Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff Campus offers a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene. This is a four-year program and includes two years of general studies and two years of dental hygiene courses. Clinical work is an important facet of its program, and learning to use portable dental equipment to treat the elderly or infirm is required. Also required is an internship at a public health dental facility for Native Americans, military personnel or those who do not have regular dental care. Financial aid and summer work-for-pay programs are available. Admission to the university does not guarantee placement in the dental hygiene program. You must apply for the program separately with the advice of a guidance counselor. Financial aid is available.
Mesa Community College has recently introduced its dental hygiene program to the curriculum. An Associate in Applied Science degree is awarded to dental hygiene graduates after completing a two-year program. Clinical and classroom work is required. Candidates for admission must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, with an overall grade point average of 3.0 and a 3.2 in prerequisite science courses. Admission is limited to 20 first-year students. The school prepares graduates for the Arizona state licensing exam. Financial aid is available.
Day, evening and weekend classes at Pima Community College in Tucson are available for those seeking an Associate in Applied Science degree in dental hygiene. Prerequisite courses with a science concentration are required. An application for admission to the dental hygienist program must include all grades for the prerequisite courses. Only 25 students are admitted each fall. Class and clinical work are required and graduates are prepared for Arizona licensing exam. Financial aid is available.
Graduates from Rio Saldo College's dental hygiene program can begin practicing in an entry level position immediately after passing the Arizona licensing exam. They graduate this two-year program with an Associate in Applied Science degree in dental hygiene. While the school has campuses throughout the state, the Tempe campus has the dental hygiene program. Through internships in community dental environments, students are exposed to various levels of dental care, and work accordingly to teach preventive care to their patients. Meeting with an admissions advisor is suggested as the prerequisites needed vary; however, a high school diploma or equivalent is required. You must also submit to drug screening and fingerprinting. Financial aid is available.