David Oline (Biology), Advisor

The preprofessional program in dental hygiene at SOU consists of prerequisite courses required by schools that offer dental hygiene programs. Oregon colleges that have programs in dental hygiene are Portland Community College, Lane Community College, Mount Hood Community College, and the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT).

After completion of a dental hygiene curriculum, students are eligible to take state and national examinations for certification. Two year programs that lead to an associate’s degree in dental hygiene are offered by community colleges. These programs all require completion of prerequisite courses before students can be admitted to the program. Prerequisites can be completed at SOU or at a community college.

OIT offers a four-year program in dental hygiene that leads to a bachelor’s degree. The first year of coursework may be completed at SOU or OIT, but completion of one year of coursework at SOU does not guarantee admission to the OIT program or any other program of dental hygiene. Students should determine the admission requirements at their preferred colleges before beginning their first year of studies to ensure that appropriate prerequisite courses are taken.

A freshman year at SOU that includes typical dental hygiene program prerequisites is as follows: