Health Careers
Pre-Dental Hygiene Resources
Considering a Career as a Dental Hygienist
The American Dental Education Association [ADEA] webpages Why Be a Dental Hygienist? and Dental Hygiene Programs provide a good overview of the profession to prospective students.
CWU Does Not Offer a Dental Hygiene Major. However, we do offer prerequisites commonly found in Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene programs. These prerequisite courses will aid you when you are transferring to another school for a dental hygiene program.
How to Become a Dental Hygienist
TeethTalkGirl Blog: Dental Hygiene Schooling, Programs & Requirements
CWU Coursework Recommended for Pre-Dental Hygiene Students
This sequence of courses requires 2 years to complete at CWU
- BIOL 220 (Introductory Cell Biology, requires CHEM 113 prerequisite)
- BIOL 305* and 306* (Human Anatomy I and II) OR BIO 355* and 356*
- BIOL 322 (Introductory Microbiology) OR 323 (Microbiology)
- CHEM 111, 112, 113 (Introduction to Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, & Biochemistry) with labs
- COM 207 (Introduction to Communication Studies)
- ENG 101 (English Composition 1)
- NUTR 101 (Introduction to Human Nutrition)
- PSY 101 (General Psychology)
- SOC107 (Introduction to Sociology)
- Some programs also require a Computer Skills Course: CS 101 (Computer Basics) or IT 101 (Computer Applications)
*BIOL 220 is a prerequisite for this sequence and CHEM 113 is the prerequisite for BIOL 220. Please note that these biology courses are offered on a limited basis.
CWU Pre-Dental Hygiene Advisor (General Advising)
Please contact Mary Cairns Park with any general advising questions.
Other Resources
- ADEA Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service
- American Dental Hygienists Association [ADHA] List of Dental Hygiene Programs and Accreditation Information
- National Dental Hygienists Association [NDHA] Auxiliary organization to the National Dental Association, a non-profit dental hygiene organization for Africans and African Americans dedicated to the recruitment of minority students to the profession. Scholarships available through NDHA
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