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Registered Dental Hygienist to Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene

RDH-to-BSDH

The IU South Bend campus offers two educational pathways for a student to earn a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree. 

1. Entry-level Pathway 

This degree pathway is for students who want to become a licensed dental hygienist and have never completed a CODA accredited dental hygiene clinical program.

2. RDH-to-BSDH Completion Pathway

This degree pathway is for students who are licensed dental hygienists who already graduated from a CODA accredited dental hygiene program and wish to expand their career opportunities by continuing their education to earn the baccalaureate degree. 

About the RDH-to-BSDH Degree Completion Pathway

The RDH-to-BSDH Degree Completion Pathway is designed for motivated licensed dental hygiene professionals who have an associate degree and/or who have completed some (but not all) of the coursework for a bachelor’s degree.  program's broad-based educational experience allows students to pursue their professional interests and elevate their career options beyond entry-level clinical dental hygiene practice. 

The RDH-to-BSDH Completion Program is designed to be flexible to support the exploration of student’s strengths and passions Students may choose an exploratory plan of study that exposes them to all facets of the professional roles of a hygienist including educator, researcher, public health, administrator, and entrepreneur. They may also choose a more focused pathway that provides a deeper exploration of specific roles. We are committed to expanding coursework options as the oral health industry and the dental hygiene profession evolves. Regardless of the path chosen, the final semester of the program will include a mentored, immersive learning experience in one of the recognized professional roles of a hygienist. The goal of this experience is to provide a launching pad for graduates into the next phase of their career by building their resume, network connections, and confidence as a leader in the dental hygiene industry. 

RDH-to-BSDH students may choose to complete their coursework completely online, on campus, or a comfortable combination of both. Not all course work is available in both face-to-face and online options. The online course options offer flexibility to students who wish to continue their education while maintaining their current routines or who do not live near the IU South Bend campus.  The in-person course options offer the opportunity for students to engage in the campus social and academic environment.  The hybrid option allows students to adjust their campus experiences to match their lives and needs. 

Outcomes of the RDH-to-BSDH Degree Completion Pathway are to:

• Prepare dental hygienists for the evolving landscape of healthcare and the dental hygiene profession
• Foster the growth of leaders in the dental hygiene industry
• Promote scientific inquiry and critical thinking
• Provide guided experiential learning that enhances the professional portfolio of graduates
• Prepare for admission to graduate degree programs

Academic Advising and Faculty Mentorship

IU South Bend uses a centralized advising model that pairs students with a professional academic advisor. To determine who your advisor is and how to contact them, see One.IU.edu search advising. 

Additionally, the RDH-to-BSDH utilizes collaboration of faculty and advisors to support a student’s journey.  Students interested in the RDH-to-BSDH Degree Completion Pathway should contact the program administrator, Mallory Roberts (mledmond@iu.edu) for information about the program, to discuss opportunities to leverage coursework to enhance professional development, and to establish a plan of study. The program administrator will collaborate with the professional advisor to communicate the plan of study. Admission is dependent on available resources to support new student enrollment in the RDH-to-BSDH Degree Completion Pathway, and this information will be transparent when seeking information.

Admission Policies

Interested students must first apply and be accepted to the IU South Bend campus as pre-dental hygiene completion program students. Under the Academic Goals portion of the IU South Bend campus application, students will need to select the Pre-Dental Hygiene Completion option when prompted to “Please Indicate your intended major below”. After acceptance to the campus, students are encouraged to contact their assigned academic advisor (see admissions communications and One.iu.edu for advisor assignment) and the program administrator.

Once accepted to the IU South Bend Campus, students are eligible to apply to the RDH-to-BSDH Completion Program. An online application is available through the IU South Bend Dental Education website. After your completed application is received and reviewed, the program administrator will contact you for results of the RDH-to-BSDH Completion Program review process.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the RDH-to-BSDH Completion Program administrator, Mallory Roberts (mledmond@iu.edu) before applying and/or to answer questions you may have about the program or process.

Academic Advising

Your academic advisor is a critical partner in fostering your success at IU South Bend and beyond. Your advisor will help you explore academic majors and careers, plan your degree, choose classes, learn about internships and study abroad, and much more. To see who is assigned as your advisor, visit your Student Online Advising Record in one.iu.edu. For more information about advising at IU South Bend, visit the website for the Undergraduate Advising Center.

Final responsibility for meeting degree requirements rests with the student.

Questions about advising? Email sbadvise@iu.edu or call (574) 520-4550.

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

Degree Map >>

Students on the RDH-to BSDH Degree Completion pathway to receive the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene must complete 120 total credit hours including:

• IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum as outlined for students who completed 45 credits or an Associate's Degree.
  Note: Some of these requirements may be fulfilled with transfer coursework and coursework completed for prior degree, and other degree requirements.
  

  Applicants who receive Dental Hygiene degrees from accredited programs other than those offered by Indiana University will be considered transfer students for the purpose of fulfilling General Education requirements at IU South Bend.

• Minimum Dental Hygiene Major Requirements (13-15 cr.)

• AHSC-H 340 Research in Health Sciences; OR
  DHYG-H 400 Evidence-Based Decision Making (preferred)
• DHYG-E 443 Public Health Education Methods; OR
  Clinical educator focused coursework
• DHYG-H 444 Bachelor Degree Capstone Course (1-3 cr.)
• HSC-H 322 Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• HSC-W 314 Ethics and Health Professionals

• Electives | Bridge Coursework and Prior Learning (72-74 cr.)

• A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at IU South Bend
• 20 of the 30 credit hours for the BSDH Completion Degree must be taken at IU South Bend, after admission to the program.
• Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all required courses and maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.5.
• Completion of the degree will be five years from the date of enrollment in the first course toward the BSDH degree.
• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

BSDH Required Dental Hygiene Courses (22 cr.)

• AHSC-H 303 Leadership and Management in Healthcare
• AHSC-H 333 Intercultural Health Communication (6 cr.)
  Pending final approval
• DHYG-E 443 Public Health Education Methods
  Or clinical program education specific coursework
• DHYG-H 400 Evidence-Based Decision Making
• DHYG-H 412 Global Health
• DHYG-H 444 Bachelor Degree Capstone Course (1 cr.)
• HSC-H 333 Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  Pending Final Approval

Electives (8 cr.)

Students are encouraged to align electives to satisfy professional interests as well as fulfill minor requirements. Coursework must be evaluated for alignment with student professional goals and approved by program administrator prior to enrollment.

Role specific suggested coursework:

Educator

• Pathway under development at the time of bulletin submission
• See program website/contact program administrator for updates and details 

Public Health

• AHSC-H 330 Intercultural Health Communication (6 cr.)
• AHSC-H 480 Healthcare Grant Writing and Internship (6 cr.)
• DHYG-H 403 Advanced Community Dental Hygiene (2 Cr.)
• DHYG-H 412 Global Health
• HSC-C 430 Environmental Health
  Pending final approval
• HSC-H 327 Introduction to Public and Community Health
• HSC-H 434 Diversity and Cultural Competence

Health Administration

• AHSC-A 420 Healthcare Finance (6 cr.)
• AHSC-A 430 Supervision and Resource Management for Health Professional (6 cr.)
• AHSC-A 440 Health Care Administration and Strategic Planning (6 cr.)
• AHSC-H 302 Essentials of the Healthcare Delivery Systems 
• AHSC-H 303 Leadership and Management in Healthcare 
• AHSC-H 310 Health Policy, Ethics, and Legal Issues (6 cr.)
• AHSC-H 350 Economics of Health Care 

Additional Degree Requirements and Policies:

• A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at the 300– or 400–level.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at IU South Bend.
• The majority of these credit hours must be completed after admission to the program.
• A maximum of 30 credit hours may be applied toward the degree for successful completion of external examinations such as AP, CLEP, DSST, and Excelsior University (UExcel). Credit awarded based on external exams is considered transfer credit.
• Additional transfer credit may be applied toward the degree for prior learning such as 1) non-collegiate or company-sponsored training programs as recommended and certified by the American Council on Education (ACE) or the National College Credit Recommendation Servce (NCCRS) and 2) educational experiences gained during military service by submitting the Joint Services Transcript to Admissions.
• IU special credits may be applied toward the degree by passing certain university departmental examinations.
• Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all required courses and maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.5.
• Completion of the degree will be five years from the date of enrollment in the first course towards the degree.
• After 5 years the student must reapply to the program.
• Remain in good standing according to Indiana University South Bend policies.