Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program

Selection Criteria

---

As an applicant to the Dental Hygiene program, you will be contacted by email and a phone call and informed of acceptance status as well as information regarding the next steps in the process. Placement on the alternate list does not guarantee acceptance for the following year. All alternates who are not accepted into the program must reapply.

Program Prerequisites
The following courses must be completed prior to applying for admission to the program. “In Progress” work for the prerequisites will not be considered during the selection process.

The required prerequisites are requirements of the Dental Hygiene Board of California consistent with requirements for admission of all DH Students effective April 2022. 

The Dental Hygiene program prepares students to provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic services supporting oral health. Studies include the biological basis of the health of the teeth and oral cavity, as well as procedures used to prevent decay and to maintain dental health. Employment opportunities include working as a licensed dental hygienist in dental offices, public clinics, schools, dental industry, research and community health. The curriculum also prepares graduates for an opportunity to transfer to a Bachelor in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program in approved state and private institutions for one additional year.

Participation in all off campus assigned sites are required for program completion. Students must provide their own transportation to off-campus sites. Some off-campus sites require homeland security screening and verification of legal status.

The two-year program follows a cohort model, with students accepted each fall semester.

Student Selection and Admission Requirements:

1.   Graduation from High School (Official Transcript showing proof of completion required) or the equivalent (GED transcript, HiSet Transcript), International Students or students with foreign transcripts (please review foreign transcript evaluation process).

2.   Overall GPA of 3.0 for all prerequisite college work.

3.   Completed application for selection and acceptance into the program.

4.   Dental Hygiene students must have the ability to communicate effectively.

5.   After acceptance into the program, submit a completed health data form evidencing physical and emotional health, including required immunizations/chest x-ray or Mantoux test.

6.   Current CPR/Basic Life Support (BLS) card approved by American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers, that must be maintained while in the program.

7.   Enrollment is determined by the applicant pool and the selection process is by lottery while adhering to all Federal and State Laws.

Prerequisite Courses: Minimum grade of C in:

Course	Title	Unit
ENGL 001A or ENGL 001AH	READING AND COMPOSITION or HONORS READING AND COMPOSITION	4
PSYC 001 or PSYCH 001H	INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY or HONORS INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY	3
SPCH 001 or SPCH 001H or SPCH 010	FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH or HONORS FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH or INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION	3
SOC 001 or SOC 001H	INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY or HONORS INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY	3
INTERMEDIATE ALEGBRA or STAT 50 or STAT 50H or MATH 003	INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA or ELEMENTARY STATISTICS or HONORS ELEMENTARY STATISTICS or ALGEBRA FOR STEM	4
U.S. HISTORY (one course)		3
POLITICAL SCIENCE (one course)		3
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (2 units)		2

Prerequisite Courses: Minimum grade of “B” in these science courses (It is recommended that they be taken within the last five years):

Course	Title	Unit
MICR 002	MICROBIOLOGY	4
NUTR 011	HUMAN NUTRITION	3
ANAT 025	HUMAN ANATOMY	4
PYSO 001	HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY	4
CHEM 2A	CHEMISTRY - GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY I	4
CHEM 2B	CHEMISTRY - GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY II	4

AP scores can be used for only English and Math prerequisites.

Additional Courses Required for the Associate in Science Degree
Students may select an appropriate General Education pattern to meet the AS degree General Education requirements. Different GE Patterns may result in double counting of some units. Consult with a Counselor to determine which classes qualify to receive credit in the general education categories.

Upon successful completion of the Dental Hygiene program and general education requirements, students receive a Certificate of Achievement and an Associate Degree from PCC. This makes them eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board examination, any applicable regional or state board examination(s) to obtain licensure as a Dental Hygienist.
Applicants for Dental Hygiene licensure are required to submit official fingerprints. The law provides for denial of license for crimes or acts which are related to dental hygiene qualifications and/or duties.

Fingerprints are mandatory to take the Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) examination. A social security number or a TIN is required to take the RDH exam.

In addition, all students who do not hold a previously earned Associate's Degree or higher must be eligible to receive an associate degree in dental hygiene upon completion of the program in order to be licensable in the State of California. As such you will need to complete the above course work in addition to satisfying one of the approved general educational patterns of the college to be eligible to be awarded an associate degree.

https://pasadena.edu/academics/degrees-and-certificates/aa-degrees/degree-requirements.php
Local General Education Pattern
California State University (CSU) General Education Pattern
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) General Education Pattern 

Students with foreign transcripts will need to complete the Foreign Transcript Evaluation process to determine which if any of the above referenced courses can be counted to meet the prerequiste requirements (Please refer to the Admissions Tab for additional details). 

Acceptance into the program may also be based on the outcome of a criminal background check. ALL applicants must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the prerequisite courses in order to be considered for acceptance into the dental hygiene program.

Applicants are admitted to the program using a random selection method following all applicable State and Federal laws.

How to Apply

---

1   Complete Your Application Packet

To apply to the Dental Hygiene program you need to submit an application which includes:

• A completed Dental Hygiene Program Application (available online during the application cycle only)
• One official transcript of High School or its equivalent and ALL U.S. colleges and universities attended, including Pasadena City College*
  *If you have foreign transcripts, please read our information on how to have your transcripts evaluated.

Be aware that unofficial transcripts and photocopies of diplomas are not acceptable and incomplete applications will not be considered in the selection process. If you are accepted into the program, the college’s Admissions and Records Office will also require official transcripts.

2   Submit Your Application

Submit your completed application online. Application, transcripts, and supporting documents MUST be received by the division office by the deadline.

Apply Now

3  Submit Your Transcripts

Once your online Dental Hygiene application has been submitted, you will receive a form sent to your Pasadena City College email account to securely upload your high school and college transcripts.

An official transcript from an accredited U.S. High School (or GED or Foreign Equivalency Report) and each college attended (this includes an Advanced Placement report from the College Board and PCC transcripts) must be opened, scanned, and uploaded as a PDF. This means your official transcript must be received by you through postal or electronic mail. Once you open the transcript it is now your personal record. When uploading your transcripts, formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, word documents, etc. will not be considered. All college transcripts must be provided even if the coursework is not applicable to the program.

Create a folder on your desktop and place all of your required transcripts into the folder. When you upload your transcripts, you must have all of your transcripts files in the folder. Multiple files will be combined into one document after you upload your documents.

A confirmation email will be sent to your PCC email account when your transcripts have been received.

Follow these basic directions for scanning documents as a PDF file:

• Open your official transcripts that you will be uploading to the application
• Scan the official transcripts using a device such as a printer or scanner
• Follow the scanner manufacturer's directions to scan each document to your computer or USB drive
• Select the PDF file format option before scanning. Only PDF files of your transcripts and other supporting documents will be accepted. Formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, word documents, etc. will not be accepted for the application process.
  Save your PDF document to a folder in a location on your computer or removable drive that you can easily access (Desktop or Documents folder is suggested)

NOTE: Students who do not have access to a personal scanner may choose to use a commercial copying center to have their required documents scanned and made into PDFs that then may be uploaded as part of your application.

Program Acceptance

---

The Health Sciences Division will inform you of the status of your application by email upon submission of all required documentation.

Upon acceptance to the Dental Hygiene program, you are required to:

1. Complete the application for admission to Pasadena City College.
2. Complete a health clearance. Clinical/laboratory instruction begins the first week of the semester (forms will be provided)
3. Submit a copy of a current American Heart Association Health Care Provider BLS card (Must include live hands-on portion).
4. Purchase student malpractice insurance during the first
   semester in the dental hygiene program. Additional information about the insurance will be addressed through the Student California Dental Hygiene Association
   (SCDHA) in which you are required to be a member.
5. You must provide your own transportation to off-campus clinical sites.

Transcript Evaluation

---

If you are a student with foreign transcripts, you must have your transcripts evaluated by one of the following three companies before applying:

International Research Foundation (IERF)
(310)-258-9451 | www.ierf.org

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI)
(310)-275-3530 | http://www.acei-global.org/application-for-evaluation

American Education Research Center (AERC)
(626)-339-4404 | www.aerc-eval.com