Dental Hygiene

Apply to Dental Hygiene

To join this program, you must apply for admission. This highly competitive program accepts 20 students every fall term. The selection process is based on a point system. Competitive applicants typically have a 3.6 GPA, A’s in their science prerequisites, and some experience in a dental setting.

Questions? Attend an information session or contact us.

How to apply

  1. Apply to PCC

    Applying to PCC is free and only takes a few minutes. Complete this step as soon as possible so you can start using PCC resources. As a minimum application requirement, all nursing applicants must be admitted to PCC as a credit seeking student.
    Apply to PCC

  2. Application timeline
    Term you want to start Apply to Dental Hygiene
    Fall 2024 Application closed
    Fall 2025 January 2 – April 17, 2025 at 8:59pm (PST)
    Take prerequisites

    All prerequisite courses must be passed with a grade “C” or higher by the end of the winter term prior to the application deadline. Pass/No Pass grades are not accepted. Please review the admission guide for prerequisite details.

    • WR 121Z: English Composition I
    • MTH 65 or higher: Introductory Algebra, second term
    • BI 234: Microbiology (must be within the last 7 years)
    • CH 102: College Level Chemistry, or higher
    • BI 231: Anatomy & Physiology I
    • BI 232: Anatomy & Physiology II
    • FN 225: Nutrition
    • Psychology elective*
    • Communication elective*
    • Sociology elective*

    *Applicants must successfully complete one course from the PSY, SOC, and COMM categories with a grade of C or higher. A comprehensive list of Associate of Applied Science (AAS) approved courses can be found by viewing the general education list.

  3. Gain dental experience

    You can earn points and increase your competitiveness by completing one of the following:

    1. Job shadowing
      Shadow a registered dental hygienist for 20 hours. Upload the Dental Hygiene Shadowing Hours Form to your application under “observation hours”.
    2. Paid dental office work experience or DANB Certified Dental Assisting experience
      • To document paid job shadowing experience, applicants must upload and submit the Dental Experience Documentation Form. The form must be signed by the Dental Hygienist that was shadowed.
      • To document 800 hours of work experience in a dental setting, current enrollment in a DANB CDA program, or DANB CDA certification, applicants must upload and submit both pages of the Dental Experience Documentation Form. This form must be signed either by your Supervisor, DANB CDA Instructor, or Dentist. If applicable, applicants must upload a copy of their CDA certification for verification.

    Additional dental experience points can be earned by completing one or both of the following experiences at the PCC Dental Clinic:

    • Shadow a PCC Dental Hygiene student at the PCC Dental Clinic for 7 hours.
    • Complete a treatment at the PCC Dental Clinic. This entails completing an entire dental hygiene process of care which includes teeth cleaning from start to finish. Each appointment lasts approximately 4 hours and may require multiple appointments.

    For PCC Dental Clinic scheduling and experience verification information, please refer to the PCC Dental Clinic Experience Form.

  4. Create application account

    You will apply through an independent organization: American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (DHCAS). Log in to ADEA DHCAS and create your account. You can create your account as early as November 2024. However, PCC’s dental hygiene program application will not be visible or available until January 2025. For questions related to the DHCAS application, contact DHCAS Support: dhcasinfo@dhcas.org or 617-612-2095.

  5. Apply to the Dental Hygiene Program

    The application process has three phases.

    1. Phase I: selection criteria
      Submit your DHCAS application by the April deadline. Based on phase I point totals, the top 40 applicants will be invited to phase II. Applicants will be notified by email.
    2. Phase II: HSRT
      Applicants invited to phase II will be required to participate in the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) as a part of the phase II selection process. Read more about the HSRT on the Insight Assessment FAQ page under the Testing and Administration section. The test takes about 1.5 hours. For more info, see How to Prepare and Top 10 Critical Thinking FAQ’s.
      Once the HSRT scores are evaluated, the 20 highest-scoring applicants from Phase II will be offered a seat in the program.
    3. Phase III: selection and requirements
      Students offered a seat must complete required immunizations, CPR certifications, criminal background checks, and drug screens prior to program start. Detailed information on phase III immunization, CPR, criminal background checks and drug screen can be found by reviewing the requirements for clinical and field education. Do not attempt to meet these requirements before being offered a seat in the program.
  6. Submit transcripts

    PCC requires applicants to submit official transcripts from all colleges attended, including PCC, directly to DHCAS. If your prerequisites are in progress during winter term, you need to wait until final grades are posted before requesting transcripts. Otherwise, complete this step as soon as possible. Follow the instructions in the DHCAS application.

  7. Pay application fee

    Once you are ready to submit your application, pay the non-refundable application fee directly to DHCAS.

Admissions timeline: Fall 2025

  • November 1, 2024: Start Building ADEA DHCAS Application
    • ADEA DHCAS application cycle opens
    • Applicants are encouraged to begin building their common application sections prior to the PCC open application period
  • January 2, 2025: PCC’s ADEA DHCAS Application Opens 
    • ADEA DHCAS will be visible/available online
    • You will need a PCC email address so you must apply to PCC before beginning your DHCAS application
  • April 17, 2025 8:59pm (PST), 11:59pm (EST): Application Deadline
    • Appeals for missing the deadline will not be considered
    • Applicants are responsible for ensuring ADEA DHCAS has all updated transcripts and their application is listed as “verified”
  • Mid-May: Phase II Notifications
    • Applicants notified of invitation Phase II via the email account designated in DHCAS
    • Applicants must RSVP for Phase II in order to secure their spot
  • Early June: HSRT Scheduled
    • Applicants are invited to take part in the online HSRT
  • Mid-June: Program Acceptance Notification
    • Applicants informed of their admission status via the email account designated in DHCAS
    • To confirm admissions status, admitted students must meet the Phase III requirements prior to starting the program in the fall
  • June 12, 2025 from 9am-12pm: First Mandatory Orientation
    • Admitted and alternate applicants attend the first mandatory in-person orientation
  • September 11 & 12, 2025 from 8am-4pm: Second Mandatory Orientation
    • Admitted and alternate applicants attend the second mandatory in-person orientation
  • September 22, 2025: Fall term begins/Start of the program 
    • The Dental Hygiene program is delivered across two academic years