Home > For Prospective Students > Dental Hygiene Program > Frequently Asked Questions
- Why should I get a B.S. degree in dental hygiene at VCU?
- How do I apply to the dental hygiene program?
- Can I apply on-line?
- Do I have to complete my prerequisites before applying to the program?
- When do I apply to the dental hygiene program?
- What do I need to submit with my application and where do I send it?
- I applied to the DH program before, but did not get accepted. If I want to apply, do I need to submit another application?
- When will I know if I have been admitted into the program?
- How long is the dental hygiene program?
- Can I do part-time study?
- Is it possible to work part-time while attending school?
- What is a typical day like at the dental hygiene program?
- What are the admissions requirements?
- What courses must be completed before I can be considered for admission?
- Can I take my pre-requisite courses at a Virginia community college?
- I am an out-of-state student; what pre-requisites do I take and how do I know if VCU will take these courses?
- Can I enroll in dental hygiene courses anytime?
- Is my college work from 20 years ago still acceptable?
- Do you have open house dates?
- I am not a Virginia resident. Is there a chance I can be accepted?
- I am an international student. How do I go about applying?
- English is not my first language. Must I take a TOEFL?
- How much will dental hygiene education cost?
- Is financial aid available for ths program?
- What kind of job can I expect to get after graduation?
- Do you offer tours or information sessions?
- I do not live in the City of Richmond and do not want to live in Campus Housing. What are my options?
- I still have some questions about my specific academic situation;
who can I talk to?
There are many aspects of VCU that make it an excellent place to pursue your dental hygiene career.
Being integrated within a dental school provides a wealth of opportunities to interact
with a nationally known faculty, work with a diverse patient population and work along
side dentists and dental students. As part of the course of study and community education,
students travel to off-campus extramural rotation sites to provide clinical care.
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The Application for Undergraduate Admissions Health Sciences Programs is now online. You will
need to download the application packet
and print all supplemental documents. Read and follow the "Instructions for Application for Undergraduate
Admission" (page one) very carefully before starting your online application or filling out any forms.
You may submit a hard copy application if you prefer; however, we do encourage you to submit an online application.
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YES; however, you will still need to download the application packet
and print all supplemental documents. Read and follow the "Instructions for Application for Undergraduate Admission" (page one) very carefully before filling out any forms.
All supplemental documents must be mailed together in one package.
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No; however, all prerequisites MUST be completed by the end of the Spring semester in the year that you are applying.
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Students are accepted into the Dental Hygiene program once per year in the Fall semester.
The application deadline for admission is February 15th. If you are taking
classes in the fall semester prior to the deadline date, you should wait until grades
have been posted for the semester and apply before the deadline. The complete
application package, including required official transcripts (indicating fall semester
grades), references, and personal statement, must be received by the Office of
Undergraduate Admissions on the MCV Campus, located in the VMI Building at 1000 E. Marshall St.,
Room 322, on or before Feb. 15th.
Students must complete 60 credit hours of prerequisite course work, with a "C" or
better grade, by the end of the Spring semester in the year that you are applying,
and GPA at the time of application must be competitive with other applicants. All final
admission decisions are made by April 15th. If an offer for admission is made
and you are unable to complete your prerequisites by the end of the Spring semester, the offer
will be withdrawn and you will have to reapply the following year.
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A complete applicaiton packet must include the following:
- Application for Undergraduate Admission; even if you are currently a VCU student.
- Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates (If this form is not received and/or filled out correctly, you will be considered an out-of state student and subject to out-of-state tuition rates.)
- Official transcript(s) from ALL colleges or universities attended (including any college in which you are currently enrolled) in sealed envelopes. Transcripts must include final grades for the fall semester just prior to the application deadline.
- Three personal references in sealed envelopes. These do not need to be in a VCU envelope. If you wish to have a copy of your reference, you should request that, from the individual supplying your reference, before it is sealed. This is a two page document.
- TOEFL scores ARE REQUIRED if your native language is OTHER THAT ENGLISH, regardless of how long you have lived in the U.S. and regardless of any ESL program you may have completed. If you submit your packet of supplemental materials without your TOEFL scores, your application will be incomplete and will your application WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.
- $40 application fee in the form of a check or money order made out to Virginia Commonwealth University (currently enrolled, full-time VCU students are exempt.)
It is advisable to READ all documentation before you begin filling out your forms.
Instructions for Application for Undergraduate Admission are on page one of the
application packet.
Whether you apply online or submit a hard copy, all documents MUST be mailed to the address indicated
at the top of every form in the application packet.
If you mail your application packet to the Division of Dental Hygiene it will be returned to you,
thus causing a delay in receipt of your application by Undergraduate Admissions.
Applications MUST BE RECEIVED by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions ON OR BEFORE the February 15 deadline.
If it is received after that date IT WILL NOT BE REVIEWED by the Admissions Committee, regardless of whether it is post marked before the 15th.
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Students who are applying for the third time must contact the MCV Campus Office of
Undergraduate Admissions at (804) 827-0152 or via email at jmdavis@vcu.edu,
and request a reactivation packet.
Please wait until mid fall semester to request your
reactivation packet, as Undergraduate Admissions is still processing applications for other
programs through August.
Your reactivation packet will include the following:
- Request for Reactivation of Undergraduate Application for Admission
- Application for In-State Tuition
Students must also submit any additional final (official) transcripts for courses that
have been completed since the previous application.
No other information is required; however if the student wishes to submit additional
references or a new or updated personal statement, they may do so. The Personal Reference form
is a two-page document and is part of the application packet.
Students who are applying for the third time, must complete and submit a full application packet.
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The Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee begins the selection process in March
prior to the fall semester when each new junior class begins. Admission to the
Division of Dental Hygiene is selective and requires more than meeting certain
course or grade point average requirements. The DH Admissions Committee takes into
account a number of candidate factors including academic credentials, letters of
recommendation, a personal statement, motivation, and other information submitted
by the candidate. Before a final decision is rendered, a candidate may be required
to attend a personal/group interview with the Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee,
and he/she will be notified by mail should an interview be necessary. Applicants
will be notified, via USPS, of acceptance by April 15th.
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The dental hygiene program is two years (four semesters), after completion of two
years of prerequisite course work. Students enter in their junior year.
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We do not offer a part time program, except in certain circumstances. Students
requesting admission on a part-time basis should contact the Division of Dental Hygiene,
to discuss the circumstances of their request with Ms. Coral Diaz, Chair of Admissions.
Ms. Diaz may ask that the student submit a formal request in writing along with
documentation to support the request. Each request is discussed during a meeting of
the Admissions Committee and is decided on an individual case-by-case basis.
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Yes, although the faculty does encourage you to limit your part-time employment due
to the academic demands of the curriculum. This is especially important during the
first year of the program.
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Hours each day may vary, but generally the courses run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The core curriculum focuses on a "hands-on" approach to dental hygiene education.
During your senior year, you will be assigned to overnight extramural rotations
sites such as Lynchburg, the Northern Neck, and Boydton.
The first semester begins on the last Monday in July or the first Monday in August,
depending on the academic calendar for that year. All semesters are conducted on
a strict full time schedule.
You may view the dental hygiene class schedules online. All students are
automatically registered for their courses by the Director of the Division of Dental
Hygiene. There are no night classes, no summer courses and no on-line courses available
for this program.
The Dental Hygiene program at VCU is the ONLY such program in the
state of Virginia directly affiliated with a School of Dentistry.
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Though we do not have a waiting list, entry into the program is competitive. We rely heavily
on a strong science background. The minimum requirement for entry into the Dental Hygiene program
is a 2.7 GPA in math/science and pre-requisite courses and a 2.5 overall GPA. We break down the
requirement and calculate GPA in the manner and categories described below:
- Math/Science GPA is the most important beacause we are looking for students with a
strong science background. All Math and Science courses taken ona college/university level
are separated from the students' transcript. We total the math/science credits and we
total the quality points for those credits, then divide the number of quality points by the
number of math/science credits, which produces your Math/Science GPA.
- Prerequisite GPA is calculated in the same manner for DH prerequisite courses only.
- Overall GPA is calculated for the combined total of all college/university courses
ever taken.
If you have a GPA below the minimum in any one of these three areas, you will not be
considered for entry into the Dental Hygiene program at the VCU School of Dentistry.
The average GPA for students entering our program is 3.5, which has been consistent over
the past five years. The higher your GPA in the three areas mentioned above, the better your chances
for entry into the program. Completion of the 60 credit hours of prerequisite course work with
the required minimum GPA does not guarantee entry into the program.
A grade of "D" is not acceptable as required credit for transfer. However, these grades
will tranfer to the university as elective credit, and therefore may pull your GPA down in one
or more of the required categories.
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You will need to complete pre-requisite courses prior to entering the Dental Hygiene
program, either in VCU's Pre-Dental Hygiene program, or equivalent courses at anohter accredited
college or university. Please refer to our Admission Requirements page
for specific course details.
All Science courses must be completed within six years prior to the
date of application and must include a lab, for a minimum of 3 credits each. Most will be 4 credits.
Online courses are not acceptable to fulfill the science requirements for this program.
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Yes, the first two years can be taken at a community college as long as the courses
are transferable. Please refer to the VCU Transfer Guide
for a list of program requirements. In the drop box for "Subject", choose "Health Sciences". In the drop box for "Major",
choose "Dental Hygiene". Click the Search button. We recommend you print the list of courses and take it with
you when you meet with your academic advisor.
If you do not see a course on the Program Requirements list that you think may or should be acceptable as
prerequisite for dental hygiene, check the list of "Course Equivalencies" in the VCU Transfer Guide. Choose the
link from the list on the left of the Transfer Guide page. This list can also be helpful when choosing your
courses for elective credits.
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For questions regarding the transferability of courses taken at a university other than VCU or a community college
other than the VCCS, call the VCU Transfer Center at (804) 827-1349.
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No; courses in the Dental Hygiene program curriculum can only be taken by students enrolled in
the two year program at the VCU School of Dentistry. Equivalent courses taken at another
instittution prior to entry into this program, will transfer as elective credit only, and are
not acceptable as advanced completion for any part of the program curriculum itself.
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Yes, however, all science courses must be completed within 6 years prior to the date of
application and must include a lab, for a minimum of 3 credits each. Most will be 4 credits.
The "six year rule" may be waived, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, if specific
circumstances apply.
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The Division of Dental Hygiene does not provide open house sessions; however, we do encourage potential
students, to visit the School of Dentistry and take a look around the MCV Campus and the school. Access
to clinic areas is limited to patients, faculty, students and staff in accordance with OSHA guidelines;
however, students are welcome to drop by the Dental Hygiene office to introduce themselves.
There are several Open House dates on the VCU Monroe Park Campus throughout the year. Someone from the
Division of Dental Hygiene usually attends these open house events, providing information about the program.
For more information, visit the VCU Undergraduate Admissions web site and
click on "Visit VCU". Scroll down on that page and click on the link for Open House Dates
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While preference is given to Virginia residents, outstanding non-residents will be considered
for acceptance. Application is competitive.
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The application process and is a bit different for students who have taken courses outside the
United States. Before you apply, you should make an appointment with the Office of International
Education (O.I.E.) to have your foreign transcripts evaluated at VCU to determine which
courses you have taken will transfer to VCU and how many credits you will be awarded for each
course that transfers. Please contact the O.I.E. at (804) 828-8471 or visit their web site
for more information. Once you have had your foreign transcripts evaluated, we recommend you
also contact the Division of Dental Hygiene at (804) 828-9096 to speak with someone about the
application process.
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To successfully complete the dental hygiene curriculum, students are required to clearly
communicate with faculty, students, staff and patients. Accordingly, applicants may be required
to provide evidence of their proficiency in American English via standardized tests. Applicants
with a native language other than English, regardless of immigration status or previous course
work, must present a Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 580 (paper), 237 (computer)
or 80 (Internet-based test). The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is accepted
as an alternate exam of English language proficiency. A minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.0 (competent user).
TOEFL/IELTS scores MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION. NO exceptions.
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Detailed estimates of annual fees and expenses can be found at the VCU Student Accounting
web site. In the "Select a Semester" drop box, choose the current Fall–Spring. In the "Select a Program" drop box,
choose "Undergraduate – Dental Hygiene, First Year". To select housing, you will need additional information.
Visit the main VCU web site and click on click on "Campus Life".
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The School of Dentistry Financial Aid office can help with financial aid issues for students who
have been accepted to programs at VCU School of Dentistry. If you need financial assistance to help
pay for PREREQUISITE course work, you need to visit the Financial Aid Office at the facility where
you are enrolled or plan to enroll to take those courses.
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You can work in a private dental practice, a health maintenance organization, long-term care
facility, a military dental facility or a school system. You can also work for a dental supply
company, university, or research facility. You can teach part time in a clinical setting.
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At this time, the Division of Dental Hygiene does not offer tours of the School of Dentistry; however, we
do encourage students to visit the School, come in and introduce themselves and take a look around
the City of Richmond. There is much to see here.
The Division of Dental Hygiene participates in every Information Session given on the Monroe Park
Campus. For more information, please go to the Visit VCU web site
and click on the links in the column on the left for maps and information sessions.
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There are several options available to students who would prefer to life off campus, or commute into
the city. Information about off-campus housing can be found at the VCU Off-Campus Housing web site.
You may also want to check out the Greater Richmond Transit Company's (GRTC) web site for information about city
to city commuting.
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Please contact the Division of Dental Hygiene office at (804) 828-9096.
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