B.S./M.S. Dual Degree Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader Track

The B.S./M.S. Dual Degree Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader (CDHL) Track is for individuals who already possess a bachelor’s degree in another field and have also completed the 57 credits of required prerequisite coursework at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

The program is geared toward students with a science background who have decided to specialize in dental hygiene and those who want a primary health care role in the oral health profession. The CDHL program will produce dental hygienists who can work interprofessionally and assume key leadership roles as members of interdisciplinary teams in hospitals, public health departments, community clinics, long-term care facilities, and educational and research institutions.

The University of Maryland School of Dentistry’s (UMSOD) Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader (CDHL) program is a unique offering preparing exceptional students to become leaders in the oral health delivery system. The two-year (including 3 summer semesters) dual-degree program, housed at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), will enable students to obtain both a bachelor of science and a master of science in dental hygiene at the same time.

The CDHL Dual Degree curriculum includes graduate and undergraduate courses utilizing blended synchronous and asynchronous class activities with scheduled live and in-person pre-clinic, lab, and clinical experiences at the dental educational facility at the Universities at Shady Grove located in Montgomery County and some rotations each semester to the School of Dentistry located in Baltimore City.  U of MD School of Dentistry dental hygiene and dental faculty work with dental hygiene students in classroom, laboratory, clinic and community settings allowing them access to Baltimore-based UMSOD faculty members while benefiting from USG’s interdisciplinary environment. Undergraduate courses combine the outstanding baccalaureate education already provided at the UMSOD, with graduate level coursework. A strong emphasis is placed on research, scholarly writing, and understanding the scientific literature, so that graduates are not only competent clinicians, but prepared to review the latest findings in oral health and apply them to making evidence-based decisions about patient care.