Master of Science in Dental Hygiene (MS)

The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene commits to excellence through engagement of students in a diverse learning environment, fostering innovation and collaboration with community partners, and the advancement of knowledge through practice, scholarship, and lifelong learning. Program Goals

Goal 1. Educate oral health professionals through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion, dedicated to meeting the oral health needs of diverse populations, functioning with autonomy as prevention specialists, providing evidence-based patient-centered care and exhibiting high levels of ethical decision making.

Goal 2. Engage and collaborate with community partners to increase oral health awareness, advocacy and policy development.

Goal 3. Conduct evidence-based scholarship to foster faculty development, and to establish best teaching and clinical practices for dental hygiene education and the profession.

Goal 4. Contribute to the knowledge base and growth of the profession through interprofessional collaboration to improve overall health outcomes.

Goal 5. Create experiences offering innovative pathways promoting student success to meet emerging real-world opportunities.

The Forsyth Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association, and has been granted the accreditation status of "approval without reporting requirements." The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312.440.4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611. The fax number is 312.440.2915 and the website is www.ada.org.

View the Technical Standards for the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene.

View the Exposure Control Plan [PDF] for the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene.

Online tuition is calculated at a cost-per-credit rate based on the program you choose and the number of credits for which you register. Learn more about Online tuition and fees here.

Communication: Develop and deliver culturally sensitive, audience-appropriate messages in both written and oral formats, utilizing effective communication strategies to ensure comprehension and engagement.

Cultural Awareness:  Critically analyze and integrate principles of cultural awareness into all aspects of their professional practice, including patient care, education, research, and leadership, to effectively address the needs of individuals and communities.

Ethics: Conduct professional activities in accordance with ethical standards and values in professional decisions, weighing the effect of decisions on fairness, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and accountability.

Professionalism: Develop and model a professional identity exhibiting the values of integrity, altruism, inclusivity, compassion, courage, humility, advocacy, caring, autonomy, humanity, and a dedication to the well-being of the community. (AACN)

Evidence-Based Literature Review: Conduct a comprehensive systematic literature search relevant to a specific oral health or education issue and critically evaluate the evidence gathered.

Conduct of Scholarship/Research: Design and implement a scholarly project in an area of emphasis related to oral health.

Data Analysis: Apply descriptive analysis and recognize appropriate inferential analysis methods to identify outcomes and be able to interpret results from research data related to oral health education, oral health care, and/or dental public health.

Dissemination of Scholarship/Research: Demonstrate professional writing and presentation skills in the dissemination of research findings.

Public Health & Health Care Systems: Compare and contrast the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings.

Health Care Policy & Advocacy: Evaluate and advocate for the social, economic and political environment to affect policy development and change to facilitate resolution of oral health care issues.

Barriers to Access: Discuss the means by which barriers to access and societal disadvantages undermine and create challenges to achieving fairness at organizational, community, and societal levels.

Disease Prevention & Health Promotion:  Recognize risk level for health conditions and plan interventions that promote healthy lifestyles for individuals, families and communities.

Leadership:  Develop and apply a comprehensive understanding of leadership, encompassing administrative, interpersonal, resource development, and change agent functions to address the needs of the target population.

Administration & Management: Apply basic managerial, administrative, and human relations skills in a team-based organization.

Interprofessional Collaboration: Develop networks, collaborations, and partnerships to enhance the profession’s influence within the community.

Lifelong Learning: Engage in continuous professional development to stay updated on the latest advancements in dental hygiene, dental hygiene education, and related fields.

Curriculum Development: Integrate educational theories, research, technology, and professional standards into the design, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum.

Course Design: Design and implement a student-centered course that promotes cognitive, psychomotor, and affective development, utilizing effective teaching strategies and based on educational theory.

Evidence-Based Practice in Teaching: Critically evaluate and implement evidence-based teaching strategies to enhance student learning outcomes.

Facilitating Learning: Create a physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe humanistic learning environment (NLN).

Critical Analysis of Instruction: Model critical and reflective thinking to learners through effective course design combined with ongoing revisions to improve teaching practices in order to facilitate student learning and development of critical thinking.

Effective Course Evaluation: Create assessment and evaluation strategies (tools) to assess learning outcomes in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains to fit the setting and learner needs.

American Dental Education Association. (2021). ADEA/ADHA graduate dental hygiene program aims and outcomes released. https://www.adea.org/docs/default-source/adea-main/information-for-allied-dental-faculty-and-staff/graduate-dental-hygiene-program-aims-and-outcomes-(march-2021).pdf

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (n.d.). Domain 9: Professionalism. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.aacnnursing.org/essentials/tool-kit/domains-concepts/professionalism

National League of Nursing. (n.d.). Novice Nurse Educator Competencies with Task Statements. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.nln.org/news/newsroomnln-position-documents/novice-nurse-educator-competencies-with-task-statements