The University of Oklahoma's College of Dentistry, located at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, has a program leading to a Master of Science in Orthodontics. New students are accepted into the program each summer semester, and the program lasts 30 months for domestic students and 36 months for international students. Clinical practice is the cornerstone of the program. Beginning in the first semester, students spend about three-and-a-half days a week seeing patients in OU's orthodontics lab, with the other one-and-a-half days a week spent in classes such as oral pathology, advanced anatomy, and developmental psychology in orthodontics. Students also begin preparing a master's thesis during the third semester and present their work prior to graduation. Beyond academics, the Health Sciences Center offers on-campus apartments, a fitness center, and a student union with a food court and coffee bar. All HSC students can also attend athletic events and take advantage of services on OU's main campus, located 30 miles away in the suburb of Norman.
OU Department of Orthodontics
1201 N. Stonewall Ave Rm 400
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
405-271-6087
dentistry.ouhsc.edu/gradortho/default.html
The University of Pennsylvania's School of Dental Medicine offers a two-year program in orthodontics and a four-year program in orthodontics/periodontics. Students in both programs take core courses such as wound healing, radiology, and oral biochemistry. In anatomy of the head and neck, students spend 10 hours dissecting the relevant areas of a cadaver in order to view the anatomical structures first-hand. Orthodontic students gain the majority of their clinical experience at Penn's orthodontic clinic, although second-year students also spend time at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia working with cleft palate patients. Students in the orthodontic/periodontic program focus on periodontics for the first year-and-a-half, beginning orthodontics study in the second year and continuing in both disciplines through the latter two years of the program. Dual degree students also have some teaching responsibilities and may choose to take graduate courses in Penn's School of Education. At the conclusion of the program, students will graduate with an MS in Oral Biology.
The Robert Schattner Center
University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine
240 South 40th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-898-8961
dental.upenn.edu/academic/DADEprogram/index.htm
The Medical University of South Carolina's College of Dental Medicine offers a certificate program in orthodontics. Students who are accepted to this 34-month program receive a tuition waiver, although they are still responsible for an $8,500 yearly equipment fee. The curriculum and clinical experiences are structured so that students receive instruction on the unique orthodontic needs of children, adolescents, and adults. Students also gain experience treating conditions such as craniofacial abnormalities and TMJ. Beyond the mechanics of orthodontic care, classroom instruction covers topics including psychology, communication skills, and business management. Outside of class, students can exercise at the Wellness Center, play one of five intramural sports, or join a student organization such as the campus literary society or the International Association.
Medical University of South Carolina
College of Dental Medicine
447 Basic Science Building
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-3811
academicdepartments.musc.edu/dentistry/departments/pediatric_dentistry/orthodontics/orthodontics_residency/orthodontics_residency.htm