The program emphasizes the knowledge and skills necessary for chairside dental assisting, but also prepares students to perform clinical support services, selected laboratory procedures and basic business office procedures. The Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and by the United States Department of Education. To be eligible for admission, the applicants must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Applicants are required to have taken one year of a laboratory science, preferably biology or chemistry and have satisfactorily completed courses in mathematics. Students accepted for admission are further required to have a complete physical examination within three months prior to entering the program.
Early application is encouraged because class size in limited.
It is a goal of the Dental Assisting Program to provide a broad educational experience, encompassing didactic and clinical phases, for dental assistants to become competent in all functions that are currently identified in the Accreditation Standards for Dental Assisting. Transportation costs to clinical assignments are the student's responsibility, as are certification examination fees. These fees are subject to change without notice. Failure to do so will result in denial of graduation. To be eligible for graduation, the student must have successfully completed all requirements, have a minimum of 39 credit hours, and a grade point average of at least 2.00.