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Mt. Hood Community College Mt. Hood Community College Mt. Hood Community College

  • Dental Hygiene Admission Details

  • The information below is based on the application requirements for Fall term 2023 admission. It is provided as an example to guide potential applicants on the admission process and application requirements which may be subject to change as program criteria can change for each new application year.

    Important Note: Some external links may be inaccessible. People requiring accommodations due to a disability should contact Accessible Education Services at 503-491-6923 or aes@mhcc.edu.

    The Dental Hygiene (DH) program is restricted entry and applicants to the program must meet certain criteria before their application will be considered. Applicants are selected through a point-based system. Currently, the program admits 18 students every Fall term.

    The information below is based on application requirements for Fall term 2023 admission. To be eligible to apply, applicants must show they meet the requirements described below by the application deadline date of January 27, 2023 at 5 p.m. Click here to learn more about how to apply.

    All prerequisite transfer courses are subject to review by the MHCC Admissions and Transcript Evaluator to determine transfer equivalency. All courses must be completed with a “C” grade or higher. Science courses must be taken with labs. A cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 from all regionally accredited college institutions attended (this includes all college coursework, not prerequisites) is required.

    Point Award System: A = 4 points, B = 3 points, C = 2 points

    Repeated Coursework: There will be a one-point reduction (not to exceed 3 points maximum) each time a required chemistry and biology course is repeated within the last seven years. Audits and withdrawals do not count as repeated coursework.

    Course Number Course Title My Points Out of /
    REQUIRED COURSEWORK TO APPLY: Must be completed by end of Fall term, December 2022. Science and math courses must be completed between Fall term 2016 and Fall term 2022.
    CH106 1 Biological Chemistry for Health Professions /4
    BI231 Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 /4
    BI232 Human Anatomy & Physiology 2 /4
    BI233 Human Anatomy & Physiology 3 /4
    BI234 Microbiology /4
    WR121 English Composition /4

    MTH065 2

    Beginning Algebra II or higher

    		 No points
    Completion of supporting coursework by the application deadline adds to the applicant’s pre-interview points and increases applicant competitiveness. 
    SUPPORTING COURSEWORK REQUIRED TO START PROGRAM: If not already complete, supporting coursework must be completed by end of Spring term, June 2023. Coursework does not expire.
    FN225/HE225 Nutrition /2
    PSY101 or
    PSY201 or
    PSY202 or
    PSY214 or
    PSY216    		 Psychology Course

    Note: If you use either SOC205 or SOC206 AND select either PSY214 or PSY216 to fulfill your prerequisite requirements, then you will need to take an additional class (PSY101 or PSY201 or PSY202 or PSY237 or SOC204) to fulfill the Human Relations requirement for graduation.    		 /2
    COMM100 or
    COMM111 or
    COMM115 or
    COMM218    		 Speech Course /2
    WR122 or
    WR123 or
    WR227 3    		 Writing Course /2
    ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK: If not already complete, can be taken prior to or during the program. Coursework does not expire.

    SOC204 or
    SOC205 or
    SOC206

    		 Sociology Course

    Note: If you use either SOC205 or SOC206 AND select either PSY214 or PSY216 to fulfill your prerequisite requirements, then you will need to take an additional class (PSY101 or PSY201 or PSY202 or PSY237 or SOC204) to fulfill the Human Relations requirement for graduation.    		 /2
    DISCRETIONARY POINTS
    Prior Degree Associate's Degree=1 or Bachelor's Degree=2 or Master's Degree=3 /3
    Residency In MHCC district=1
    (See https://mhcc.edu/District for zip code list. Points are awarded based on the address in your MHCC student record at the time of application.)    		 /1
    Coursework Taken at MHCC Completion of 6 or more required, supporting, and additional courses (listed above) taken at MHCC /2
    AP/DSST/IB Coursework Completion of equivalent AP/DSST/IB for WR121=1 point /1
    Veterans Active Duty (submit JST transcript) and Honorably discharged (submit DD214) /2
    Dental Hygiene Volunteer Work 5 hours of dental public health volunteer experience completed between 2/12/2022 - 1/27/2023. (see the FAQ page for a list of approved organizations) /2
    CUMULATIVE COLLEGE GRADE POINT AVERAGE: Overall grade point average will be calculated from all colleges attended.
    GPA Points /5
    3.60 – 4.00 5
    3.20 – 3.59 4
    2.80 – 3.19 3
    2.50 – 2.79 2

    1 For the purpose of the Dental Hygiene admission requirement only, courses listed below from the stated institution will be accepted to meet our Chemistry requirement.

    • CHEM&131 from Washington colleges
    • CH123 from Oregon State University
    • CH102 from Portland Community College
    • CH112 from Clackamas Community College
    • CH112 from MHCC between 2017 and 2019

    2 If math is completed prior to Fall 2016, applicants must demonstrate current knowledge through the College Placement Test* (CPT) by placing into MTH095. If required placement level is not met, applicants must complete the required math course by the end of Fall 2022. If required placement is met, applicants do not need to retake math.

    3 Students must take WR122 for 4 credits. If WR122 is taken for 3 credits, the student must complete WR123/WR227.

    *MHCC College Placement Test (CPT) for Math Requirement
    • The Accuplacer College Placement Test (CPT) is a non-timed skills assessment test. Learn more at https://www.mhcc.edu/College-Placement-Test.
    • Applicants are encouraged to practice for the test and review math concepts by using Accuplacer’s free study app.
    • CPT scores are valid for five years and cannot be older than 1/27/18. If it is older, the CPT will need to be taken again.
    • Mt. Hood Community College uses Accuplacer as our placement test. If you took this test at another school, or if you took a COMPASS test since 1/27/18, please have that school email a copy of your score report to Testing Services at testing@mhcc.edu. Placement test scores do not appear on your transcript. For more information, visit https://www.mhcc.edu/CPTconversion.
    • Smarter Balance Assessment, High School GPA, GED scores and Self-Placement are not accepted for meeting the Math placement requirement.

    Looking Ahead: Admission Test for Dental Hygiene

    The Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ATDH) is a nationally administered standardized admission test for individuals applying to dental hygiene programs to understand the skill levels of applicants and to assist with admissions decisions. All interested applicants should read The American Dental Association’s published candidate guide for more information. At the time of application, candidates must select Mt. Hood Community College Dental Hygiene Program to receive official results.

    For those applying in January 2023, it is recommended (not required) to complete an admissions test to assess readiness for program success and to determine areas that may need further focus prior to and during dental hygiene school. Scores will be evaluated during the interview portion of the application process.

    For those students applying in January 2024 or after, the ATDH may be required along with a passing score as part of the application process.

    To learn more about the test, please read the ATDH Quick Facts and view Practice Questions.