UL Lafayette: Nursing: Dental Hygiene Program

College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions

DENTAL HYGIENE

Admissions Requirements | Upper Division Requirements | Curriculum Guides

The College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions provides a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene. This program was established in 1999 as an extension of the LSU School of Dentistry curriculum, and offers a joint degree between LSU Health Sciences Center and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The majority of the dental hygiene lecture courses are transmitted from the LSU School of Dentistry to UL Lafayette utilizing distance learning technology. All didactic (lecture) and clinical course work occurs at the Lafayette Community Health Care Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. For information contact:

Gen Benoit, Supervisor UL Lafayette / LSUSD Dental Hygiene Program

           Phone:   337-262-2072
           Email:    gbenoi@lsuhsc.edu

                             Or

Lucy C. Gammon, Dental Hygiene Advisor

           Phone:   337-482-5431
           Email:    lcgammon@louisiana.edu

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Program in Dental Hygiene reserves the right to make such changes and adjustments in its curriculum that are educationally sound and are in keeping with the dynamic nature of its discipline.
The student must assume responsibility to stay informed of curriculum and departmental policy changes.

PHILOSOPHY OF ADMISSIONS

Admission to the program in dental hygiene is highly competitive and challenging. Admission to UL Lafayette does not guarantee acceptance into the upper division dental hygiene program. The Admissions Committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing the applicants and accepting those who possess the best credentials. The committee attempts to select the best possible students based on the criteria set forth below while at the same time seeking a diverse student population. Committee meetings continue until the class is filled generally in late May.

CLASS SIZE

The upper division class is limited to a maximum of 10 students. The program in dental hygiene reserves the right to limit the number of students admitted to upper division courses in order to make most effective use of the educational resources available.

RESIDENCY

To be eligible to be admitted to the upper division dental hygiene courses, the student must be a Louisiana resident. If you have questions about residency, they should be addressed to the admissions office at UL Lafayette (337-482-6306) and the Registrar of the LSU Health Sciences Center (504-568-4829).

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS TO UPPER DIVISION DENTAL HYGIENE COURSES

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Application packets for admissions to the UL Lafayette/LSU School of Dentistry Dental Hygiene Program may be obtained from the LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions after October 15th of the year prior to year of application. Requests for applications: e-mail sberge@lsuhsc.edu or call 504-941-8124 (LSUSD admissions).

The LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions must receive the following materials by March 15th of the year of application. An application must be complete by March 15th or it will not be considered.

COMPLETED APPLICATION

All sections of the application as supplied by the LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions must be completed by the applicant.

APPLICATION FEE

A fee of $50.00 must accompany the application. The fee must be paid by check since our Business Office is unable to accept cash.

PASSPORT –TYPE PHOTOGRAPH

A recent color or black-and-white photograph must accompany the application, affixed to the upper left-hand corner.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended by the applicant must be sent to the LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions. These materials should come directly from the Registrar of the institution. Transcripts, either mailed or hand delivered in sealed envelopes signed across the seal are also acceptable in special situations.

AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST SCORES

The applicant should arrange to send their official ACT test score so that it will arrive before the March 15th deadline. The phone number for the ACT is (319) 337-1313. Photocopies, FAXes, etc. are not considered official scores and will not be accepted.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Each applicant is required to submit a confidential recommendation from one college professor who has instructed them in a course. The recommendation form will be supplied by the LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions and should be mailed directly to the LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions. The teacher should personally mail the form or it can be delivered by the applicant if it is in a sealed envelope with the teachers signature signed across the seal. .

Additional teachers, beyond the one required, and non-teachers, such as dentists, co-workers, etc. are also invited to submit recommendations. Generally these recommendations should be done in the form of a letter and a reasonable number (3-4) are welcome.

STATUS OF APPLICATION

The LSU School of Dentistry Office of Admissions attempts to inform applicants of the status of their applications. Upon receipt of the application, a letter is sent informing the applicant of its arrival with a checklist of items received and not received by the office. Each time an additional item is received, a postcard will be sent updating this information to the applicant. A postcard indicating “application complete” will be sent when that status is achieved. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that all items are received by the March 15th deadline in order to be considered for admission. An applicant will not be considered for an interview or admission until the application is complete. Applications not complete by March 15th will not be considered for admission.

PROGRESSION REQUIREMENTS INTO UPPER DIVISION

CREDIT HOURS

A minimum of 61 semester hours of academic coursework must be completed at a college or university accredited by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) prior progression to the upper division dental hygiene courses. Non-academic courses (i.e. bowling, dancing…) or courses for a specialized field of study (i.e. pharmacy, nursing…) are not acceptable. Applicants may contact the ULL Dental Hygiene Advisor for a specific list of the courses required for the college or university the applicant’s attending.

REQUIRED COURSES

Course Catagory	Hours

Biology	13
General Chemistry	6
English	9
Math	6
Sociology	3
Phychology	3
Speech	3
Humanities	6
Fine Arts	3
Computer Literacy	3
History	3
Academic Electives	3
Total	61

TRANSFER STUDENTS

    Students who transfer to the UL Lafayette/LSU School of Dentistry Dental Hygiene Program from another accredited institution are also subject to the requirements listed above. Failure in required dental hygiene courses taken at another accredited institution will be treated in the same way as failures in required dental hygiene courses at UL Lafayette/LSU School of Dentistry.
     All students including transfer/change of major/re-entry students must be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) in advisor approved academic courses at UL Lafayette during the academic year of application (fall or spring semester) for inclusion in the applicant pool to be considered for enrollment in upper division dental hygiene courses.
    Students who wish to transfer science courses from other institutions must transfer science courses for science majors. Only science courses for science majors from other institutions will be considered for transfer credit at UL Lafayette for the dental hygiene program.

UPPER DIVISION INFORMATION

STATEMENT OF SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

In order to achieve the status of satisfactory academic progress, the student must meet the minimum standards listed in the LSU Health Sciences Center catalog-bulletin.

CLINICAL COSTS

Upon acceptance into the Upper Division dental hygiene curriculum the student will be required to purchase instruments, uniforms and pay additional clinical fees. Estimated costs will be provided at time of acceptance into the upper division curriculum.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to provide evidence of hospitalization insurance at time of registration to upper division or purchase health insurance policy through LSU School of Dentistry.
Prior to enrollment at the LSU School of Dentistry students are required to submit to a variety of medical tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HVC), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Section 1207 of the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry Regulations and LSA-R.S. 37:751D require "self-reporting" of seropositivity for these viruses. In such cases the Board of Dentistry may restrict or prohibit seropositive individuals from practicing dentistry or dental hygiene, including participation in programs at the School of Dentistry. In accordance with these provisions, it is necessary for students in the dental hygiene program to demonstrate seronegativity of HBV, HCV, and HIV prior to enrollment.

SELECTION CRITERA FOR UPPER DIVISION

1. ACADEMIC ABILITY

UL Lafayette/LSU School of Dentistry considers dental hygiene to be a profession with a solid scientific basis. Students entering this educational program must possess a strong educational base and the ability to comprehend the basic sciences to build on this existing knowledge. The following information is helpful to the Admissions Committee in determining the intellectual ability of the applicants:

Overall GPA

This numeric factor is calculated on the basis of all academic college work attempted. In other words, if a student makes an F in a course, which is subsequently retaken with a grade of B, both the F and B will be used in calculating the GPA. Generally an overall GPA of around 3.2 is required for a competitive application.

Science GPA

Many studies have shown that science GPA is one of the best indicators of academic success in professional school. This average is calculated from the grades achieved in biological sciences and chemistry. In recent years a 3.1 science GPA has been necessary for a competitive application.

ACT Scores

The American College Test (ACT) is a standardized exam, which acts as the “great equalizer” for applicants from different colleges. The ACT enables the Committee to directly compare applicants to one another. A competitive composite score usually must be a 20 or above. The science reasoning score is also reviewed by the committee.

Recommendations

Applicants are required to submit a recommendation form from one college teacher who has instructed them in the classroom (teachers of science courses are strongly recommended). This written form gives the Committee insight into the applicant’s characteristics both as a student and as a person.

2. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Since dental hygiene is regarded as a “people profession,” possession of the ability to communicate and to provide and obtain cooperation from other individuals is a must. Ability to manage stress and possession of high ethical standards are also considered to be desirable qualities. In addition, those interested in a career in dental hygiene should determine whether they have the commitment and flexibility required to succeed in the profession. These criteria are assessed by
Personal Interview
Each applicant deemed by the Committee to be competitive academically is invited to the dental hygiene school for a personal interview with the Admissions Committee.
Recommendations
The confidential recommendation forms are designed to evaluate the aforementioned traits.

3. DENTAL EXPERIENCE

Experience in a dental setting is STRONGLY encouraged. This experience will better enhance the applicant’s understanding of a dental hygienist’s job responsibilities.

This Information Is Available for Download in PDF Format HERE.

Curriculum Information at LSU Health Sciences School of Dentistry

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Document last revised Monday, August 31, 2009 8:33 AM

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College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions
P.O. Box 43810, Lafayette LA 70504-3810, USA
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Technical Support Telephone: 337/482-6488