Department of Dental Hygiene | Idaho State University

Master of Science in Dental Hygiene

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships are designed to:

Recruit outstanding students to graduate dental hygiene study
Reward academic excellence.
Provide graduate dental hygiene students with a variety of valuable experiences related to teaching, research, and/or administration.
Expand the graduate experience beyond graduate coursework to provide a foundation for future work in academia, research and/or community service.
Provide support to enable graduate students to complete graduate studies in a timely fashion.

Benefits of the Graduate Assistantship:

The stipend during the academic year is approximately $8443.60 paid bi-weekly over the academic year (approximately August 15 through May 15).
In-state or out-of-state tuition is paid (fees are not covered by the graduate assistantship award).
Student medical benefits are paid.
Although assistantships are awarded only for fall and spring terms, tuition for summer school may also be included.

In order to be eligible for a Graduate Assistantship at Idaho State University you must:

Meet the Graduate Studies Office admission criteria and be admitted as a classified student.
Meet the Graduate Dental Hygiene admission criteria and be admitted to the program.
Be a full-time (9 or more graduate credit hours), degree seeking student.
Be located near the Pocatello campus (it may be possible to obtain a graduate assistantship on the Boise campus in the future).
Maintain a “B” grade average in all graduate coursework.

Work Responsibilities of the Graduate Assistant

Performing duties as assigned by the supervising graduate faculty advisor in consultation with the undergraduate dental hygiene faculty supervisor. These duties may include teaching in dental hygiene didactic or clinical courses, support in dental hygiene laboratory courses, working in department administrative offices, working with dental hygiene faculty on special projects, and/or supporting dental hygiene faculty research.
A commitment of an average of 20 hours per week.
In order to ensure adequate time for graduate study in addition to the graduate assistantship, individuals are expected not to hold other employment.
With special permission graduate assistants may be employed by the university for compensation in addition to the awarded stipend. Permission from the Dean of Graduate Studies must be received and employment hours are limited to 10 hours per week.

The MSDH program has two graduate assistantships available each year (contingent upon appropriations).

Interested individuals should complete the Graduate Assistantship Application Form by April 1 st for best consideration for the award of a fall semester graduate assistantship. (The application deadline is November 1 st for consideration for a graduate assistantship award for spring semester, dependent upon availability.)

The application form can be found on the MSDH web site or can be obtained from the Division of Graduate Studies, Department of Dental Hygiene office. Graduate assistantships are normally awarded in April/May for the following fall . (Assistantships may be awarded in December for spring term although these are subject to availability.)

DUTIES OF THE GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Based on the Graduate Assistant's areas of interest, skills and knowledge as well as the needs of the individual faculty and the dental hygiene department, you will develop a learning contract work with your graduate faculty advisor that includes the following:

Learning goals and objectives.
General areas of responsibility as well as specific tasks
Responsibilities as they relate to your academic or clinical areas of interest
Estimated number of hours per week that will be spent for each assigned responsibility.

You and your advisor will sign the learning contract. The signature of the Director, Graduate Studies Department of Dental Hygiene is also required. The completed learning contract will be kept as part of your permanent departmental academic record. Failure to perform satisfactorily may lead to forfeiture of the graduate assistantship.

The duties that may be included in your learning contract include:

Support of Faculty

A graduate assistant is used to support faculty in the areas of teaching, research, and administrative needs. Tasks may include support of faculty classroom needs (proctoring examinations, teaching individual topics or team teaching), support of faculty in clinical instruction, or support of faculty research efforts (library search, data entry and analysis, survey administration, etc.).

Support of Department

Dental Hygiene Laboratory

There are various laboratory experiences for undergraduate dental hygiene students (DENT 3311:Tooth Morphology, DENT 3316:Dental Materials, DENT 3319:Preclinical Expanded Functions). Graduate Assistants assigned to a laboratory will assist the course instructor with student teaching and laboratory organization. Evaluation of undergraduate students may also result after working in collaboration with the primary course instructor.

Radiology Laboratory

First year undergraduate students participate in radiology laboratory experiences during the spring semester (DENT 3318L). This laboratory experience provides students with opportunities to practice radiographic techniques and acquire a beginning level of competence. Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to radiology laboratory will assist the primary course instructor with student teaching and laboratory organization. Evaluation of undergraduate students may also occur after working with the primary course instructor and participating in calibration activities.

Local Anesthesia Preclinic

First year undergraduate students participate in preclinical experiences during the spring semester. These experiences provide students with the opportunity to practice various local anesthesia injection techniques with classmates. Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to local anesthesia preclinic will assist the primary course instructor with student teaching. Evaluation of student techniques may also occur after working with the primary course instructor and participating in calibration activities.

Junior Clinic

First year undergraduate students participate in preclinical (DENT 3313C: Clinical Dental Hygiene I) and clinical experiences (DENT 3314C (Clinical Dental Hygiene II). In the preclinic setting, students learnbasic skills related to infection control, patient assessment, and instrumentation. During the second semester, undergraduate students provide direct dental hygiene care for patients. Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to either DENT 3313C or 3314C will assist the primary course instructor with student teaching and clinic organization. Evaluation of undergraduate students may also occur after working with the clinic coordinator and participating in calibration activities.

Senior Clinic

Second year undergraduate students participate in advanced preventive clinical patient care during the fall and spring semesters (DENT 4403C and DENT 4404C). Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to DENT 4403C and DENT 4404C will work closely with the senior clinic coordinator and may be assigned to various responsibilities, such as student teaching of undergraduate students, medical consultations, calibration activities, evaluation, attendance at faculty meetings, and some clinical administrative duties.

Expanded Functions Clinic

Second year undergraduate students participate in restorative patient care during the fall and spring semesters (DENT 4411C:Expanded Functions I and DENT 4412C:Expanded Functions II). Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to Expanded Functions clinic will work closely with the clinic coordinator and may be assigned responsibilities such as student teaching o f undergraduate faculty, medical consultations, calibration activities, evaluation, clinical administrative duties, and other activities deemed appropriate to the learning situation.

Lecture Courses

All courses in the curriculum contain a didactic component. Graduate Teaching Assistants may be assigned to a specific course or may be responsible for selected topics in a variety of different courses. Graduate Assistants assigned to didactic courses may teach, organize courses, facilitate group activities, develop presentations, and evaluate students.