Bachelor Dental Hygiene Prerequisites & Required Courses
Prerequisites
It is highly recommended that all students attend the "Entry Level Dental Hygiene Program Information Session" https://www.wlac.edu/academics/pathways/hs/informational-sessions before starting any of the prerequisites listed below and before applying.
The prerequisites are as follows:
All IGETC General Education Plan Courses OR CSU General Education Plan Courses (see catalog CSU General Education Plan and IGETC Advising Form)
And
The course plan must include the following dental hygiene prerequisite courses:
| Class | Description |
|---|---|
| ANATOMY 001 | Intro to Human Anatomy |
| PSYCH 001 | General Psychology |
| BIOCHEMISTRY | CHEM 066 - Organic & Biochemistry for Allied Health OR CHEM 221- Biochemistry for Science Majors |
| SOC 001 | Intro to Sociology |
| ENGLISH 103 | Composition & Critical Thinking |
| MICRO 020 | General Microbiology |
| MATH 227 | Statistics(or equivalent) |
| PHYSIOL 001 | Intro to Human Physiology |
| CHEM 51 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I OR CHEM 60 - Intro to General Chemistry |
| ANTHRO 102 | Human Ways of Life: Cultural Anthropology |
| COMM 101 | Public Speaking |
- Science prerequisites must be taken within 7 years of applying to the program.
- One course is allowed to be in progress when submitting the application. The final grade for the in-progress course must be verified by the official transcript as soon as it is completed.
- All science prerequisite courses must include a wet lab component whether it is offered in person or online with a take-home lab kit or hybrid. Applicants are required to submit proof of wet lab experiences for science courses taken after June 2022.
- All coursework must be passed with a letter grade of “C” or better.
- All GE coursework must have been completed at a post-secondary regionally accredited institution.
- Political Science is not a required course for the dental hygiene program. However, it is a requirement for CSU transfer and IGETC certification if you are not yet certified. Political Science course is one of the additional points courses for the selection process.
- Chemistry 066 (Organic and Biochemistry for Allied Health) lists Chemistry 51 (Fundamentals of Chemistry) as a course prerequisite. If you completed Chemistry 60 or higher or any other General Chemistry course, Contact Science Division Chair via email and submit a "Prerequisite Challenge Petition Form" to consider another chemistry course as a prerequisite for Chemistry 66.
Required Upper Division Courses
Junior Year
| Class | Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DEN HY 300 | Principles of Clinical Dental Hygiene | 3 |
| DEN HY 303 | Infection Control in Dentistry | 1 |
| DEN HY 306 | Anatomy of the Head and Neck | 2 |
| DEN HY 311 | Pre-Clinical Dental Hygiene | 2 |
| DEN HY 312 | Radiology I | 2 |
| DEN HY 314 | Dental Morphology | 2 |
| DEN HY 354 | Pathology - General and Oral | 3 |
| TOTAL | SEMESTER UNITS | 15 |
Junior Year
| Class | Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 322 | Cultural Perspectives in Health and Healing | 3 |
| TOTAL | SEMESTER UNITS | 3 |
Junior Year
| Class | Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DEN HY 308 | Periodontics I | 2 |
| DEN HY 327 | Local Anesthesia and Sedation Techniques | 3 |
| DEN HY 351 | Clinical Dental Hygiene II | 3 |
| DEN HY 352 | Care for Patients with Special Needs | 2 |
| DEN HY 355 | Preventive Dentistry and Nutrition | 3 |
| DEN HY 388 | Introductory Seminar in Dental Hygiene | 1 |
| TOTAL | SEMESTER UNITS | 14 |
Junior Year
| Class | Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| *BIOLOGY 408 | Pharmacology | 3 |
| DEN HY 356 | Histology and Embryology of Oral Tissues | 2 |
| TOTAL | SEMESTER UNITS | 5 |
Senior Year
| Class | Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DEN HY 304 | Dental Health Education and Practicum | 2 |
| DEN HY 389 | Intermediate Seminar in Dental Hygiene | 1 |
| DEN HY 400 | Cardiology and Occlusion | 1 |
| DEN HY 401 | Clinical Dental Hygiene III | 4 |
| DEN HY 406 | Periodontics II | 1 |
| DEN HY 415 | Dental Material & Expanded Functions | 3 |
| *ENGLISH 420 | Research Design and Methodology | 3 |
| TOTAL | SEMESTER UNITS | 15 |
Senior Year
| Class | Description | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DEN HY 305 | Community Dental Health and Practicum | 3 |
| DEN HY 410 | Emergencies in Dental Practice | 1 |
| DEN HY 450 | Advanced Periodontal Seminar | 1 |
| DEN HY 451 | Clinical Dental Hygiene IV | 5 |
| DEN HY 452 | Law and Ethics of Dental Hygiene | 2 |
| DEN HY 489 | Advanced Seminar in Dental Hygiene | 1 |
| TOTAL | SEMESTER UNITS | 13 |
Total Program Units: 65
(*upper division general education courses)
- All upper-division major must be completed at West Los Angeles College.
- During Winter and Summer sessions, clinical courses are offered to students to support the technical skill training.