Dental Hygiene

Director and Associate Professor: Leciel K Bono

Associate Professor: Rachelle Williams

Clinical Associate Professor: Colleen Stephenson

Emeriti Professors: Kristin H. Calley, Jacque Freudenthal, JoAnn Gurenlian, Kathleen Hodges
Dental Hygiene, M.S. DegreeM.S.
Accelerated B.S. to M.S.DegreeB.S. to M.S.
Accelerated A.A.S/A.S to M.S.DegreeA.A.S/A.S to M.S.

Master of Science in Dental Hygiene

The Master of Science degree in Dental Hygiene is an advanced degree; therefore, the program is designed for students who are licensed dental hygienists with baccalaureate degrees. Graduates will be prepared for various career opportunities within the health-care arena.

MS Program Outcomes

  • Promote oral health of individuals and populations by engaging in activities related to management, leadership, and advocacy while maximizing interprofessional opportunities.
  • Acquire research and scholarship abilities contributing to the dental hygiene scientific knowledge base.
  • Demonstrate professional development through enhanced knowledge, values, and actions.
  • Develop instructional and administrative knowledge, values, and practices to prepare future generations of learners.
  • Develop, implement, and evaluate community or rural programs to advance the oral health of underserved populations.

Goals

  • Goal 1: Evaluate healthcare policies and participate in advocacy efforts to improve healthcare delivery systems.
  • Goal 2: Establish interprofessional partnerships for dental hygiene integration to enhance health care and education.
  • Goal 3: Integrate cultural humility and inclusion in all professional endeavors.
  • Goal 4: Increase the dental hygiene body of knowledge through original research.
  • Goal 5: Advance skills in teaching, administration, course design, curriculum development, and assessment.
  • Goal 6: Implement professional development and leadership models to enhance innovation within healthcare education and community health.

Accelerated B.S. to M.S. in Dental Hygiene 

Students accepted into an accelerated undergraduate program may take departmentally approved graduate coursework as part of their undergraduate curriculum. These credits will count towards both their bachelor's and master's degrees and can fulfill major requirements, upper-division requirements, and/ or free electives. For details on accelerated programs at Idaho State University, please see (Degree Requirements (p. 62)).

Once accepted into an accelerated degree program, it is strongly recommended for students to stay in close communication with their advisor regarding pursuit of acceptance into the Graduate School and the master's degree program at Idaho State University. Acceptance into an accelerated program during the bachelor's degree program is the first step in the admissions process. A separate application to the Graduate School is necessary for all accelerated programs. For more information regarding application and admission to the Graduate School at Idaho State University, please see the Graduate Admissions section of the graduate catalog (http://coursecat.isu.edu/graduate/graduateadmissions/).

Dental Hygiene Accelerated Criteria

This accelerated program provides an opportunity for outstanding bachelor degree dental hygiene students to complete a fast track program during the summer and last two semesters of the bachelor degree program. Students who have a cumulative 3.0 grade point average in their dental hygiene courses and senior standing may complete up to 12 graduate credits. These credits may be applied to both the undergraduate and graduate dental hygiene programs. Students must be in good academic standing with the department of dental hygiene and Idaho State University and have demonstrated successful completion of upper division courses in the bachelor degree dental hygiene program. Please contact the Graduate Program Director for more information. Once accepted into the accelerated program, it is recommended that students meet with the Graduate Program Director regarding acceptance into the Graduate School and the Master of Science Dental Hygiene program. 

*For more information about the accelerated program please see the B.S. to M.S.D.H. Accelerated Program listing in the undergraduate catalog. 

A.A.S./A.S. Accelerated Pathway to M.S.

This accelerated pathway program from an entry-level dental hygiene program (AAS or AS) to a Master of Science with an emphasis in Dental Hygiene (MSDH) is for registered dental hygienists who have already graduated from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) entry-level dental hygiene program and are licensed as Registered Dental Hygienists. This program is offered 100% online.  Twelve credits in this program are dual credits, meaning they count for both undergraduate and graduate course work, thereby creating an accelerated path to the Master of Science in Dental Hygiene.  Students must be in good academic standing with the Department of Dental Hygiene and Idaho State University and have demonstrated successful completion of upper division courses with a 3.0 GPA. Graduates of the MSDH program at ISU are prepared to work as educators, leaders, and administrators in academia, public health, corporate settings, alternative work settings, and in research development. Please contact the Graduate Program Director for more information. Once accepted into the AAS/AS Accelerated Pathway to the MS in Dental Hygiene, it is recommended that students meet with the Graduate Program Director regarding acceptance into the Graduate School and the Master of Science Dental Hygiene program.

* For more information about the accelerated program, please see the AAS/AS Accelerated Pathway listing in the undergraduate catalog.