Dental Hygiene Program Admissions

The School of Dental Hygiene Studies faculty believe academic coursework along with life experiences build a strong foundation for success in a professional program. Both your educational and extracurricular activities should provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for pursuing the dental hygiene profession.

The admission process required for enrollment into the School of Dental Hygiene Studies involves two steps.

1. Review of your application by the Admissions Committee
2. An on-campus interview for qualified applicants

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Admission Considerations

The Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee will consider the following factors in the selection process.

• Strength and breadth of academic record
  • A minimum of a 2.5 GPA in the Natural Sciences Prerequisites and Last 45 credits is required to enter the program
  • Satisfactory completion of prerequisites.
• Prior dental or health care experience
  • At least 20 hours of observation or experience in a dental setting are recommended. Public health observations are preferred and include settings such as a dental school clinic, dental hygiene school clinic, or other public health clinic. If you have further questions, please contact us at dentalhygiene@pacificu.edu. It is not required to have observation or shadowing experiences in order to apply.
• Content of application forms and care with which they have been completed
• Quality of writing ability as demonstrated by personal narratives
• Understanding of the dental hygiene profession
• Type of community activities
• Strength of on-campus personal interview

Based on the review of the application by the Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee, applicants will be invited for on-campus personal interviews. The interview is required and is a strong contributing factor in the admission decision. It allows the Admissions Committee to assess essential skills and factors which may not be reflected in the application. In the interview, consideration is given to knowledge of the profession, motivation toward a career as a dental hygienist, ability to think clearly and logically, self-confidence and verbal expression of ideas.

English Language Proficiency Policy

A satisfactory command of the English language is required for admission to Pacific University, prior to admission. Please note that this requirement applies to all applicants if English is not their native language, including permanent residents and citizens. More details are available on the prerequisites page.

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