Academic Program Proposal
Main_Content
Date Proposal Activated | Institution and Proposal | Degree Awarded | Academic Program Name | Objections Received | Objection Deadline | MHEC Final Action | Final Decision Date |
---|
| University of Maryland, Baltimore Proposal | Bachelor/Master of Science (B.S./M.S.) | Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader | | 2/6/2019 | Approved | 3/29/2019 |
Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader Program Description |
The University of Maryland School of Dentistry’s (UMSOD) Dual-Degree Program BS/MS Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader (CDHL) will be a unique offering at the forefront of dental hygiene education, preparing exceptional students for a dynamic oral health landscape. The two-year dual-degree program, to be housed at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), will enable students to obtain both a bachelor of science in dental hygiene and a master of science. Requiring an initial bachelor’s degree for admission (in addition to prerequisites), the program is geared toward students with a science background who have decided to specialize in dental hygiene and/or those who want a primary role in facilitating and responding to change in the oral health field. While pursuing the existing bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, CDHL program students will be dually enrolled in graduate courses. <br> <br>The CDHL program will produce dental hygienists who can work interprofessionally as members of an interdisciplinary team, assuming key leadership roles in a wide variety of clinical, educational, public health, and healthcare settings. Students in the program will also work side-by-side with advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD) students and predoctoral dental students in a new Shady Grove clinical facility. The coursework will have a strong emphasis on research and understanding the scientific literature, so that graduates are not just advanced clinicians, but experienced in, and wholly comfortable with, reviewing the latest findings in oral health and using evidence-based decision-making in patient care. The curriculum of the dual-degree program enables students to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam (NBDHE) and the Commission on Dental Competency Assessment (CDCA) examinations to qualify for licensure as a registered dental hygienist (RDH). <br> |