Idaho State University
- Idaho
- Entry Level
- In-Person
- isu.edu
Program Contact
About Us
The Department of Dental Hygiene offers a unique program in Idaho which provides quality educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate dental hygiene students.
The first class of eight students was accepted in the fall of 1961. Since that time, the program has expanded to accept 30 students in each of the two professional classes. A graduate program resulting in a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene began in 2005.
Philosophy
The fundamental philosophy of Idaho State University Department of Dental Hygiene is threefold. First, its members are committed to excellence in all academic endeavors. Second, the program is progressive in instituting ongoing changes to prepare for the future of dental hygiene. Third, as a component of the university's primary emphasis area, the program serves statewide and regional needs by providing access to quality education in the discipline as well as meeting the employment demands and oral health needs of the public.
Program Information
| Program Type | Entry Level |
|---|---|
| Teaching Method | In-Person |
| Degree Awarded | Bachelor |
| Program Size | 32 |
| Program Length | 24 months |
| Application Deadline | January 15, 2025 |
| Program Start Date | August 25, 2025 |
| Credit Hours Required to Graduate | 74 dental hygiene credits |
| Supplemental Application | No |
| Supplemental Fee | No |
| Accepts International Students | Yes |
| Supports Student Visa | No |
| Program Website | isu.edu |
Application Requirements
Required Standardized Tests
Prerequisite Instructions
The following courses are required before starting our dental hygiene program. Not all of these courses need to be completed before you apply, but you must have 6 or fewer of our prerequisites and/or general education courses left to complete and must have at least 4 of our 6 science courses completed by the time you apply.
Core Courses:
DENT 2201 Principles of Dental Hygiene (available only through ISU)-2 credits
ENGL 1101 or 1101P Writing and Rhetoric I-3 credits
ENGL 1102 Writing and Rhetoric II-3 credits
COMM 1101 Principles of Oral Communication-3 credits
PSYC 1101 Introduction to Psychology
SOC 1101 Introduction to Sociology
MATH 1153 or 1153P Statistical Reasoning-3 credits
BIOL 2227 and 2227L or 3301 and 3301L Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Lab-4 credits
BIOL 2228 and 2228L or 3302 and 3302L Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Lab-4 credits
BIOL 2233 and 2233L Principles of Microbiology and Lab-4 credits
CHEM 1101 or 1111 and 1111L Introduction to Chemistry-3 credits
CHEM 1102 and 1103L Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry and Lab-4 credits
NTD 2239 and 3340 Nutrition-3 credits
General Education Objectives (needed if you do not have or will not have an associate of arts, associate of science or higher degree by the time you would start the program)
Objective 4-Six (6) credits selected from two different categories: Humanities, Fine Arts or Foreign Language
Objective 7-(Critical Thinking) or Objective 8-(Information Literacy): Three (3) credits
Objective 9-(Cultural Diversity): Three (3) credits
Letters of Evaluation Instructions
Other Requirement Instructions
Minimum criteria for an application to qualify for consideration
- Completion of at least one advising appointment with a dental hygiene faculty or staff advisor
- 4 required science courses completed before January 15th
- 6 or fewer prerequisite and general education courses to complete after January 15th
- Completion of DENT 2201 by summer 2024 (can count as one of the 6 or fewer courses to be completed after January 15th)
- Minimum GPA in the prerequisites of 2.8
- Minimum GPA in the required sciences of 2.8
Please contact Jennifer Sterbentz at 208-282-3796 or jennifersterbentz@isu.edu to schedule your advising appointment.
Additional Information
Currently there is no formal requirement for dental office experience prior to being admitted to the Dental Hygiene program; however, it is beneficial for the applicant to be familiar with the work environment in which most hygienists are employed. Students are encouraged to observe in a dental office that employs a dental hygienist to become familiar with the dental team and the practice environment.