New Student Requirements

Requirements for Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program:

  1. Must meet WVU requirements for admission to graduate study. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for admission must gain provisional acceptance in the program. All provisions of admission must be met no later than completion of the 18th credit hour to be reclassified as a regular student. A student who fails to meet the provisions of admission or who fails to meet the required GPA will be suspended.
  2. Must possess a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene from an accredited dental hygiene program or a baccalaureate degree in another field of study from an approved institution of higher education while holding a certificate or associate's degree in dental hygiene from a program fully accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  3. Must demonstrate evidence of scholastic and clinical achievement to indicate the applicant’s ability to progress in a program of this nature. Generally, a minimum grade point average 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale on all college work attempted is required.
  4. Must submit all information requested in the graduate application to the Office of Academic and Postdoctoral Affairs (ie., transcripts, letter of reference, National Board scores, licensure).
  5. Individuals pending acceptance into the WVU School of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene Master of Science Program must consent to and pass a criminal background investigation prior to final acceptance.
  6. To become familiar with the West Virginia University School of Dentistry’s policy and procedure for Bloodborne Pathogens and Infectious Diseases (PDF).

Requirements for Degree of Master of Science:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 37 semester credit hours: 28 basic required credit hours and 9 credit hours in an elective area(s) of dental hygiene specialization.
  2. Complete a maximum of six hours in research (part of the 28 hours required by the program) leading to an acceptable thesis.
  3. Oral defense of the thesis is required.
  4. Student teaching in the undergraduate clinic a minimum of one semester.
  5. Achievement of a 3.0 GPA or an overall academic average of at least B in all work attempted in the master’s program. A grade of C or below in one course will require a faculty review of the student’s progress. A second C or below will result in dismissal from the program. A student may repeat only one course one time to bring the GPA up to the 3.0 requirement.
  6. Removal of all conditions, deficiencies and incomplete grades from the student's transcript. Credit hours for courses with a grade is lower than C does not count toward degree requirements.