Allied Dental Programs

Dental Hygiene - Indianapolis

Bachelor of Science Admission

GPA and Prerequisite Requirements: Required prerequisite courses may be taken at any accredited college or university if they are listed as approved courses by the Dental Hygiene program at the Indiana University School of Dentistry.

Remedial courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement. All applicants must maintain a minimum cumulative college grade point average of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and achieve a minimum course grade of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in all prerequisite courses to be considered for admission to the program. In addition, applicants must earn a 3.0 grade point average in the combined prerequisite science courses (chemistry, microbiology, human anatomy, and human physiology). Please note that if prerequisite courses are retaken for an improved grade, all course grades will be included in the computed grade point averages.

Courses taken at institutions other than Indiana University must show a grade of C or above to be accepted as transfer credit by Indiana University. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester of the year in which the student wishes to enter the program. Required science courses must have been completed within the past five years. Questions about coursework that does not meet these time limits should be directed to the IUSD Director of Dental Hygiene.

 

The ADTH is new for the 2021-2022 Admissions Cycle.

It is:
A nationally administered standardized admission test for individuals applying to dental hygiene programs.
Administered to understand the skill levels of the dental hygiene applicants.
Used to assist with admissions decisions.
Targeted toward college ready high school graduates.
The ATDH assesses critical thinking, focusing on candidate skills in the following areas:

• Reading Comprehension
• Language Usage
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Perceptual Ability (Same as DAT)
• Biology
• General Chemistry

All applicants must take the Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ADTH). The School of Dentistry accepts your highest ADTH score, regardless of whether it is the most recent score. You must have taken the ADTH no more than three years prior to the date you submit your application.

Your score report will be sent directly from the ADA to IUSD. When you fill out the ADTH application, you will receive instructions on how to have the ADA send your score report.

The cost of the exam is $125. You can request a fee waiver from the ADA for 50% off the cost of the exam at www.ada.org/atdh.

You can download the 2021 ATDH Guide at: www.ada.org/atdh.

The test is administered at Prometric Testing Locations throughout the United States. The test is administered between September 1 and October 31 each year.

Other Admission Requirements: All candidates applying for admission must provide documentation that they have recently completed the prescribed number of hours of observation of a practicing dental hygienist in at least two different practice settings. They must also submit a personal statement. Specific instructions for documenting observations and the personal statement are available at the Dental Hygiene website or from the Dental Hygiene program. All eligible candidates will be invited to interview with the dental hygiene faculty during the spring semester as part of the application process.

 All application materials must be submitted by February 1. Applicants who have previously applied must submit a new application when reapplying. Applications to the IUSD dental hygiene program are processed online through the American Dental Education Association's Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (DHCAS). Requirements and forms for admission to the IUSD dental hygiene program are specific to this program only and are not acceptable for admission to other dental hygiene programs in the state. Applications for admission to any other Indiana dental hygiene program must be directed to those programs and follow their prescribed procedures. All potential applicants are advised to consult the School of Dentistry’s Dental Hygiene Office or its Website for updates or changes in dental hygiene admissions policies that may occur after publication of this bulletin.

Class size is limited, and there are more qualified applicants than can be accepted each year. Applicants are encouraged to consult with the dental hygiene program director for pre-dental hygiene counseling. Selections are made on an individual basis, upon appraisal of the applicant’s established record and potential for development.

Potential applicants are advised to review the list of minimum skill standards for admission and retention in the dental hygiene profession. This document is provided on the Website. In addition to these standards, it is necessary that students enrolled in the dental hygiene program enter with basic computer literacy sufficient to allow them to participate in instruction involving computer-based coursework, Internet searching, basic word processing, and e-mail applications. 

While every attempt is made to provide accurate and current information in this bulletin, Indiana University reserves the right to change without notice statements in the bulletin series concerning rules, policies, fees, curricula, courses, or other matters.

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

Click here for the PDF version.