Contact information
Admission & program requirements
Students applying or interested in the Dental Hygiene Program are encouraged to contact the department with questions.
Program prerequisites
You must have completed, or be in the process of completing, the Year 1 and Year 2 prerequisites at the time of application. Any prerequisites not completed prior to applying must be completed by 05/31 of the year you apply for. Proof of enrollment and a passing grade of a C or better is required.
Required Science prerequisites must not be older than 5 years, all other required prerequisites must not be older than 10 years.
There is no preference for applicants who take their prerequisites at NAU, all applicants are considered equally.
GPA requirements
Science GPA: 2.5 minimum
A Science GPA of 2.5 is the minimum required for application to the program; however, a 3.6 or higher is considered competitive.
Cumulative GPA: 3.0 minimum
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is the minimum required for application to the program: however, a 3.5 or higher is considered competitive.
The NAU Dental Hygiene program only accepts letter grades A, B & C for required prerequisites. Letter grades D & F for prerequisites are not accepted.
Credit equivalencies for transfer students Accordion Closed
AZTransfer – Course equivalency guide for AZ Colleges & Universities
JACKSPATH – Course equivalency guide for all Colleges and Universities
If you need additional help, you may contact CHHS advising with questions:
Program requirements Accordion Closed
Required vaccines/immunizations:
The following vaccines/immunizations are required for the program and are the student’s financial responsibility, these documents will be thoroughly reviewed at pre-orientation:
Yearly Influenza vaccine*
Yearly PPD/TB Skin Test (2 visits)
Hepatitis B (3 doses)
Hepatitis A (2 doses)
MMR (Measles, Mumps Rubella) (2 Doses)
Varicella (2 doses or proof of chickenpox/titer test from doctor)
Tdap (within 10 years, if longer or close to 10 years, a booster is required)
Covid-19 Vaccine*
Please note you must have the specific immunization listed. Incomplete or incorrect immunizations will
affect being able to start clinic and will affect your standing in the program. If you are missing any immunizations, it is important to get started as soon as possible. Many of the immunizations are given in a series and take several months to complete. If you are missing an immunization, you must have the first dose prior to the start of the program.
*Religious exemptions for COVID and/or Influenza must go through NAU Equity and Access
and medical exemptions for COVID and/or Influenza must be approved through NAU Disability Resources. Religious and/or medical exemptions must be approved prior to the start of the program.
Fingerprint clearance card:
Dental Hygiene Applicants who are ACCEPTED into the program must apply for an AZ Fingerprint card. Instructions and information will be provided at pre-orientation. Please DO NOT apply for a fingerprint clearance card UNTIL you have been accepted to the program.
Arizona Revised Statutes require many professions to have an active fingerprint clearance card prior to or as a condition of licensure, certification, or employment. The Applicant Clearance Card Team (ACCT) at the Arizona Department of Public Safety, receives applications and reviews criminal history records of applicants to determine their suitability to receive a fingerprint clearance card, and periodically updates the status of current fingerprint clearance cards.
Your fingerprints will be used to check the criminal history records of the state of Arizona and of the FBI. DPS and the FBI may retain your fingerprints and associated information after the completion of this application and, while retained, your fingerprints may continue to be compared against other fingerprints, including latent fingerprints submitted to or retained by DPS and the FBI.
If you have a criminal history record, the officials making the determination of your suitability for the job, license, or other benefit must provide you the opportunity to complete or challenge the accuracy of the information in the record. You should be afforded a reasonable amount of time to correct or complete the record (or decline to do so) before officials deny you the job, license, or other benefit based on information in the criminal history record.
The procedures for obtaining a change, correction, or updating of your FBI criminal history record are set forth in Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sections 16.30 through 16.34. Information on how to review and challenge your FBI criminal history record can be found on the Federal Bureau of Investigation website, under Criminal History Summary Checks, or by calling (304) 625-5590.
To obtain a copy of your Arizona criminal history record to review, update or correct, you can contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety Criminal History Records Unit at (602) 223-2222 or visit here to obtain a Review and/or Challenge packet.
For more information, visit the Arizona Department of Public Safety website.
Applicant selection criteria Accordion Closed
- Science GPA & cumulative GPA
- Written essay question submission
- Quality of application
Although portfolios, pictures, resumes, colored paper, and reference letters are often included in other applications, these items are not considered as part of our process. Please do not include them.
We do not consider previous job experience (i.e. dental assisting) or letters of recommendation when selecting applicants.
Notification & acceptance Accordion Closed
Students will be notified of acceptance or regret to the program by phone call and email. Students
are typically notified by mid-March.
The student must also apply to Northern Arizona University declaring Dental Hygiene as their major. Please see
our academic advisor, Ashley Femrite or Sabrina Hardy, for questions and guidance.
Program acceptance rate Accordion Closed
The NAU Dental Hygiene Program is a competitive program admitting approximately 32 students each year. Roughly 80-100 students apply, out of that, 50 applicants will be invited to complete the essay questionnaire portion.
What if I am not accepted? Accordion Closed
Since there are more applicants than available space, admission is competitive. Meeting the minimum criteria merely allows you to submit an application and is not a guarantee of acceptance into the dental hygiene program. Students who are not admitted must reapply each year. Alternate status does not guarantee a position in the next class to be admitted.
NAU’s Dental Hygiene Program does not have a waiting list. If you are not accepted into the program, you will need to reapply the next year.
