Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion

About

The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree completion program provides licensed dental hygienists, who have a certificate or associate degree in dental hygiene, with the opportunity to broaden their educational experiences by receiving a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene.

Fully online; earn your BSDH from the comfort of your home.

Curriculum & Requirements Application Process

Online BSDH Program

Applicants must have the following requirements to be eligible for admission:

  • EWU accepts a block transfer of credits from an associate dental hygiene degree program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and regional higher education accrediting bodies in the U.S. or Canada.
  • Successful completion of the Dental Hygiene National Board examination or its Canadian equivalent
  • A current dental hygiene license in the U.S. or Canada.
  • Successful completion of English 201 or its equivalent.*
  • Successful completion of Math proficiency.

To earn a BS degree in Dental Hygiene from Eastern Washington University (EWU), a minimum of 40 upper-division credits are required beyond the associate degree. A minimum of 30 of these credits must be earned from EWU.

*Students must meet university proficiencies in Math and English by completing Math 104 (competency) or its equivalent or higher, and English 201 or their equivalent. Students should complete these requirements at local community colleges before entering the program.

Graduates of the EWU Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program will be able to:

  • Create an electronic portfolio that validates their effectiveness as an ethical and moral dental hygiene professional.
  • Apply translational research findings to evidence-based practices in the professional roles of the dental hygienist.
  • Develop programs that promote collaboration with other professionals for the health and well-being of a diverse society.
  • Synthesize theoretical and empirical knowledge from dental hygiene, scientific, and humanistic disciplines into the professional roles of the dental hygienist.
  • Assess the role of the dental hygienist on an interprofessional health care team.

Is Online Learning Right for You? Our students find the flexibility of online learning an appealing way to learn from the comfort of their own home. It is an ideal option for dental hygienists who want to continue working. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours per credit, doing homework, taking part in online discussions and completing assignments/projects.

Personal Time Commitment: How much time do you actually have in your schedule to devote to online learning? Use this calendar to evaluate the time you have available to study and participate in class activities. (Used with Permission from the University of Michigan Dental Hygiene Program.)

Are You Ready for Online Learning? Online learning requires a high degree of personal motivation and discipline. Complete the Test of Online Learning Success to help determine if you meet the profile of a successful E-Learner.

Technology Skills: E-Learning courses require participants to have a certain level of technology skill. A scheduled online computer skill test is a required component of the admission process. Before applying, take the Technology Pre-Assessment Quiz to help determine if you are ready to participate in an E-Learning program. If you fall short in any areas, local community colleges and adult community education programs offer a variety of computer courses.

Tuition is $380.07 per semester credit. We make every effort to keep the cost reasonable as EWU embraces the promotion of all dental hygienists having a bachelor’s degree. We are still one of the least expensive degree completion programs in the United States. The university charges a $60 per semester credit online delivery fee.

Students taking the online BSDH Degree Completion program courses through Eastern Washington University will pay the same tuition rate regardless of where they live.

Applicants with questions about eligibility and availability of financial aid are invited to visit the EWU Financial Aid and Scholarships website.

Deadlines for application for financial aid are strictly adhered to!

This fully online degree completion program is designed for licensed dental hygienists who graduated from a two-year community college program and wish to broaden their educational experiences by advancing their degree with liberal arts and broad-based education, including critical thinking, analysis, writing and researching.

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Application Process

Submit official transcripts to Eastern Washington University

Submit official transcripts with the most current fall quarter/semester of college or university coursework. Transcripts can be submitted electronically from your school or can be mailed to:

Undergraduate Admissions

304 Sutton Hall

Cheney, WA 9004

** Current EWU students do not need to send transcripts. 

 

Contact Academic Advising for pre-program advising:

Academic Advising
E: advising@ewu.edu

Advising Tips

You must have university-level English proficiency completed (English 201 equivalent) and a minimum of college algebra. Official transcripts will need to be sent to EWU Admissions upon applying to EWU.

For Canadian Applicants

Apply as a domestic student (follow the instructions below) well in advance of the semester you intend on starting. However, official transcript evaluations for all courses taken at non-U.S. colleges and universities are required (with English translations of course descriptions) before they are submitted to EWU.

A university-level English proficiency (201 level) and a minimum of college algebra must be completed before starting the program. Please consult with the Director or Program Specialist to assure you have completed these requirements.

Apply to Eastern Washington University. Pay the $60.00 EWU application fee.   

**Current EWU Students do not need to apply to EWU or send transcripts.   

Apply to EWU

Instruction for EWU application: 

Once you are in the application do the following:

  • Under the academic plan, select semester (disregard the term start month);
  • Choose “In-person (Cheney/Spokane) AND Online”
  • Select yes for an associates degree and yes to enroll in the degree completion program.

Example of what the application will look like:

Under academic plan, select semester (disregard the term start month); choose “In-person (Cheney/Spokane) AND Online” and for intended major, select Dental Hygiene Preparation. Select yes for an associates degree and yes to enroll in the degree completion program.

 

 

  • Pay the non-refundable department Application fee $50.00
  • Save the receipt for the application process

Pay the Fee

Complete online application for the Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program.

Apply to the Program

Confirm Intent to Enroll. Be sure to complete your online form and submit your $250 non‐refundable enrollment fee. For questions about the enrollment fee, please contact the EWU Admissions Office or visit the admissions page for more information: https://test-www.ewu.edu/apply/admitted/undergraduate/

 

The Program Specialist sends out course registration information once you have been accepted into the program to your EWU student email.

It is the policy of EWU when communicating through email to only use your EWU student email. Please be aware our program does not send any emails to non-EWU emails once your EWU student email account has been set up.

NOTE: The EWU student email is easily forwarded to a preferred email account.

Canvas: Once you register for courses, you’ll receive an email from Canvas to see your online classroom. Canvas courses are open on the first day each semester.

There are five steps to apply to the online Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree completion program. Please follow the instructions carefully.

Feel free to email the department with any questions about the program:

Program Specialist 2
E: bshsonline@ewu.edu

Things to Remember 

**Check EWU email address for letter regarding application status.  

***Deadline for Applications FALL START-July 1st

****All Minors must be completed prior to start of the program.  

Frequently Asked Questions

You must be a licensed dental hygienist who graduated from an associate dental hygiene degree program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and regional higher education accrediting bodies, with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA.

The program is designed for working licensed dental hygienists to be complete the curriculum in two years as a full-time student or three years as a part-time student. For more information about course scheduling, please contact the Program Specialist.

Most students continue to work four days per week and continue their family lives without much issue. Please use the calendar under “Is Online Learning Right for You” to determine whether a full or part-time option works best with your lifestyle.

There is no clinical component for this program.

An English 201 equivalent (english proficiency) is required, along with a college algebra proficiency. Students who do not have completed coursework are not permitted to start the program until proof of prerequisite coursework completion.

Please plan accordingly when creating your education plan with the Program Specialist or Director.

The Director of the degree completion program is the official EWU advisor for every applicant. Please do not contact the EWU General Advising Office.

It is strongly recommended you have a laptop computer, scanner/printer, webcam and headset. A fast, strong and reliable internet connection is also required.