Dental Hygiene General Info Session Workshops

These 1-hour workshops are designed to provide an overview of the Dental Hygiene Program, what is required, the application process, and more. 

Click on the date below and sign up to attend a workshop. Whether you are beginning your prerequisites or planning to apply for the next cohort, this workshop is for you!

March:

Monday, 03/06 @ 10am (via Zoom) - sign up here

April:

Tuesday, 04/11 @ 6pm (via Zoom) - sign up here

May:

Wednesday, 05/10 @ 4pm (via Zoom) - sign up here

The Dental Hygiene Application Clinic Workshops are designed to assist students with the application process to apply for the upcoming Fall cohort.

The workshop will provide an overview of the application, advise what to do and the required documentation, and provide time for Q&A.

If you are planning to apply for the Fall 2023 cohort, the application is due on March 1, 2023. Click the date below for the workshop you would like to attend and complete the registration.

February:
Tuesday, 02/21 @ 5:30pm (in-person: LLR-101) - sign up here
Friday, 02/24 @ 10am (via Zoom) - sign up here
Tuesday, 02/28 @ 5:30pm (in-person: LLR-101) - sign up here

Preparation

To prepare for the rigors of the Oxnard College Dental Hygiene Program, high school courses in algebra, biology and chemistry are recommended.  Taking these courses in high school also prepares the applicant for the prerequisite college classes. 

Eligibility

In order for a student to be eligible for program entrance, they must be considered a qualified candidate--meaning the applicant meets or exceeds all program requirements.  

Through review of the application, it is determined if an applicant is qualified.  Then all qualified applicant are included in a lottery selection process.  (It is highly recommended that applicants plan to complete general education requirements such as fine arts, humanities, and physical education prior to program entry in order to be eligible for an Associates of Science in Dental Hygiene degree upon completion of the program).

Admission to the program requires a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, therefore, students who have completed courses outside the U.S. will need to have a foreign record evaluation (contact the counseling office for approved foreign records evaluation agencies).

Applicants should meet with a counselor for any questions regarding prerequisites/requirements in order to avoid unfortunate surprises that may result in disqualification at the time of application. 

Additional requirements: 

• A valid adult, child, and infant CPR card including two-person CPR; certification must be kept current throughout the two-year program
• A high school diploma, GED, or equivalent; all prerequisites must be completed before students can apply to the program.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC) course in Basic Life Support (BLS) which includes instruction in adult and pediatric CPR, including 2-rescuer scenarios; airway obstruction and relief of choking for adult, child, and infant; AED use; and a live, in-person skills practice session, a skills test, and a written examination.

Please note: Students may have only one science course in progress at time of application but the course must be completed with a passing grade by the end of the spring session of the applying year while maintaining the minimum required 3.0 overall and Science GPA's.

Dental Hygiene Program Recommendation

• READ R105 Critical Reading [3 units]
• Spanish Course if no basic verbal skills in Spanish [3-5 units]

Dental Hygiene Program Prerequisite Courses

• ANAT R101 General Human Anatomy [4 units]
  • General Biology is a prerequisite for Anatomy at Oxnard College 
  • BIOL R101 General Biology or BIOL R101H (or equivalent) [3 units] and
  • BIOL R101L General Biology Laboratory (or equivalent) [1 unit]
• CHEM R110 Elementary Chemistry [5 units]  OR  CHEM R120 General Chemistry I [5 units]
• CHEM R112 Elementary Organic and Biological Chemistry [5 units]
• COMM R101 Introduction to Oral Communication [3 units]
• DH R001 Pre-Dental Hygiene [1 unit]
• ENGL R101 College Composition [4 units] or
• ENGL R101H College Composition [4 units]
• MATH R105 Introductory Statistics [4 units] [Also accept MATH R106 Business Calculus, MATH R100, MATH R101, MATH R104, MATH R115 College Algebra, MATH R117 Precalculus and Trigonometry, MATH R120 Calculus and Analytic Geometry, PSY R103 Beginning Statistics for Behavioral Science, SOC R125 Statistics for the Behavioral & Social Sciences]
• MICR R100 Principles of Microbiology [3 units]
• MICR R100L Principles of Microbiology Lab [2 units]
• PHSO R101 Human Physiology [5 units]
• PSY R101 General Psychology [3 units]
• SOC R101 Introduction to Sociology [3 units]

and Select one of the following to satisfy the cultural diversity requirement:*

• ANTH R102 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology [3 units]
• ANTH R102H Honors: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology [3 units]
• ANTH R114 African American Culture and Experience [3 units]
• ANTH R107/ETHS R107 Anthropology of Native Americans [3 units]
• CHST R101 Introduction to Chicana/o Studies [3 units]
• ECE R107 Teaching in a Diverse Society [3 units]
• SJS R110 Introduction to Social Justice Studies [3 units]
• SOC R103 Race and Ethnic Relations [3 units]
• SOC R108 Sociology of the Chicano Community [3 units]

Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Score Exemption may be accepted in lieu of OC College Program English Composition and Math prerequisites.
*Or equivalent Ethnic Studies/Diversity Class

Total Prerequisite Units totals approximately 44-47 units.

The courses listed above are not necessarily entry-level. Oxnard College offers courses to prepare students to succeed in these prerequisites. See a counselor for more information.

Students with catalog rights to any catalog prior to Fall 2022 who have already completed either MATH R005 or MATH R015, or their equivalents, may use these classes to meet the Dental Hygiene prerequisites. 

The application cycle for the Fall 2023 class is currently closed.

Students interested in entering the Oxnard College Dental Hygiene Program must apply in Spring for the class entering in Fall. Completed applications are accepted from January 1st to March 1st of the year entrance is desired. 

An application for the Fall 2024 class will be posted during the Fall 2023 semester. 

The Oxnard College Dental Hygiene Program utilizes a lottery-type selection process. Upon verification of program admission requirements, all qualified candidates will be included in a selection pool.

A random selection process will be initiated to select the dental hygiene candidates. Alternates will also be selected using the same method, and alternates will be used in the event of any resigning candidates. The alternates will be notified as soon as we are aware of the openings.

Applicant Selection is based on the following criteria:

1. Completion of all prerequisites by the end of the Fall Semester prior to program entry*
2. A 3.0 or better cumulative college GPA
3. A 3.0 or better GPA in all college science prerequisites
4. Five-year recency requirement for all science related courses
5. High School Diploma or equivalent
6. Current CPR card

*one science course may be in progress at the time of application (separate sections of correlating lecture and laboratory classes are considered one class)

Students must have a 3.0 or better cumulative college grade point average (GPA) and a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA in prerequisite science courses in order to apply to the program. All prerequisite science courses must be completed within the last 5 years.

Lottery Selection

Upon verification of program selection criteria, all qualified candidates will be included in a selection pool. A prioritized lottery selection process is utilized to select entering students and alternates.

Students who take 32 units of prerequisites, with 15 units in science prerequisites at Oxnard College, are in the first pool.

Candidates who take 32 units of prerequisites, with 15 units in science prerequisites at any of the VCCCD colleges or SBCC, are included in the second pool along with the first pool candidates.

The remaining applicants are in the final pool along with the 1st and 2nd pool candidates. 

Only 20 students are admitted each year. All names drawn after the initial 20 are placed on an alternate list. The alternate list is used to fill any available spaces in the program should any applicants decline a place in the program. However, there is no wait list. Students not selected must reapply each year.

Standard student expenses (textbooks, in-state tuition, college fees, etc.) are estimated to be about $11,000 in the first semester and $3,000 in the second semester for resident students.

For non-resident students it is estimated to be $17,000 in the first semester and $8,000 in the second semester. These additional costs are associated with instruments, equipment, uniforms, fees for licensing examinations, professional dues and course expenses.

The VCCCD has adopted the state-mandated enrollment fee. The basic enrollment fee for a resident student is $46 per unit, for a nonresident student the link provided below will direct you to the fees and prices of enrollment. 

Other fees, such as parking fees, student health fees, and student representation fees remain in force. All fees are subject to change without notice. For more information click here on the link provided below.

  http://www.oxnardcollege.edu/departments/administrative/business_svcs/fees.shtml