Applicant Information

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Applicant Information for the 2023-2024 School Year

Thank you for your interest in the Dental Hygiene Program at Taft College. Below you will find information about the program that will assist in making your decision.

  1. Prerequisites & Selection Criteria
  2. Dental Hygiene Associate Degree Requirements
  3. Estimated Program Costs

Applications for the class beginning in the fall 2024semester will be available mid-January and must be received in the Taft College Admissions Office by 3:00 p.m. the last day of February 2024.

Should you have further questions, please feel free to call the Dental Hygiene Department at (661) 763-7885 or the Counseling Center at (661) 763-7748.

Sincerely, Vickie Kimbrough, RDH, MBA, PhD
Director of Dental Hygiene

PREREQUISITES AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Taft College accepts 20 qualified students into its Dental Hygiene Program each fall semester. There are minimum admission requirements that all applicants must meet in order to be considered for acceptance into the program.

The application period for the class beginning in the fall 2024 semester is mid-January to the end of February.  Designated dates are included in the application, once posted.

  1. Applicants must earn a minimum grade of “C” in each of the following prerequisite courses.

PREREQUISITES

As of the 2024 application period…

  • All program prerequisites must be completed by December of the prior year. Applications submitted to enter fall 2024, must have all prerequisites completed by December 2023.
  • No in-progress prerequisites are accepted. All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed with a “C” or better before submitting an application for fall 2024.
  • All prerequisite *science courses must be completed by 2018 or later to meet the five (5) year recency requirement.
  • A two-semester combination Anatomy and Physiology course may be substituted for the Anatomy and Physiology requirement.  A one-semester survey course is not acceptable.
Prerequisite Course Semester Units
*Human Anatomy w/ Lab 4-5
*Organic Chemistry w/ Lab 4-5
*General Microbiology w/ Lab 4-5
*Human Physiology w/ Lab 4-5
English Composition and Reading 3
Mathematics (Interm Algebra or Higher-Statistics Recommended) 4-5
Psychology (Any CSU GE Area D Psychology Course) 3
Multicultural/Cultural Diversity/Ethnic Studies (Any approved course that satisfies multicultural/diversity GE requirements (identified as Ethnic Studies (ES) at TC), or any CSU GE Area F Course) 3
Sociology (Any CSU GE Area D Sociology Course) 3
Speech/Communication (Any CSU GE Area A.1 Course) 3

*Five (5) year recency requirement: All completed prerequisite science courses must be completed within the previous 5 years of application

*All sciences prerequisite courses must include a “wet laboratory” component whether it is offered in person or online with take home lab kit or hybrid. A lab must not be entirely virtual.  The Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC) defines a “wet lab” in the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 16 (16), section 1103(ai) as: “Wet laboratory” is a term used to distinguish classical benchtop experiments handling biological material from computer analysis or other theoretical work. All applicants will be required to submit proof of “wet lab” experiences during science courses taken after January 1, 2022.

  1. Applicants must hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 in all college coursework.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The selection criteria is applied to those applicants who have met minimum program requirements.

There is a cumulative total of 200 points possible in the following categories:

  • GPA in prerequisite coursework (50 points)
  • Cumulative GPA in all college coursework (45 points)
  • Number of units completed at Taft College (40 points)
  • Progress towards the completion of general education requirements for the Associate Degree, or CSU Breadth or IGETC certification (20 points)
  • Attainment of a degree (20 points)
  • Related work experience (25 points)

Contact the Counseling Center at (661)763-7748 for additional information.

Program requirements and selection criteria are subject to change. Students applying to the Dental Hygiene program must meet catalog and program requirements in effect at the time of application to the program. Contact the Taft College Dental Hygiene Department for current information.

DENTAL HYGIENE ASSOCIATE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST FOR FALL PROGRAM APPLICANTS

Program Prerequisites: All prerequisites to the program must be completed with a minimum grade of “C”. In addition, all science courses (Anatomy, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, and Physiology) must be completed within the past five (5) years in order to meet the recency requirement.
Print Prerequisite Checklist
Prerequisite Course Requirement Met
*Human Anatomy w/ Lab
*Organic Chemistry w/ Lab
*General Microbiology w/ Lab
*Human Physiology w/ Lab
English Composition and Reading
Mathematics (Interm Algebra or Higher-Statistics Recommended)
Psychology (Any CSU GE Area D Psychology Course)
Multicultural/Cultural Diversity/Ethnic Studies
(Any approved course that satisfies multicultural/diversity GE requirements (identified as Ethnic Studies (ES) at TC), or any CSU GE Area F Course)
Sociology (Any CSU GE Area D Sociology Course)
Speech/Communication (Any CSU GE Area A.1 Course)

Additional General Education/Associate Degree Requirements:

Print GenEd Checklist
General Education / Associates Degree Course Requirement Met
Health Education/Lifelong Learning
American History and Institutions
Information Competency
Arts and Humanities

Note: General education requirements are not required to apply to the Dental Hygiene program, but are required to earn the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene. It is highly recommended that general education requirements be completed prior to applying to the Dental Hygiene program. Coursework completed at another institution must be equivalent to courses offered at Taft College. A Taft College counselor or the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee will determine equivalency.

Estimated Program Cost

First Year Fall Spring
Units @ $46 17 14.5
Enrollment fees $782 $667
Books $1,300 $650
Clinic Fee $300 $300
Parking -0-
ASB card (optional) $30
Instruments $1,400
Clinic Kit $1,500
Uniforms $200
Name tag (2) $40
CDHA Membership (2yrs) $50
Malpractice insurance $22
Loupes -- $1,500
Miscellaneous expenses $200 $125
First Year Totals $5,864 $3,242
Second Year Fall Spring
Units @ $46 16 12.5
Enrollment fees $736 $575
Books $400 $400
Clinic Fee $300 $300
Instruments and supplies $200 $200
Parking -0-  
ASB card (optional) $30  
     
Malpractice insurance $22  
Miscellaneous expenses $150 $125
     
     
Ultrasonic Scaler $1,200  
     
Second Year Totals $2,988 $1,600

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST
$13,694

**Non-Program Expenses 4th Semester Only**

  • Optional National Board Review (four days)
    • Plus hotel and food expense

$425

  • National Board Exam (paid in December/January)

$415

  •  WREB Exam (Clinical)

$1,300

  • CRDTS Exam (Clinical)

$1,250

  • DHBC Law & Ethics exam/ RDH Application

$310

PROGRAM EXPENSES AND ENROLLMENT FEES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

*For rules and regulations regarding licensure in the state of California, please refer to the Dental Hygiene Board of California website: http://www.dhbc.ca.gov/

FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM

In order to be eligible for federal aid, students are required to enroll in a course of study leading to a degree or a certificate and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Financial aid applications and the Taft College Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy is available in the Financial Aid Office located in the Counseling Center. Contact the Financial Aid Office at (661)763-7762 if you have questions regarding your eligibility.