Apply to the Dental Hygiene Program

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Each fall semester, 20 candidates meeting all qualification requirements will be selected for admission into the Dental Hygiene Program.

Program Overview About the Dental Hygiene Degree Information Packet (pdf)

Application Filing Period

The application filing period for the 2025 fall semester is December 1, 2024 to March 15, 2025, by 4 pm.

Hand deliver to the Dental Education Center or mail to:

Moreno Valley College
Attn: Dental Hygiene Program
16130 Lasselle Street
Moreno Valley, CA 92551-2045

Licensure Opportunities

Students in good standing in the program are eligible to take the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination in April of their second year. Upon graduation and successful completion of the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination, graduates are eligible to take state and/or regional licensing examinations.

Eligibility and Prerequisites

 
  1. RCCD application on file and eligibility to attend MVC.
  2. High School Verification: Proof of high school or equivalent (GED, high school proficiency examination) per the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  3. Cumulative GPA of not less than 2.0 in all work attempted at MVC and a cumulative GPA of not less than 2.0, which includes all accredited college units attempted.
  4. Cumulative GPA of not less than 3.0 for science prerequisite courses that must include a lab (see * below).
  5. All the following prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting the program. Applicants may apply with up to 3 prerequisites in-progress; however, if accepted, you must have successfully completed all prerequisites with the required cumulative GPA by the end of the Spring semester of the year of application.
    • BIO-50A Anatomy and Physiology I*
    • BIO-50B Anatomy and Physiology II*
    • CHE-2A Chemistry 2A*
    • CHE-2B Chemistry 2B*
    • COM-1 or 1H Public Speaking
    • ENG-1A or 1AH English Composition
    • MAT-52 Elementary Algebra (or higher)
    • BIO-55 Microbiology*
    • KIN-4 Nutrition
    • PSY-1 or 1H General Psychology
    • SOC-1 or 1H Introduction to Sociology

Dental hygiene applicants requesting transfer credit evaluation must provide official transcripts with their application. Only general education and prerequisite coursework will be considered and evaluated for transfer credit, and all general education and prerequisite course(s) for the dental hygiene program must have been taken at an appropriately accredited institution. Authority for all final transfer credit decisions is provided by the institutions evaluation department.

Foreign transcripts must have a "Detailed Evaluation." Information can be obtained from the Counseling office.

For advisement of prior college course work as it pertains to the program requirements, please schedule an appointment to meet with an academic counselor. Appointments can be made by contacting Student Services at (951) 571-6104.

Students selected for the program will be admitted pending submission of a valid CPR certification card (BLS Healthcare Provider Course), medical clearance by a physician or physician assistant for activities associated with the profession, verification of receiving the Hepatitis B vaccination, tetanus, MMR, and TB testing. The CPR card must be kept current throughout the program.

If the CPR card expires prior to completing the program, re-certification is required. This must be a "hands-on course"; online courses do not qualify.

Bloodborne Pathogens Statement

Dental health professionals may be exposed to contagious diseases therefore strict compliance with Center of Disease Control (CDC) and OSHA standards are maintained. Written policies and instruction on infection control protocols to minimize the risk of disease transmission is provided in courses throughout the curriculum and through documents such as the Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual. Compliance of safety practices is evaluated throughout the students' clinical experience to ensure a safe educational and work environment. Policies on blood borne and infectious disease are available upon request from the Dental Hygiene Program.

Application Process

  • 1

    Apply to Moreno Valley College

    Students must apply to MVC prior to applying to the Dental Hygiene Program.
  • 2

    Complete Prerequisite Coursework

    Students must complete a minimum amount of coursework, which includes specific classes, to meet prerequisite coursework requirements.
    Details
    Applicants may apply with up to 3 prerequisites in-progress; however, if accepted, you must have successfully completed all prerequisites with the required cumulative GPA by the end of the spring semester of the year of application.
  • 3

    Meet Eligibility Requirements

    Eligibility is open to students meeting the qualification requirements and who have not been enrolled in other dental hygiene programs. Meeting minimum requirements for the program does not guarantee admission into the program.
  • 4

    Complete Health and CPR Requirements

    Students selected for the program will be admitted pending submission of a valid CPR certification card (BLS Healthcare Provider Course), medical clearance by a physician or physician assistant for activities associated with the profession, verification of receiving the Hepatitis B vaccination, tetanus, MMR, and TB testing. The CPR card must be kept current throughout the program.
    Details
    A low cost physical and at-cost immunizations are available through Student Health and Psychological Services on campus. Students seeking CPR certification can take any AHA approved course.
  • 5

    Complete Application Packet

    Complete the Dental Hygiene Program application. You will need to fill out any required information and attach official transcripts, as well as high school verification. Supplying these materials/attachments is the student's responsibility and you may not be notified about missing support documentation.
  • 6

    Submit Application by the Deadline

    You may hand deliver your application to the Dental Education Center at MVC by the deadline (no later than 4 pm), or submit by mail (must be postmarked March 15 of the application year). Late applications are not accepted.
    Failure to meet the deadline for in-progress prerequisite courses, showing proof of a valid CPR Certification card (BLS Healthcare Provider Course), verification of receiving the Hepatitis B vaccination, immunizations, TB testing and completed health examination form with clearance permitting unrestricted functional activities will result in forfeiting admission into the program.

Selection Process

Preference will be given to those students meeting the Riverside County Residency requirements (applicants residing within Riverside Community College District) and Riverside Community College District Attendance requirements (applicants previously attended a RCCD college taking a minimum of one 3-unit course within the two years of application).

If a student is not offered a space in the program, a new application will be necessary for the following year. Twenty candidates will be randomly selected to begin the program each fall semester.

Students meeting all GPA* requirements, prerequisites, Riverside County Residency requirement, and Riverside Community College District Attendance requirements. If there are more than 20 applicants that met these requirements, then a random drawing of 20 applicants will occur to select the 20 students for admission into the Dental Hygiene Program. An additional 20 applicants will be randomly selected to be on the waiting list for admission for that year only. They will be assigned a waiting list number according to the order they are selected.

* See eligibility and prerequisite requirements. (Cumulative GPA of not less than 3.0 for science prerequisite courses and not less than 2.0 in all other prerequisite courses.)

Students meeting all GPA* requirements, prerequisites, and doesn't meet the Riverside County Residency requirements OR doesn’t meet Riverside Community College District Attendance requirements.

This category will be used only if there are not enough applicants to fulfill the needs of the program in the First Priority Selection category. The number of students selected from the second priority selection pool of applicants will depend on the number of applicants needed to fulfill the program and waiting list slots.

* See eligibility and prerequisite requirements. (Cumulative GPA of not less than 3.0 for science prerequisite courses and not less than 2.0 in all other prerequisite courses.)

Students meeting all GPA* requirements and have up to 3 Prerequisites in progress. This category will be used only if there are not enough applicants to fulfill the needs of the program in the Second Priority Selection category.

* See eligibility and prerequisite requirements. (Cumulative GPA of not less than 3.0 for science prerequisite courses and not less than 2.0 in all other prerequisite courses.)

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