Admission Requirements

To be eligible for Dental Hygiene Program at UT Health Center, the student must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Prior to enrollment, students must complete the fifty-eight (58) semester hours of pre-professional college coursework listed below.
    Prerequisite Courses (Effective for class entering Fall 2010)
    Semester Hours
    Biology (General or Zoology)*
    4
    Microbiology
    4
    Human Anatomy and Physiology
    8
    General Chemistry***
    8
    Nutrition
    3
    English***
    9
    Psychology
    3
    Sociology
    3
    Social Sciences****
    6
    Speech
    3
    Electives
    7
    TOTAL
    58

    *      Must be appropriate for science majors.
    **    Chemistry courses for Pre-Nursing students are acceptable.            Must include content in biochemistry.
    ***   Must include Composition I and II and any literature.
    **** Social Sciences courses may include psychology, sociology,           anthropology, and philosophy.

  • A GPA of 2.5 is the minimum required for application to the program; however, a 3.0 or higher in prerequisite courses is typically needed to be competitive.
  • When applying for the program, a final transcript must be sent to UT Enrollment Services, UT Health Science Center in order to verify applicant’s GPA scores.
  • Courses with grades of “D” are not acceptable. If a required course is repeated, both grades are used in calculating a cumulative grade point average.
  • Check here to make sure you are taking the correct prerequisite courses required by our program.
  • Credit hours earned for non-theory courses in physical education, music, art, and military science are not acceptable as elective hours.
  • Students are advised to complete science courses as soon as possible during the course of obtaining their prerequisites and to work closely with the pre-dental hygiene adviser in selecting appropriate courses.
  • Credit for science courses completed more than five years prior to application will be carefully reviewed by the Admissions Committee and may not be accepted in fulfillment of the required number of hours.
  • All science courses require laboratory experience.
  • Proof of one year of American History at the highschool or college level is a requirement for graduation from UTHSC.

Recommendation for Dental Hygiene:

Applicants whose native language is not English and who have neither graduated from a U.S. high school nor completed a minimum of 30 credit hours at a U.S. postsecondary institution must submit official TOEFL iBT scores. Preference is given to candidates with a minimum score of 100 and with listening and speaking section scores of 26 or above on each.

Important Application Links:

The admissions committee considers dental assisting experience desirable and strongly suggests the applicant obtain observation, at minimum.

All students entering UTHSC are required to pass a criminal background check.

A personal interview may be required for admission.

Would you like to speak to an advisor?

For more information about admissions, or more information about admissions, or to make an appointment to speak to a pre-admission counselor, contact: Elaine Stegman or call 901.448.3038

All application materials as listed below must be received by the Admissions Office on or before February 15 prior to the August class for which admission is sought.

Would you like an application or more information?

Application forms, and Admissions Requirement Booklet and additional information about admission may be obtained by contacting:

UT Enrollment Services, UT Health Science Center
910 Madison Avenue, Suite 525
Memphis, TN 38163

Quicklinks

Department of Dental Hygiene

930 Madison Avenue
Suite 600
Memphis, TN 38163
Phone: (901) 448-6230