Online Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program & CEP Requirements
Transfer Process Accordion Closed
The BSDH Degree Completion Program accepts up to:
- 64 transfer credit hours from all community colleges attended
- 26 non-traditional credit hours
- 90 transfer credit hours from a university or a combination of a university and community college hours
Sample Transfer Credit Process
A typical student might receive credit in the following way:
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION | NAU hours | Transfer hours |
|---|---|---|
Transfer Hours from Community College |
| 64 |
Non-Traditional Credit |
| 26 |
Total Transferred Hours |
| 90 |
Total Hours Remaining | 30* | |
*Items in red indicate deficiency in that requirement |
Curriculum Check Sheet Accordion Closed
Once a student has been admitted and enrolled into a course, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will perform a transfer credit evaluation that assigns Northern Arizona University equivalency courses to your transferred hours.
The transfer credit evaluation is then used for the completion of an unofficial curriculum checklist, which is sent out by the Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Department and outlines a student’s Liberal Studies and core requirement courses.
The student must contact the academic adviser, Jill.Cooney@nau.edu to develop a plan of study.
Completing Your Degree at NAU Accordion Closed
To complete the BSDH Degree Completion Program, you must complete:
- 35 hours of liberal studies courses
- 18 hours of Northern Arizona University dental hygiene core requirement courses
These credits can be distributed between courses that are taken at Northern Arizona University and/or transferred from another university or community college. Among these courses, a student must take a minimum of 30 credits from Northern Arizona University and have 30 credits of upper division courses, for a total of 120 credit hours. The BSDHCP program requires completion of a statistics course above and beyond the required 30 hours for the completion of the program. If you have already completed a statistics course, contact Jill Cooney for further information about your stats course and the approval process.
The university offers Statistics 270 online to all extended campuses students. This statistics course does have a prerequisite of an intermediate algebra course. If you take stats 270 through NAU, it does not count toward your required 30 hours of upper division course work.
Below shows how a typical student would need to complete 30 credits to graduate with a BS in Dental Hygiene. Of those 30 credits, 12 are in Liberal Studies and 18 are in Dental Hygiene.
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION. | NAU hrs. | Transfer hrs. |
|---|---|---|
Northern Arizona University Liberal Studies Hours (35 Hours) | 12 | 23 |
Total Northern Arizona University DH Core Requirements | 18 |
|
Northern Arizona University Hours Requirements (30 Hours Minimum) | 30 |
|
Total Hours (120 Hours Minimum) | 30 | 90 |
*Items that are in red indicate deficiency in that requirement. |
For transfer credits: If you have a degree in Dental Hygiene from a Community College, you will receive 63 credit hours depending on the work completed. If you have any additional university or 4-year-college credits they may be added to your transfer credits.
Core Requirements Accordion Closed
21 hours total are required and are designed to assist dental hygienists in acquiring knowledge in:
- clinical theory
- management
- organization
- ethics
- research
- strengthening professional communication
- multicultural oral care
- clinical, computer, and statistical skills
Of the 21 hours required in the core, students must take six DH 3-credit requirement classes and one 3-credit DH elective.
View a student responsibility sheet.
Note: You will need to log in and check your student information account, LOUIE, to determine which courses are being offered.
Required Core Dental Hygiene Courses
Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
DH 416 | Professional Development |
DH 371 | Communication and Behavior |
DH 474 | Program Implementation |
DH 450 | Research Seminar |
DH 373W | Assessment and Program Planning |
| DH 495C | Capstone-Oral Health Outcomes |
Elective dental hygiene courses: Select one course for a total of 3 credit hours. Be aware that courses change per semester and are offered based on instructor availability. | |
Course Number | Course Title |
DH 440 | Multiculturalism in DH |
DH 402 | Affiliated Practice Dental Hygiene |
BBA 303 | Business Management Fundamentals |
Capstone Courses Accordion Closed
Students on the waiting list for a Dental Hygiene Program will not be allowed to complete DH373W, DH474C or DH450. These classes must be taken while in a Dental Hygiene Program. You will not be able to graduate from NAU with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene without your Dental Hygiene License.
All BS degree completion students are required to pass DH 474C which is a culmination of your knowledge gained throughout the program; you will design and implement an intervention project in your community.
You will need to complete DH 373W and DH 450 before taking DH474C.
CEP Requirements Accordion Closed
Maricopa and NAU are proud of creating the first Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) in Dental Hygiene in the state of Arizona. NAU is the leader in Dental Hygiene bachelor degree completion and is the only public university in Arizona that offers a bachelor’s degree completion program.
The Maricopa/NAU CEP allows you to complete your Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Dental Hygiene and your Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) concurrently. When you complete your AAS degree you will also complete your BSDH degree through NAU 100% online. You can transfer up to 90 credits from the community college to NAU making it an affordable pathway to a bachelor’s degree. You’ll pay the NAU tuition rates for only 30 credits.
The MCCCD CEP is a structured degree progression program (click link below). Students must take the courses at the scheduled time. There is no flexibility in this pathway. If a student is unable to complete the CEP, NAU will honor those courses for 7 years, and the student can return or switch over to the Degree Completion Program.