Pictured | Hannah Collingsworth | Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene | Garrett, Indiana (hometown)

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene

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

• 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.
• 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. 

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, Entry Level

The Dental Hygiene curriculum, which is accredited by the American Dental Association, leads to the Bachelor of Science degree, and consists of a total of four years of study; one year of prerequisite courses followed by three years of integrated general education and professional studies. Upon completion, graduates are eligible for licensure to practice this preventive specialty of dentistry. Students can schedule an appointment with an advisor through the Student Appointment Scheduler (SA) in One.IU.

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 receiving the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene must complete 120 total credit hours including:

• IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum (33 cr.)
• Biomedical Sciences Requirements (12 cr.)
• Social Sciences Requirements (6 cr.)
• Additional Prerequisite Coursework (3 cr.)
• Major Concentration Requirements (81 cr.)

• A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300- or 400-level
• Courses required for the degree must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
• Some Major requirements may satisfy the 33 credit hours of General Education required for all degrees awarded at IU South Bend.
• A minimum CGPA of 2.0 is required.
• All courses are 3 credits, unless otherwise noted.

Biomedical Sciences Requirements (12 cr.)

• ANAT-A 210 Elementary Human Anatomy
• CHEM-C 102 Elementary Chemistry 2
• MICR-M 250 Microbial Cell Biology (or equivalent coursework)
• PHSL-P 130 Human Biology

Social Sciences Requirements (6 cr.)

• PSY-P 103 General Psychology
• SOC-S 161 Principles of Sociology

Addtional Prerequisite Coursework

• ENGL-W 131 Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I
• SPCH-S 121 Public Speaking

Major Requirements (72 cr.)

• DHYG-H 205 Medical and Dental Emergencies (1 cr.)
• DHYG-H 206 General Pathology I (2 cr.)
• DHYG-H 211 Head and Neck Anatomy
• DHYG-H 214 Oral Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology
• DHYG-H 215 Pharmacology/Therapeutics—First Year (2 cr.)
• DHYG-H 217 Preventive Dentistry
• DHYG-H 218 Fundamentals of Dental Hygiene (4 cr.)
• DHYG-H 219 Clinical Practice 1
• DHYG-H 221 Clinical Dental Hygiene Procedures
• DHYG-H 250 Local Anesthesia and Pain Control 
• DHYG-H 301 Clinical Practice 2 (4 cr.)
• DHYG-H 302 Clinical Practice 3 (4 cr.)
• DHYG-H 303 Radiology
• DHYG-H 304 Oral Pathology—2nd Year (2 cr.)
• DHYG-H 308 Dental Materials (1 cr.)
• DHYG-H 312 Radiology Lecture—II (1 cr.)
• DHYG-H 320 Practice Management, Ethics, and Jurisprudence (1 cr.)
• DHYG-H 321 Periodontics
• DHYG-H 333 Management of the Special Needs Patient
• DHYG-H 400 Evidence-Based Decision Making
• DHYG-H 403 Advanced Community Dental Hygiene (2 cr.) 
• DHYG-H 420 Advanced Clinical Procedures (4 cr.)
• DHYG-H 444 Bachelor Degree Capstone Course (1 cr.)
• DHYG-H 477 Community Assessment and Program Planning
• DHYG-H 478 Evaluation of Health Promotion Programs
• DHYG-H 497 Topics in Dental Hygiene (1 cr.)
• HPER-N 220 Nutrition for Health
• HSC-H 101 Introduction to Health Sciences
• HSC-H 434 Diversity and Cultural Competence
• HSC-W 314 Ethics and Health Professionals