Students pursuing a career in dental hygiene should take special care to prepare. While most dental hygiene programs require the completion of 60 hours from an accredited institution, the pre-dental hygiene coursework requirements vary across programs. Every dental hygiene program has unique requirements which may include coursework, laboratory, volunteer, and healthcare experiences. Each program determines their own list of required and recommended pre-dental hygiene coursework. Students are encouraged to review curriculum outlines for years 1 and 2 of the professional programs to which they intend to apply and are encouraged to enroll in coursework that provides foundational knowledge to support their success when planning electives to complete their academic plan. 

Pre-Professional Advising: Students interested in preparing for a career in dental hygiene or other healthcare areas are encouraged to connect with a Pre-Professional Advisor early and often.  Pre-professional programs can be found in RooGroups. Students with a declared plan of Pre-Dental Hygiene will find the Pre-Professional Health Advisor in their Success Network under “My Connections” in UMKC Connect and can schedule appointments there.  All other students can contact Roo Advising at 816-235-1148 or rooadvising@umkc.edu for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Common Required Courses:

Common requirements for most dental hygiene programs include the courses listed below. UMKC courses that will universally fulfill the requirements are listed along with alternative options. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that any alternative options selected are acceptable for satisfaction of the requirements for the schools to which they intend to apply.

For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene at UMKC, please visit the School of Dentistry, Division of Dental Hygiene Catalog.