florida's only Dental Hygiene Bachelor's Degree offered completely online
SPC's Dental Hygiene B.A.S. Degree is the first and only bachelor's degree program in dental hygiene in Florida and is one of the largest degree completion programs in the nation. This online program can help licensed dental hygienists improve their career opportunities in such areas as practice management, education or sales.
Graduates of our programs work in public health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, managed care facilities, dental hygiene academia, dental and pharmaceutical sales and management.
This academic program prepares you for the following careers. All job data is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Dental Hygienists
Salary Data
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA Average
Florida Average
Projected employment for Florida
2016 Employment
11,180
2026
13,760
Percent Change
23
Projected Job Openings
990
Features of the Dental Hygiene B.A.S. Degree program
- This degree completion program is for licensed dental hygienists who want to progress from their associate to bachelor's degree.
- The program is offered completely online and has no campus or residency requirements.
- Classes are very interactive with discussion boards that foster professional camaraderie.
- Students are accepted during the fall and spring and progress through the program in 24 months with the same 15-20 students.
- Courses are offered one at a time for six to eight weeks, followed by one week off.
- The capstone course is 14 weeks and integrates your career interests through teaching, mentoring, interning and observing.
what You Will Learn in the Dental Hygiene B.A.S. Degree
- Contemporary issues and trends in the practice
- Leadership and management skills that enhance your career
- Educational concepts and teaching presentations
- Research methodologies and analysis of current publications
- Advanced ethics, communication skills and effective interprofessional health care practice
Dental Hygiene Bachelor of Applied Science
DENH-BAS
Effective Beginning Catalog Term: Fall 2017 (535)
The requirements shown below are valid beginning Fall 2017 (535), and may not reflect degree requirements for current students. Current students should visit My SPC and view My Learning Plan to see specific degree requirements for their effective term.
Program Leadership Information
Christine Patel
Instructor in Charge
(727) 341-3669
patel.christine@spcollege.edu
Deanna Stentiford
Dean of Allied Health Sciences
stentiford.deanna@spcollege.edu
Program Summary
SPC's Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene is the first and only bachelor's degree program in dental hygiene in Florida and is one of the largest degree completion programs in the nation. This online program can help licensed dental hygienists improve their career opportunities in management, sales, public/community health, interprofessional health care disciplines, and academia.
This degree completion program is for licensed dental hygienists who want to progress from their associate to bachelor's degree.
- Offered completely online program - no campus or residency requirements
- Discussion boards foster professional camaraderie
- Courses are offered one at a time for six to eight weeks
- Students are accepted during the fall and spring and progress through the program together in a cohort
- A capstone course, which lasts 14 weeks, integrates career interests through teaching, interning or observing.
The Academic Pathway is a tool for students that lists the following items:
o the recommended order in which to take the program courses
o suggested course when more than one option exists
o which semester each course is typically offered
o if the course has a prerequisite
o courses that may lead to a certificate (if offered in the program)
If you are starting the program this term, click here to access the recommended Academic Pathway.
If you have already started the program, click here for the archived Academic Pathways.
Please verify the Academic Pathway lists your correct starting semester.
Florida CIP Code
1105106021: DENTAL HYGIENE (BAS)
Federal CIP Code
51.0602: Dental Hygiene/Hygienist.
Job Related Opportunities
- Careers:
- This program is for licensed dental hygienists seeking a bachelor's degree.
- Career Outlook:
- Research linking oral health and overall physical health continues to increase the demand for preventive dental care. Nationally, dental hygiene employment is expected to increase 38 percent by 2020, faster than average for all occupations. In Florida, dental hygienists will remain in demand as job growth is expected to grow by more than 30% through 2018.
- Dental hygiene programs seeking qualified faculty will require a minimum of a bachelor's degree.
- Opportunities:
- Graduates of our programs work in dental offices, public health clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, managed care facilities, dental hygiene education, dental and pharmaceutical sales and management.
- Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Admission Rules
Please review the Dental Hygiene B.A.S. Admission Guide.
The Admission Guide will outline the admission criteria specific to the Dental Hygiene B.A.S program as well as explain the timetable for evaluation and further admission correspondence. Please review this information carefully to ensure you submit a complete application at the appropriate time. Only students who satisfy all the application requirements and submit a complete application in accordance with the information detailed in the Admission Guide will be considered for admission.
To be admitted to the B.A.S. in Dental Hygiene program, a student must have:
- Officials transcripts showing completion of a dental hygiene degree of at least 60
credits from an institution accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation
(CODA), such as SPC's
- Current dental hygiene license
- At least 15 hours of transferable general education courses with at least a 2.0
GPA
Graduation Rules
FOREIGN LANGUAGE:
If you have not completed two consecutive years of the same foreign language in high school or 8 credits in college, you will need to complete 8 credits of foreign language before completing the B.A.S. program.
Students must successfully complete all BASDH core courses and Electives, as well as meet all requirements for their AA degree (to include foreign language).
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENT
Lower Division Dental Hygiene
ADMISSIONS COURSES
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES
MAJOR CORE COURSES
Major Requirements (Complete 34 credits)
MAJOR ELECTIVE COURSES
Elective Courses (Select 6 credits)
* Visit www.spcollege.edu/program/GENR-AA for details
Earn your associate and bachelor's degree AT SPC
SPC's Dental Hygiene Associate in Science degree transfers to our bachelor's degree in Dental Hygiene.
Health Continuing Education
We also offer health and dental hygiene continuing education through SPC's Workforce Institute.