Join usThe Master of Science in Dental Hygiene (MSDH) Program Curriculum
A total of 36 credits, including a thesis, is required for program completion. Requirements include 7 courses in the core curriculum, 4 courses in an area of emphasis, and 3 credits of electives.
The core courses advance the theory and practice of dental hygiene and prepare students in research methodology to apply during the thesis process and future work. In addition to the core curriculum, students complete an area of emphasis in Dental Hygiene Education or Rural and Community Oral Health. Two required dental hygiene courses in the emphasis area, coupled with a practicum experience and a related elective course, provide a strong basis for advanced study and thesis work.
To enhance the breadth of knowledge, students are required to complete a minimum of 3 credits of electives selected from related graduate coursework offered outside the Department of Dental Hygiene. A maximum of 9 credits may be transferred officially to Idaho State University.
A thesis is required because a research foundation is imperative to advance the theoretical knowledge base of the profession.
Orientation Course
August, 2013- on-site program at Pocatello, Idaho ISU campus Students complete online modules through Moodle system.
Orientation Course
August 12-16,2013- on-site program at Pocatello, Idaho ISU campus. Students complete online modules through Moodle system.
Graduate Seminar II
May 13-17, 2013- on-site program at Pocatello, Idaho ISU campus
Core Courses
| DENT 5596 | Graduate Seminar I | 1 credit |
| DENT 6605 | Program Development and Evaluation | 3 credits |
| DENT 6610 | Special Care Populations | 3 credits |
| DENT 6615 | Progressive Dental Hygiene Theory | 3 credits |
| DENT 6618 | Leadership Strategies to Improve Health Care | 3 credits |
| DENT 6619 | Graduate Seminar II | 1 credit |
| DENT 6646 | Health Research | 3 credits |
| DENT 6650 | Thesis | 6 credits |
Dental Hygiene Education Emphasis
| DENT 6620 | Advanced Educational Theory and Methods | 3 credits |
| DENT 6621 | Dental Hygiene Clinical Instruction and Admin. | 3 credits |
| DENT 6625 | Dental Hygiene Education Practicum | 2-6 credits |
| Elective Course in emphasis area (Program Director approval required) | 3 credits | |
Rural and Community Oral Health Emphasis
| DENT 6630 | Community and Rural Health Programs | 3 credits |
| DENT 6631 | Management Strategies for Dental Hygiene Care | 3 credits |
| DENT 6635 | Rural and Community Health Practicum | 2-6 credits |
| Elective Course Requirements (Program Director approval required) | 3 credits | |
| General Elective | 3 credits |
Academic Options
2 Year Option
| Year 1 | Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Course | CR | Course | CR |
| 5596 - Grad Seminar I | 1 | 6620 or 6630 | 3 | |
| 6605 - Program Devel/Eval | 3 | 6625 or 6635 - Practicum | 2-4 | |
| 6646 - Health Research | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | |
| Spring | 6615 - Prog. DH Theory | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 |
| 6618 - Leadership Strat. | 3 | Elective | 3 | |
| 6631 (If emphasis area) | 3 | |||
| Summer | 6619 - Grad Seminar II | 1 | Elective | 3 |
| 6610 - Special Care Pop | 3 | |||
| 6621 | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 23 | 14-16 | ||
3 Year Option
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | ||||
| Fall | Course | CR | Course | CR | Course | CR |
| 5596 - Grad Seminar I | 1 | 6620 or 6630 | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | |
| 6605 - Program Devel/Eval | 3 | 6646 - Health Research | 3 | 6635 - Practicum | 2-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |||||
| Spring | 6615 - Prog. DH Theory | 3 | 6625 | 2-4 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 |
| 6618 - Leadership Strat. | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | |||
| Elective | 3 | 6631 (If emphasis area) | 3 | |||
| Summer | 6619 - Grad Seminar II | 1 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 6610 - Special Care Pop | 3 | |||||
| 6621 | 3 | Total Credits | 17 | 16-18 | 4 | |
4 Year Option
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | |||||
| Fall | Course | CR | Course | CR | Course | CR | Course | CR |
| 5596 - Grad Seminar I | 1 | 6620 or 6630 | 3 | 6625 | 2-4 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | |
| 6605 - Program Devel/Eval | 3 | Elective | 3 | 6646 - Health Research | 3 | 6635 - Practicum | 2-4 | |
| Spring | 6615 - Prog. DH Theory | 3 | Elective | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 |
| 6618 - Leadership Strat. | 3 | 6631 (If emphasis area) | 3 | |||||
| Summer | 6610 - Special Care Pop | 3 | 6619 - Grad Seminar II | 1 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | ||
| 6621 | 3 | |||||||
| Total Credits | 11 | 15 | 9 to 11 | 4 | ||||
5 Year Option
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||||||
| Fall | Course | CR | Course | CR | Course | CR | Course | CR | Course | CR |
| 5596 - Grad Seminar I | 1 | Elective | 3 | 6620 or 6630 | 3 | 6646 - Health Research | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | |
| 6605 - Program Devel/Eval | 3 | 6635 - Practicum | 2-4 | |||||||
| Spring | 6618 - Leadership Strat. | 3 | 6615 - Prog. DH Theory | 3 | Elective | 3 | 6625 | 2-4 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 |
| 6631 (If emphasis area) | 3 | |||||||||
| Summer | 6610 - Special Care Pop | 3 | 6619 - Grad Seminar II | 1 | 6621 | 3 | 6650 - Thesis | 2 | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | 7 | 9 | 5-7 | 6 | |||||
MSDH Program Course Descriptions
DENT 5596 Graduate Seminar I: This seminar uses web based activities and on-site campus activities to assist students in developing skills and abilities essential for successful participation in the MSDH Program.
DENT 6605 Program Development and Evaluation: An overview of general principles of teaching, learning and evaluation in academic and community oral health programs. Emphasis on assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs.
DENT 6610 Special Care Populations: Concepts related to providing oral health care for special care populations. Emphasis is on assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for individuals with transient or lifelong physical, mental, medical or social health needs.
DENT 6615 Progressive Dental Hygiene Theory: Critical analysis of the dental hygiene process of care related to advanced preventive and therapeutic interventions to various population groups, technology and outcomes.
DENT 6618 Leadership Strategies to Improve Health Care: Application of leadership and management theory related to professional issues, policy development, legal and ethical principles, professional associations, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and professional advancement.
DENT 6619 Graduate Seminar II: This course provides students with experiential learning opportunities to enhance self-assessment and peer evaluation in clinical dental hygiene. An individualized professional development plan will be constructed for each student based upon faculty, self, and peer assessments as well as career goals.
DENT 6646 Health Research: Introduction to the research process and the use of scientific literature to define a theoretical basis for future research. Requires gathering evidence, searching databases, analyzing and synthesizing literature to write a literature review. Application of principles of problem and research question formulation, sampling, design and methods, reliability and validity, and applied statistics in dental hygiene. Requires preparation of a research proposal. Prereq or coreq: Undergraduate statistics or biostatistics course.
DENT 6650 Thesis: Research project under supervision of a graduate research committee. May be repeated. Minimum of 3 credits required.
DENT 6620 Advanced Educational Theory and Methods: Study of theory, principles, and research related to the faculty role in active teaching and learning, development of ethical reasoning, critical thinking and reflective judgment, development of curricular frameworks, outcomes and competencies, and course delivery methods. PREREQ: DENT 6605
DENT 6621 Dental Hygiene Clinical Instruction and Admin.: Theory and practices of clinical instruction and supervision, related to psychomotor skill development, competency-based evaluation, student mentoring and remediation. Examination of organizational and administrative philosophy and practice in curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation based on accreditation standards. PREREQ: DENT 6620 OR DEPARTMENTAL APPROVAL.
DENT 6625 Dental Hygiene Education Practicum: individualized experience in applying principles and theories in dental hygiene education to didactic, preclinical and clinical instruction. This course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits.
DENT 6630 Community and Rural Health Programs: This course is about the theory and processes of assessment, planning, implementing, and evaluating health education, promotion, and disease prevention programs. Principles taught in this course will be applied to community situations.
DENT 6631 Management Strategies for Dental Hygiene Care: provides a business and management focus for the graduate level health care student. The three major topic areas covered are developing a business plan, management, and practice management.
DENT 6635 Rural and Community Health Practicum: individualized experience in applying principles and theories in community and rural health (public health) to address the oral health care needs of a targeted community or rural population. This course entails the implementation and evaluation of a public health project planned in DENT 6630, Community and Rural Health Programs. This course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits.