explaining your duties and providing the dates of your employment. Your employer’s contact information must be included. The DHG department will determine if you qualify for the Dental Experience points.

These requirements must be completed AFTER being accepted into the program. The college will provide you with the instructions about when to complete these requirements in your notification of initial

acceptance into the program. Please plan ahead to cover the costs of these items. Failure to complete

these requirements within the designated time frame will prohibit your progression into the program.

• Submit $500.00 deposit to reserve your seat. This is an out of pocket expense – not covered by financial aid.

• Pass Certified Background Check and Drug Screening – cost to you is $106.00. The return of an unfavorable CBS and/or UDS may result in student being removed from desired program. Clinical sites/facilities determine applicant’s eligibility to participate in clinical studies based on their policies. If you complete the background check before being instructed to do so you will have to redo it and pay the $106 again. The Background Check and payment of $106 will be required every semester while in the program.

• Complete a Health Physical and submit proof of required immunizations. (Physical cost is your responsibility so plan ahead financially.)

• Show proof of current Health Care Providers CPR. You may take a class through HGTC’s Workforce Development Department. Register at www.hgtc.edu/jobtraining. This course costs $69 and in addition will require the purchase of a book and mask.

Other expenses for which you are responsible may include, but are not limited to the items listed here. These are approximate and costs may vary slightly.

Dental Hygiene is a 5 semester Degree beginning each Fall (August)semester on the Grand Strand Campus. Classes and clinicals associated with this program are during the day. Once accepted you will attend year round, including summer. Please plan ahead financially as you may not receive financial aid for the summer.  

Of course, if you have already completed the core courses such as PSY 201, SPC 205, etc. you do not have to retake them in the program.

 

Thank you for completing the Power Point STEPS session.

Please view the checklist underneath the STEPS session on the Libguides page and submit it to receive credit for the required session.

You will need your H number (Student ID number) to submit the checklist.