Amber Hunt, BSDH Post-Licensure Online Program Director
The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) Post-Licensure Online program is designed for students who have completed a certificate or associate degree from an accredited dental hygiene program and desire to continue their education toward a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. The program provides an opportunity for the licensed dental hygienist to gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for expanded career opportunities in education, oral health promotion, research, community and public health, management, and marketing. This program also provides a strong foundation for graduate studies. A minimum of 120 credit hours is necessary to obtain the baccalaureate degree. The length of time required to complete the program and University requirements is determined by the number of acceptable college transfer credits; at least 30 credit hours must be taken at Old Dominion University. Students can expect to complete the program in three academic semesters of full-time study. The BSDH Post-Licensure online program is available online or as a hybrid of online and on-campus courses.
Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Post-Licensure Online Program
A licensed dental hygienist educated at another institution who desires to pursue the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene should apply and be accepted by Old Dominion University as an upper-level dental hygiene transfer student. Formal acceptance as a dental hygiene major will be determined by the Admissions Committee for the BSDH Post-Licensure Online Program. The School of Dental Hygiene BSDH Post-Licensure application must be submitted to the American Dental Education Association's Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (ADEA DHCAS) website (https://adea.org/dhcas.aspx) and must have "Verified" status to be considered complete and ready for review. Admission to the University does not constitute admission to the dental hygiene program.
Transfer applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Certificate or associate degree in dental hygiene from a dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
- Successful completion of all University lower-level general education and department requirements.
- Submission of application to the Old Dominion University Office of Admissions including official high school and college transcripts.
- Acceptance to Old Dominion University.
- Submission of completed School of Dental Hygiene BSDH Post-Licensure application to the American Dental Education Association's Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (ADEA DHCAS) website (https://adea.org/dhcas.aspx) with the following items:
- Official transcripts from high school and college academic institutions attended
- Copy of National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Score
- Two professional letters of recommendation
- Registered Dental Hygienist License
Requirements
Transfer students must satisfy the following:
- Certificate or associate degree in dental hygiene from a dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
- Students without credit for ENGL 110C must achieve a passing score on the Writing Success Placement Tool (WSPT).
- Successful completion of the University Lower-Division General Education requirements or a transfer associate degree.
- Successful completion of department requirements or the equivalent. A grade of (C) or better is required in all courses. A grade of C- will not transfer to the School of Dental Hygiene.
- Successful completion of ENGL 110C, ENGL 211C or ENGL 231C, and the writing intensive (W) course in the major with a grade of C or better and the Senior Assessment Survey.
- Successful completion of 15 credits at the upper division to include a minimum of six credits to meet the Upper-Division General Education requirement.
- Successful completion of five major courses.
Lower-Division General Education
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 0-6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 8 |
| 3 |
Information Literacy/Research, Oral Communication, Philosophy/Ethics, and Impact of Technology will be satisfied in the major for the BSDH Post-Licensure Program. With the exception of Mathematics, Human Behavior, and Nature of Science, which are departmental requirements, lower-level general education requirements may be met by a transferable associate degree.
Mathematics: STAT 130M*
Human Behavior: PSYC 201S* or PSYC 203S* and SOC 201S*
Nature of Science: CHEM 105N* and CHEM 106N*, BIOL 150* and BIOL 151*,
and BIOL 240* and BIOL 241* or BIOL 250* and BIOL 251*
*Grade of C or better required
Upper-Division General Education
Successful completion of 15 credits at the upper division to include a minimum of six credits to meet the Upper-Division General Education requirement.
Requirements for Graduation
Requirements for graduation include the following:
- Minimum of 120 credit hours.
- Minimum of 30 credit hours overall and 12 credit hours of upper-level courses in the major program from Old Dominion University.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken toward the major.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken toward a minor.
- Completion of ENGL 110C, ENGL 211C or ENGL 231C, and the writing intensive (W) course in the major with a grade of C or better. The W course must be taken at Old Dominion University.
- Completion of Senior Assessment.
Dental Hygiene Departmental Requirements
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| STAT 130M | Elementary Statistics * | 3 |
| PSYC 201S | Introduction to Psychology * | 3 |
| SOC 201S | Introduction to Sociology * | 3 |
| CHEM 105N | Introductory Chemistry * | 3 |
| CHEM 106N | Introductory Chemistry Laboratory * | 1 |
| BIOL 150 | Introductory Microbiology * | 3 |
| BIOL 151 | Introductory Microbiology Laboratory * | 1 |
| BIOL 240 | Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology I * | 4 |
| or BIOL 250 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
| BIOL 241 | Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology II * | 4 |
| or BIOL 251 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II |
| Total Credit Hours | 25 |
Dental Hygiene Post-Licensure Major
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| 15-21 |
| 15 |
| 25 |
| DNTH 412W | Perspectives on Dental Hygiene Practice | 3 |
| DNTH 414 | Educational Concepts for the Health Professional I | 3 |
| DNTH 415 | Research Methods in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| DNTH 416 | Administrative Leadership and Professional Development | 3 |
| DNTH 440T | Telehealthcare Technology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 70-76 |
Elective Credit
Elective credit may be needed to meet the minimum 120 credit hours required for the degree.
Additional Requirements and Information
Continuance
In addition to the Old Dominion University continuance policies, the following policy is specific to the BSDH Post-Licensure Online program. A grade of C (2.00) or better is required in all DNTH courses for graduation. A cumulative grade point average of a C (2.00) or better is required to continue in the dental hygiene program. A grade of D (1.00) or F in any dental hygiene course will not be considered in good academic standing in the major and will result in an evaluation of the individual student's academic progress on a case-to-case basis. Dental hygiene students will be allowed to repeat a failed course only once.
One finding of a violation of the Code of Student Conduct for academic integrity is grounds for removal from the dental hygiene program.
Students admitted to the BSDH Post-Licensure Online program who do not take a course for two academic years or more, have completed reactivation with Old Dominion University, and are eligible to start or continue the BSDH Post-Licensure Online program based on the continuance policy, must submit the following updated documents prior to taking classes:
1. Current healthcare provider CPR/AED certificate/biennially requested
2. Registered Dental Hygienist License
Linked Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene to Master of Science Program
Entry-level and BSDH Post-Licensure online dental hygiene students who have a cumulative 3.30 grade point average and senior standing may complete the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene to Master of Science (BSDH-MS) dental hygiene linked program application. This program allows exceptional undergraduate students the opportunity to take up to 12 credit hours of graduate course work and apply them to both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students in the linked program must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credit hours for the graduate degree). Consult with the graduate program director for more information.
