RDH to BSDH Degree Completion Program
The program is not admitting students for the 2024-25 academic year. Please see the Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree for a UMKC option that will maximize credit earned in the completion of a bachelor’s degree.
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Demonstrate effective use of information technology
- Demonstrate awareness of the role culture plays in the delivery of culturally sensitive healthcare.
- Utilize critical thinking, problem-solving and self-evaluation skills to engage in lifelong learning
- Utilize evidence-based decision-making principles to make informed decisions
- Analyze the impact of healthcare models, theories, and policies on the delivery of oral healthcare
- Apply principles of professional responsibility to the academic environment and professional practice
The competencies above have been adopted by the faculty to assure our RDH to BSDH graduates are adequately prepared to succeed in the dynamic job market of their chosen area of expertise. The assessment plan provides direct and indirect measures of these competencies through multiple measures.
Program Goals
The goals of the RDH to BSDH Degree Completion Program are:
Goal 1: Facilitate Professional Growth
To prepare dental hygienists to become leaders and active participants in a global community of professionals by developing the skills and knowledge to advance the profession and that allow for involvement in advanced and/or alternative career opportunities.
Goal 2: Promote scientific inquiry and critical thinking
To advance dental hygienist’s knowledge in the application of sound scientific principles to foster critical thinking and the provision of evidence-based practice
Goal 3: Promote Lifelong Learning
To prepare dental hygienists for opportunities beyond their academic experience, in which they are exposed to different values, perspectives and cultural traditions, which enriches their capacity for intellectual inquiry and discovery.
Goal 4: Facilitate Patient Care
To provide dental hygienists with the requisite education needed to serve in instrumental roles that address the oral health needs of diverse populations and contribute to improved access to care.
Students must complete 30 credit hours in residence and have a minimum of 120 semester credit hours to earn a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene. Students must also complete 36 credit hours of 300/400 level coursework to earn a bachelors degree. The particular choice of study will be determined by each student in consultation with the director of the RDH to BSDH degree completion program.
General Education Requirements
All students enrolled in the RDH to BSDH degree completion program must complete the general education requirements of the University prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree. Courses that the student has not completed will be included in the individual program of study for that student.
Students have two General Education Options requiring a maximum of 42 credit hours (some of which may be completed with RDH degree):
An individual program of study will may be developed for each student depending on the number of college hours completed previously.
Requirements in both General Education Options include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| COMM-ST 110 | Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | 3 |
| or COMM-ST 140 | Introduction to Communication | |
| MATH 110 | Precalculus Algebra | 3-5 |
| or MATH 120 | Precalculus | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
Admission Requirements
This program is designed for students who have completed an accredited dental hygiene program at another educational institution and desire to continue their education toward a baccalaureate degree.
Formal applications for admission to this program are accepted on a rolling basis. The program may be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Basic requirements and credentials for admission are all of the following:
- Graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program.
- Results and successful completion of the National Board Examination for dental hygiene.
- High school transcripts (if the student has less than 24 transferable hours).
- Complete college transcripts.
- Satisfactory grade point average (2.75 minimum).
- Application for admission to UMKC.
- Supplemental application for admission to the Division of Dental Hygiene.
- An admissions narrative.
Program Prerequisites
A minimum grade of 'C' must be earned in all prerequisite science coursework. A minimum science GPA of 2.75 and minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required for admission to the professional program. Coursework completed as part of the Accredited Associate's degree in Dental Hygiene may be substituted for program prerequisites below.
The following courses represent what students would complete if all prerequisites were taken at UMKC.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics: | ||
| MATH 110 | Precalculus Algebra (or any 200-level or above MATH/STAT course; satisfies GE Math Pathway) | 3 |
| or MATH 120 | Precalculus | |
| Public Speaking: | ||
| COMM-ST 110 | Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening (satisfies GE Oral Communications) | 3 |
| or COMM-ST 140 | Introduction to Communication | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (satisfies GECRT-SS course requirement): | ||
| SOCIOL 101 | Sociology: An Introduction | 3 |
| PSYCH 210 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences: | ||
| Please select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Biology and Living | ||
| General Biology I | ||
| General Biology II | ||
| BIOLOGY 112 | Microbiology and Living | 3 |
| CHEM 211 & 211L | General Chemistry I and Experimental General Chemistry I | 5 |
| Please choose one of the following sequences: | 6-8 | |
| Introductory Anatomy and Human Physiology | ||
| Anatomy & Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II | ||
| Total Credits | 29-31 | |
Professional Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| DENT-HYG 4040 | Introduction to Instruction | 2 |
| DENT-HYG 4110 | Introduction to Research Methodologies | 2 |
| DENT-HYG 4130 & DENT-HYG 4620 | Introduction to Instructional Technologies and Online Learning and Introduction to Learning Theory (satisfies GEFSE course requirement) | 1 |
| DENT-HYG 4150 | Portfolio Capstone | 1 |
| DENT-HYG 4500 | Issues in Dental Hygiene | 3 |
| DENT-HYG 4600 | Scientific Inquiry in the Health Sciences | 2 |
| HLSC 310 | Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| HLSC 315 | Health Literacy | 1 |
| HLSC 404 | Introduction to Social Justice | 1 |
| HLTH-ADM 477 | Leadership and Management in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| DENT-HYG 4620 | Introduction to Learning Theory | 3 |
| Total Credits | 22 | |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 27 | |
GPA Minimum: 2.5
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).