General Admission Requirements
Courses to Take the First Two Years
Obtain an Application for Admission
Contact an Admissions Counselor
An Admissions Counselor will be glad to answer your questions via e-mail or to give you a call. Please include your complete telephone number in message.
Department of Dental Hygiene Home Page
| Additional Information Links | |
| - | MCG Catalog |
| - | Multicultural Affairs and Summer Programs |
| - |
STAR Programs - Biomedical
Research Opportunities for Undergraduate Students |
| Visiting the Medical College of Georgia | |
| - | Sign Up for a Visit to Campus |
| - | Augusta Map/Driving Directions |
| - |
Campus
Map/Virtual
Campus Tour |
|
Information sheets are in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). |
|
To view or print PDF files, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe: |
|
Career Opportunities in Health Science
Dental Hygiene
Bachelor of
Science
Print Version (4 page PDF file)
Professional Tasks and Working Environment
Dental hygienists help people develop and maintain good oral health using
current concepts in preventive dentistry. The program teaches counseling skills
and how to perform the usual functions of the dental hygienist. The dental
hygienist is a vital contributing member of the dental health team.
Dental hygienists:
-
take and record dental and medical histories
-
perform oral examinations
-
assess dental hygiene treatment needs
-
scale and polish teeth
-
apply topical fluoride
-
prepare diagnostic casts
-
perform root debridement
-
expose and process dental X-rays
-
place temporary restorations
-
polish amalgam restorations
-
apply sealants
-
implement patient education programs
Skills and Interests Suited to a Career in Dental Hygiene
Dental hygienists should be caring people who enjoy being with others, have
good communication skills, have some ability to teach and enjoy working with
their hands.
Related career fields include nursing, medical technology, radiologic technologies, occupational therapy and dental laboratory technology.
Employment and Career Opportunities
After successfully completing the National and State Board Dental Hygiene
examinations, the dental hygienist is licensed to practice under the supervision
of a licensed dentist in various settings. Employment opportunities include
private dental practice, public health (governmental agencies, health agencies
or special institutions), public school programs, industry and dental hygiene
education. Unlike many other professions, dental hygiene offers opportunity for
full-time or part-time employment.
Salary Information
The expected beginning salary range for MCG graduates in clinical practice
is $38,000–$45,000 per year.
Programs Offered at MCG
The bachelor of science program is a “2+2,” meaning the student completes
the first two years at any accredited college or university of choice, and the
last two years on the MCG campus. All students begin the MCG program fall
semester of their junior year. The program includes classroom, laboratory and
clinical education.
General Admission Criteria
Admission is based on college grade point average, references and assessment
of the applicant’s motivation and personal qualities needed to successfully
complete the program. A 2.3 overall GPA on a 4.0 scale is required for
consideration. References should be from individuals who can evaluate your
academic performance.
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores. A score of at least 550 and TSE-P of 50 is required for admissions consideration.
Current certification in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers and first aid is required prior to enrollment. Computer literacy is also expected.
Applicants are encouraged to visit the campus.
Technical Standards
In addition to demonstrating personal characteristics appropriate for a health
professions career, students must satisfy general and specific technical
standards for this program. Please visit
www.mcg.edu/sah/hygiene/techstandards.htm to
review these requirements.
Estimated Full-Time Academic Expenses
| Tuition | Fees | Books/Supplies/Other | |
| Per semester | $1,910* | 327.50 | 1000** |
* Non-residents of Georgia pay an additional $5,730 tuition per semester. Residents of Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina and Russell and Lee counties in Alabama receive a waiver of non-resident tuition.
** Costs vary by major. Please check with your department for details.
(Costs are for 2006-2007. All tuition charges, board, room rent or other charges are subject to change at the end of any academic term.)
Estimated Living Expenses
| On- or off-campus apartment | Commuter | |
| 9 months | $13,869 | $9,864 |
| 12 months | 18,492 | 13,152 |
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Financial aid and other assistance is available. MCG participates in all
federal student aid programs as well as state and private programs. MCG helps
students fund their education through grants or scholarships, loans, a service
commitment program and/or employment.
Academic Common Market
The MCG Department of Dental Hygiene participates in the Academic Common
Market. Students from South Carolina may petition their home state to learn
whether they qualify for in-state tuition at MCG.
Accreditation
Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 440-2500
When and How to Apply
This is a transfer program that requires applicants to attend another
accredited college or university of their choice to complete the required core
curriculum courses (see the Courses to Take the First Two Years section). During
their sophomore year, students can apply for transfer admission to MCG. Accepted
applicants will transfer fall semester to begin the junior year. Although the
G.P.A. of most applicants will likely be higher, transfer consideration requires
at least a 2.3 college GPA.
Applications for this program should be received by April 1, but will be accepted until the class has been filled. Earlier application is encouraged.
How to Get an Application
To receive an application for this degree program, visit
www.mcg.edu/admissions, or call or
write:
Office of Academic Admissions
170 Kelly Building-Administration
Medical College of Georgia
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Telephone: (706) 721-2725
1-800-519-3388
E-mail: underadm@mcg.edu
Web site: www.mcg.edu/admissions
Infectious Disease Policy
The MCG School of Dentistry encourages applicants who believe they are at
risk for serious infectious disease (HIV, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, etc.) to
seek appropriate testing and counseling before applying for admission.
All admitted students must comply with MCG immunization policies and School of Dentistry clinic infection control protocols. MCG policy requires any student who knows or has reason to believe that he has a serious infectious disease to report this information immediately to the dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences and Hospital Epidemiology. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
Current professional guidelines recommend that HIV-infected individuals not perform invasive procedures. Most dental hygiene procedures are invasive and students must perform these procedures on patients to complete clinical course requirements. Therefore, HIV-infected individuals may not be able to complete clinical course requirements for the dental hygiene degree and may want to reconsider their career goals.
Students are required to complete the hepatitis B vaccine series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prospective students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and with a wide
variety of questions. This list cannot begin to answer all your questions, but
here are some frequently asked ones.
What is the admissions process?
All interested students must submit their application to the MCG Academic Admissions Office. The application is then processed and sent to the Department of Dental Hygiene. Each application is reviewed by an Admissions Committee made up of dental hygiene and School of Dentistry faculty members. If any portion of an application is not complete, you may be contacted for the missing information.
Final admission decisions are based on grade point averages (overall and math/ science), letters of recommendation, other language test scores as appropriate and an assessment of the motivation and personal qualities of the applicant deemed most conducive to successfully completing the program. Following review, the Academic Admissions Office will notify you, via mail, of the final decision of the Admissions Committee.
What is the application date?
It is a good idea to apply early so time is allowed for processing all the information as well as for advisement regarding your prerequisites. We suggest that you start the application process in the winter for the following academic year. The deadline to submit your application and all required materials is April 1.
What counts in admission?
The Admissions Committee uses a weighted formula based on the success of prior applicants. The formula weighs cumulative grade point average and math/science grade point average. Also considered are veteran status, quality of references, autobiographical section content and writing ability (see application form). References who can rate your work skills or prior academic performance are recommended. Also, the Admissions Committee is interested in your reasons for entering the dental hygiene field and in your ability to express the motivation behind your decision. The committee does not require personal interviews. However, a visit to the campus is encouraged before enrollment.
Will dental-assisting experience increase my chances for acceptance?
Dental-assisting experience is not required prior to admission. However, dental-assisting certification is noted by the Admissions Committee.
How do I establish Georgia residency?
Contact the Office of Academic Admissions, which determines residency status based on questions you answered on the application. The office may contact you for additional information.
What kind of grade point average do I need?
The cumulative GPA of all college work must be at least 2.3 on a 4.0 scale. The average GPA of previous classes has been well above the minimum.
Because you will be compared with other applicants, it is impossible to tell at the outset how high your grades have to be. Much depends on the quality of the other applicants’ work compared to yours. It is possible to have high grades and not be accepted because of other factors the committee considers important. References and your autobiography will provide information that will be considered in the admissions decision.
I had to retake some of my science courses because I got Ds the first time. Will this hurt my chances?
It will be a disadvantage, although it will not eliminate you from consideration. We include all college courses in your overall G.P.A. and all math/science courses in your math/science G.P.A. (For instance, a D in a three-hour course the first time that you took it and a B in the course the second time you took it averages six hours of C).
I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I went to school 10 years ago and got poor grades. After working for five years, I now know that I want to be in dental hygiene. I’ve gotten good grades since returning to school. Can you “forgive” my old grades?
We consider the overall trend in your grades as a factor when we evaluate your application file, especially if you have returned to college after an absence and have performed well with a full course-load. However, your overall GPA will still reflect your entire academic career, so you will need to be more competitive in other areas, such as experience and references.
It's been more than 10 years since I took some of my science courses. Will I have to retake them?
Yes, the required sciences courses should have been taken in the past few years so that you have current science course information. Applying early will allow us to evaluate your courses in time for you to take any additional courses needed to meet prerequisites.
Should I take more science courses than the minimum required?
Yes, additional science courses are recommended. A strong science background is needed to successfully complete the dental hygiene curriculum. For instance, general chemistry is excellent preparation for biochemistry, a course in the dental hygiene curriculum.
Must I complete all my prerequisites before I can apply?
No. We can consider your application before you have completed all prerequisites. There is a page in the application to indicate where and when you took or plan to take each prerequisite. Make sure the courses you need will be offered the semester you plan to take them. Applicants who have not completed all prerequisites may be offered provisional acceptance pending satisfactory completion of prerequisites prior to registration.
Can I work while attending your program?
Our programs are very demanding. Classes generally meet all day Monday through Friday with homework assignments that fill evening and weekend hours. We cannot prohibit you from working while in school, but most students find it extremely difficult. The Office of Financial Aid is very helpful in finding alternative funding sources.