Allied Dental Programs
Dental Hygiene - Indianapolis
B.S.D.H. Degree Program Admissions
Application Process
Please refer to B.S.D.H. "How to Apply" section on the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) website for a comprehensive description of the admissions process and procedures for the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (B.S.D.H.) program as well as specific instructions for documenting observations, the personal statement, and skill standards.
Students must be admitted to IU Indianapolis before applying for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (B.S.D.H.) program at Indiana University School of Dentistry. Students should apply to IU Indianapolis through the IU Indianapolis Office of Admissions.
After being admitted to IU Indianapolis, students are required to apply to the B.S.D.H. program online through the Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Services (DHCAS), an online application service managed by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA).
Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) and Prerequisite Requirements
Required prerequisite courses may be taken at any accredited college or university if they are listed as approved courses by the IUSD Dental Hygiene program. 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
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.
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. All eligible candidates will be invited to interview with the dental hygiene faculty during the spring semester as part of the application process.
Applications to the B.S.D.H. program are processed online through the American Dental Education Association's Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (DHCAS). All application materials must be submitted by February 1. Applicants who have previously applied must submit a new application when reapplying.
Requirements and forms for admission to the B.S.D.H. 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.
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
Potential applicants are advised to review the list of minimum skill standards for admission and retention in the dental hygiene profession. 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.
Learn more about Indiana University School of Dentistry's B.S.D.H. program and review the tuition and fees, institutional competencies, curriculum, and course descriptions.
Updated April 2025