91性息港

Selection Criteria

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As an applicant to the Dental Hygiene program, you will be contacted by email. We may follow up with a phone call if accepted regarding the next steps in the process. Placement on the alternate list does not guarantee acceptance for the following year. All alternates who are not accepted into the program must reapply.

Program Prerequisites

All prerequisite and AS Degree requirement courses must be completed prior to applying in order to be eligible to recieve an Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene upon completion of the program and for state licensure as a Dental Hygienist.
Work in progress is not accepted. For prerequisite courses including upper-division courses completed at another institution contact a PCC counselor /academics/support/counseling/index.php to determine whether courses meet prerequisite requirement and/or equivalency.

The required prerequisites are requirements of the Dental Hygiene Board of California, consistent with requirements for admission of all DH Students effective April 2022. 

The Dental Hygiene program prepares students to provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic services supporting oral health. Studies include the biological basis of the health of the teeth and oral cavity, as well as procedures used to prevent decay and to maintain dental health. Employment opportunities include working as a licensed dental hygienist in dental offices, public clinics, schools, the dental industry, research, and community health. The curriculum also prepares graduates for an opportunity to transfer to a Bachelor's in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program in approved state and private institutions for one additional year.

Participation in all off-campus assigned sites is required for program completion. Students must provide their own transportation to off-campus sites. Some off-campus sites require homeland security screening and verification of legal status.

The two-year program follows a cohort model, with students accepted each fall semester.

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Student Selection and Admission Requirements:

Program Admission Requirements:

1. High School diploma or equivalent.
2. Prerequisite Courses: Minimum grade of B in these science prerequisite courses. The following courses must be completed at the time you apply. (It is recommended that the science courses be taken within the last five years):
   • MICR 002
   • NUTR 011
   • ANAT 025
   • PYSO 001
   • CHEM 002A and CHEM 002B (Biochemistry)
3. Completion of Prerequisite Courses: Minimum grade of C
   • ENGL C1000 /C1000H (Formerly ENGL 001A/ENGL 001AH)
   • PSYC C1000/ C1000H (Formerly PSYC 001/PSYC 001H)
   • COMM C1000/COMM C1000H (Formerly SPCH 001/ SPCH 001H) or SPCH 010
   • SOC 001/001H
   • College level math
     Reference: Dental Hygiene Board of California DH Statutes and Regulations Division 11, Article 3, Section 1105
4. We strongly advise the applicant/student to consult their academic counselor for guidance for the proper General Education coursework for an Associate of Science degree track. Either of the following General Education patterns will be applicable: /academics/degrees-and-certificates/aa-degrees/degree-requirements.php
   • PCC Local General Education Pattern
   • Cal-GETC General Education Pattern
   • California State University-General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE-Breadth), if eligible catalog rights; OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC-CSU) pattern, if eligible catalog rights.
   • Bachelor's degree from a U.S. institutionally accredited institution.

Students who have previously been awarded a bachelor's degree from a U.S. institutionally 
accredited institution shall be waived from the general education requirement and earn an associate degree upon completion of the DH Program. However, students must still complete the additional program prerequisites before consideration for admission.

Students who have previously been awarded an associate degree from a U.S. institutionally
accredited institution are not required to complete additional general education. However, only a certificate of achievement will be granted upon completion of the DH Program. Students must still complete the additional program prerequisites before consideration for admission. Note that some students may need to submit to more courses depending on their GE track to garner an AS degree 
before completion of the program.

Verify the GE pattern you are pursuing, failure to verify may result in improper fulfillment of 
general education courses, which may impede your admission to or completion of the program.

For students without a degree, please consult with a PCC academic counselor /academics/support/counseling/index.php to determine which 
classes are appropriate according to your catalog rights and which general education pattern you
are completing.

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Other Requirements:

1. A candidate for the Dental Hygiene Program must have the ability to communicate safely,
   accurately, and effectively in both written and spoken English.
2. To enhance success, students are encouraged to complete HLSC 115 Medical Terminology prior to acceptance into the program.
3. A grade of C or better is required in all college-level general education course prerequisites and a grade of B or better is required for college-level biomedical science prerequisite courses. 
   All applicants must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better to be considered for acceptance into the dental hygiene program.
4. All prerequisite and AS Degree requirement courses must be completed prior to applying. Work in progress is not accepted. For prerequisite courses including upper-division courses completed at another institution contact a PCC counselor /academics/support/counseling/index.php to determine whether courses meet prerequisite requirement and/or equivalency.
5. Continuation in the program requires the student to maintain a grade of C or better in all required dental hygiene courses. A grade of C (75%) or better in all Dental Hygiene course work is required to meet the Dental Hygiene Board of California regulations.
6. Enrollment is determined by the applicant pool and the selection process is by lottery.
   Additionally, acceptance into the program may also be based on the outcome of a criminal background check.
7. Current CPR/Basic Life Support (BLS) card, which must be maintained while in the program. CPR training for a Health Care Provider course can be obtained from the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
8. Memberships to State (CDHA) and National (ADHA) Dental Hygiene Organizations at a student level must be maintained throughout the program.
9. Once accepted into the program, students must purchase and maintain malpractice insurance.
10. The PCC Dental Hygiene program does not accept transfer students from other Dental Hygiene programs
11. After acceptance into the program, submit a completed health data form evidencing good health including required immunizations/chest x-ray or Mantoux test.

Prerequisite Courses: Minimum grade of C in:

Course	Title	Unit
ENGL C1000 (formerly ENGL 001A) or ENGL C1000H (formerly ENGL 001AH)	READING AND COMPOSITION or HONORS READING AND COMPOSITION	4
PSYC C1000 (formerly PSYC 001) or PSYC C1000H (formerly PSYC 001H)	INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY or HONORS INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY	3
COMM C1000/COMM C1000H (Formerly SPCH 001/ SPCH 001H) or SPCH 010	FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH or HONORS FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH or INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION	3
SOC 001 or SOC 001H	INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY or HONORS INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY	3
INTERMEDIATE ALEGBRA or STAT C1000 (formerly STAT 050) or STAT C1000H (formerly STAT 050H) or MATH 003	INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA or ELEMENTARY STATISTICS or HONORS ELEMENTARY STATISTICS or ALGEBRA FOR STEM	4

Prerequisite Courses: Minimum grade of 鈥淏鈥� in these science courses (It is recommended that they be taken within the last five years):

Course	Title	Unit
MICR 002	MICROBIOLOGY	4
NUTR 011	HUMAN NUTRITION	3
ANAT 025	HUMAN ANATOMY	4
PYSO 001	HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY	4
CHEM 002A	CHEMISTRY - GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY I	4
CHEM 002B	CHEMISTRY - GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY II	4

*AP scores can be used for only English and Math prerequisites.

Upon successful completion of the Dental Hygiene program and general education requirements, students receive a Certificate of Achievement and an Associate Degree from PCC. This makes them eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board examination, any applicable regional or state board examination(s) to obtain licensure as a Dental Hygienist.
Applicants for Dental Hygiene licensure are required to submit official fingerprints. The law provides for the denial of a license for crimes or acts that are related to dental hygiene qualifications and/or duties.

Fingerprints are mandatory to take the Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) examination. A Social Security number or a TIN is required to take the RDH exam.

Students with foreign transcripts will need to complete the Foreign Transcript Evaluation process to determine which, if any of the above-referenced courses, can be counted to meet the prerequisite requirements (Please refer to the Admissions Tab for additional details). 

Acceptance into the program may also be based on the outcome of a criminal background check. ALL applicants must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the prerequisite courses in order to be considered for acceptance into the dental hygiene program.

Applicants are admitted to the program using a random selection method following all applicable State and Federal laws.

How to Apply

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1   Complete Your Application Packet

To apply to the Dental Hygiene program, you need to submit an application which includes:

• A completed Dental Hygiene Program Application (available online during the application cycle only)
• One official transcript of High School or its equivalent and ALL U.S. colleges and universities attended, including 91性息港*
  *If you have foreign transcripts, please read our information on how to have your transcripts evaluated.

Be aware that unofficial transcripts and photocopies of diplomas are not acceptable, and incomplete applications will not be considered in the selection process. If you are accepted into the program, the college鈥檚 Admissions and Records Office will also require official transcripts.

2   Submit Your Application

Submit your completed application online. Application, transcripts, and supporting documents MUST be received by the division office by the deadline.

Apply Now

3  Upload Your Transcripts

At the end of your online Dental Hygiene application there is a space to securely upload your official high school and college transcripts.

An official transcript from an accredited U.S. High School (or GED or Foreign Equivalency Report) and each college attended (this includes an Advanced Placement report from the College Board and PCC transcripts) must be opened, scanned, and uploaded as a PDF. This means your official transcript must be received by you through postal or electronic mail. Once you open the transcript, it is now your personal record. When uploading your transcripts, formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, word documents, etc. will not be considered. All college transcripts must be provided even if the coursework is not applicable to the program.

Create a folder on your desktop and place all of your required transcripts into the folder. When you upload your transcripts, you must have all of your transcript files in the folder. Multiple files will be combined into one document after you upload your documents.

Follow these basic directions for scanning documents as a PDF file:

• Open your official transcripts that you will be uploading to the application
• Scan the official transcripts using a device such as a printer or scanner
• Follow the scanner manufacturer's directions to scan each document to your computer or USB drive
• Select the PDF file format option before scanning. Only PDF files of your transcripts and other supporting documents will be accepted. Formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, Word documents, etc., will not be accepted for the application process.
  Save your PDF document to a folder in a location on your computer or removable drive that you can easily access (Desktop or Documents folder is suggested)

NOTE: Students who do not have access to a personal scanner may choose to use a commercial copying center to have their required documents scanned and made into PDFs that then may be uploaded as part of your application.

Program Acceptance

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The Health Sciences Division will inform you of the status of your application by email upon submission of all required documentation.

Upon acceptance to the Dental Hygiene program, you are required to:

1. Complete the application for admission to 91性息港.
2. Complete a health clearance. Clinical/laboratory instruction begins the first week of the semester (forms will be provided)
3. Submit a copy of a current American Heart Association Health Care Provider BLS card (Must include live hands-on portion).
4. Purchase student malpractice insurance during the first
   semester in the dental hygiene program. Additional information about the insurance will be addressed through the Student California Dental Hygiene Association
   (SCDHA) in which you are required to be a member.
5. You must provide your own transportation to off-campus clinical sites.

Transcript Evaluation

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If you are a student with foreign transcripts, you must have your transcripts evaluated by one of the following three companies before applying:

International Research Foundation (IERF)
(310)-258-9451 | 

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI)
(310)-275-3530 |

American Education Research Center (AERC)
(626)-339-4404 |