Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene

Application deadline: November 1

Applications for admission are accepted from the beginning of July to November 1 the year prior to the year admission is sought. Late applications will not be accepted.

Only electronic applications will be accepted.

The following documentation is required:

1. Completed University of Alberta online undergraduate application for admission with the non-refundable application fee.
2. Personal Experiences form.
3. Official transcripts of your academic record. All previous post-secondary academic records must be declared and provided.
4. Altus Suite results (Situational Judgment test).
5. English Language Proficiency/Spoken English Requirement (if required).

Note: Review the Admissions Deadlines section for important due dates.

Those who seek to enrol in the Dental Hygiene program must complete a pre-professional year before admission to the Faculty.

The minimum requirement for admission to the Dental Hygiene Program is the satisfactory completion of *30 of transferable postsecondary work (5 full-year course equivalents or 10 half-year course equivalents), of which, *27 (9 half-year course equivalents) must be taken during one Fall/Winter academic year. (A Fall/Winter academic year is September to April inclusive).

The pre-professional course requirements are:

• English (*6)
• Organic Chemistry (*3)
• General Chemistry (*3)
• Biology 107 or equivalent (*3)
• Sociology (*3)
• Psychology (*3)
• Statistics (*3)
• Options any Faculty (*6)

• *3 is equivalent to one half year course
• *6 is equivalent to one full year course or two half-year courses
• Completion of a certificate in Dental Assisting will not fulfill the pre-professional requirements.
• A minimum grade of C- (or equivalent) is required in any transfer course (i.e. courses not completed at the University of Alberta) used to meet a prerequisite requirement. Grades of D+, D, D- and F are considered deficient for transfer coursework.
• Applicants having high school courses in English Language Arts 30-1; Pure Mathematics 30, Chemistry 30, Biology 30 and one of the following: Social Studies 30, Physics 30, Science 30, Math 31, Language other than English at the 30 level, i.e. French 30, will be best prepared to succeed in the pre-professional year.
• General Chemistry: IB Chemistry (higher level) with a grade of 6 or 7 only is equivalent to Chemistry 101 (*3) or Chemistry 103 (*3).
• Biology (including Microbiology, Zoology, Genetics, Botany, Bacteriology, Immunology): IB Biology (higher level) with a grade of 6 or 7 only is equivalent to Biology 107 (*3).
• English Courses offered by the Department of English: ENGL will meet the English requirement. ENGL 150 will not meet the requirement. IB English (Higher) with a grade of 6 or 7 will meet the English requirement. Classics, History, Linguistics, WRS, WRITE or Philosophy DO NOT meet this requirement.

Official transcripts showing completed work to date and course registration for the Fall term should be submitted by November 15 to assist in the preliminary assessment of your file.

Official transcripts showing completed work up to and including Fall term of current year must be submitted by February 1.

Please note: Applicants who fail to submit the required documents by the February 1 deadline cannot be evaluated for interview selection. Applicants who do not receive an interview cannot be considered for admission. (See all DH Admissions Deadlines.)

Official final transcripts of current Fall/Winter academic year must be received by June 15.

Please submit all transcripts to:

Office of the Registrar and Student Awards
University of Alberta
11487 89 Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M7

Via email:
transcripts@ualberta.ca

Submission of University of Alberta transcripts is not necessary for Fall/Winter coursework.

Applicants planning to take Spring term courses the year admission is sought must notify the Admissions Office of their intention to register by February 1 and provide a final official transcript by June 15.

Post-secondary education completed outside of Canada

All applicants are required to provide a detailed course description for post-secondary work completed outside of Canada, due February 1 the year admission is sought.

English Language Proficiency and Spoken English Requirement: deadline June 15 of year admission is sought. See University of Alberta Calendar 13.3.1 and 13.3.2

Altus Suite - admissions assessments of non-cognitive skills

All applicants applying to the Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene program are required to complete an online suite of assessments (Altus Suite), to assist with our selection process for the 2021-2022 Application Cycle.

Altus Suite is a standardized, two -part online assessment of non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics, and personal values and priorities that are believed to be important. Altus Suite will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation.

Altus Suite consists of:

• Casper: a 60-90 minute online situational judgment test (SJT)
• Snapshot: a 10-minute one-way interview with standardized questions 

You will register for Altus Suite for Canadian Undergraduate Health Sciences (CSP-10202 – Canadian Undergraduate Health Sciences).

Note, the DDS and Dental Hygiene programs require different assessments.  If applying to both programs you will need to complete the required assessment for each program.

Access www.TakeAltus.com to create an account and for more information on important dates and requirements, and the Altus Suite assessments.

Results must be submitted to the Admissions Office by January 1 of the year admission is sought.  Note, scores are valid for one year only.

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta values diversity in our entering Dental Hygiene class. The Personal Experiences section gives you the opportunity to highlight your life experiences that you feel will enhance your application. The Personal Experiences section is comprised of four subsections:

Employment: Include a brief description of the nature of the work and your responsibilities, a brief description of the average hours worked per week (ie. part-time during summer, seasonal, full-time, etc), and the total number of verifiable hours worked in each position. (350 characters per entry).  Maximum of 3 entries.

Leadership  and/or  Volunteer Experiences: List and briefly describe areas where you have provided a leadership role or volunteer experience. This applies to scholastic, sports, arts, and community activities. Include a brief description of the time commitment (ie. part-time during summer, seasonal, full-time, etc) as well as the total number of verifiable hours committed. (350 characters per entry). Maximum of 3 entries.

Life Experience & Achievements: This section encompasses many domains including, but not limited to, achievements and experiences in: education, arts, music, sports, athletics, science, research, languages, communication, cultural and ethnic experiences, and travel. You can include activities which you feel have defined your life. Include a brief description of the time commitment (2000 character maximum).  One entry allowed.

Personal Highlights: Use this space to highlight something about yourself that has not been previously expressed (1000 characters maximum).  One entry allowed.

Please note that applicants are not required to reveal anything that is considered protected under human rights legislation.

For Employment, Leadership & Volunteer Experiences, and Life Experiences & Achievements: you should be selective and concise in the activities you choose to include. By not including any items in these any of these sections you are accepting a 0 for that section. Details about each activity are required, such as length of time commitment, description of time commitment, number of verifiable hours committed, and description of activity. For example, when calculating the number of hours committed to an activity, please do not include hours dedicated to sleep. We suggest that you discuss the information you are choosing to include with your verifier and notify them that they will be contacted.

As all activities are verified, you must provide us with the contact information for someone who can confirm the details you have provided for each activity. You should not be using yourself as a verifier. When possible, avoid using family members or close friends as verifiers. Should we have any issues during this process we will add a checklist item in your UAlberta Launchpad for you to complete. If you do not hear from us, assume that everything is fine.

When an application for admission is submitted the Personal Experiences form will be available in your launchpad checklist. The deadline for submission of the Personal Experiences form is November 1.

Interview schedules are to be determined.

A personal interview is required of all competitive applicants annually. Interview selection is based on post-secondary academic record. The interim document deadline is February 1. Applicants who fail to submit the required documents by February 1 cannot be evaluated for interview selection.

Competitive applicants will be interviewed to determine if they have the personal qualities necessary for the profession. The interview evaluates an applicant's maturity, motivation, initiative, ability to communicate, personal qualities and interests.

Applicants selected to interview will be contacted by email by the end of February. Primary contact will be through the University of Alberta email account, please have your U of A account forwarded to your regular email account if you do not check your U of A email account regularly.

Interview Format

The interview format is the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). In this format, the interviewee will be exposed without interruption to a series of stations, each of which will take 10 minutes to complete.

At each station, the interviewee will be provided with a question, and given two minutes to read the question and formulate a response. After these two minutes, the interviewee will discuss the response with an interviewer for the remaining eight minutes before moving quickly to the next station.

Candidates must interview each year in person at the University of Alberta.

Applicants not selected for interview will not be re-evaluated for final selection in the current year.

Sample MMI Questions

Enrolment is limited to an annual quota of 40 students. Of the 40 positions available 36 are reserved for Alberta residents, and up to 4 available for Non-Alberta residents. No non-resident shall be admitted to the Dental Hygiene Program who is less qualified than any Alberta resident who is denied admission to that Program.

For admission purposes, a resident of Alberta is defined as a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) who has been continuously resident in the Province of Alberta, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, or Nunavut for at least one year immediately prior to the first day of classes of the term in which admission is sought. Because residency status determines the competitive pool in which an applicant is ranked, applicants may be required to present proof of residency status. Please visit section 13.2 Residence Requirements of the University of Alberta calendar for more information.

We do not accept any advance standing or transfer students from other Dental Hygiene Programs. All applicants admitted to the Dental Hygiene Program must complete all years of the program at the University of Alberta.

Indigenous Applicants

In addition to the regular quota positions, additional position/s per year may be available for a qualified student/s of indigenous ancestry. Applicants interested in this program are encouraged to contact the Administrator, Indigenous Health Initiatives at (780) 492-9526 for further information and assistance.

Applicant Profile

1. Overall GPA (OGPA) - is comprised of all transferable post-secondary work completed as a full-time student taken during Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer Terms. For OGPA calculation, full-time study is equivalent to a minimum of *18 taken during Fall/Winter Terms or *12 taken during Spring/Summer Terms.
2. Altus Suite results
3. Personal Experiences
4. Interview score

In order to be competitive, applicants should strive for a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students with a GPA of less than 2.7 will not be considered for admission.

For applicants who have completed four or more years of full-time transferable post-secondary work, the Overall GPA is calculated with the deletion of the lowest Fall/Winter GPA, provided it is not the most recent Fall/Winter or the only Fall/Winter where *27 was taken.

Special Consideration

Applicants who have extenuating circumstances may submit a request for special consideration in writing to the Admissions Committee with supporting documentation. Special consideration requests must be received by the Admissions Office by January 31 of the year admission is sought. Applicants will be expected to have successfully completed all pre-professional requirements. Applicants requesting special consideration must contact the Admissions Office prior to submitting their request for a Request for Special Consideration form.

Upon Acceptance

Notification of Acceptance: May - July

Deposit: Upon notification of acceptance, applicants will be required to confirm their admission and intention to register by submitting a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 within the time specified in the letter of acceptance. The deposit will be credited toward payment of tuition upon completion of registration.

Complete and fully documented immunization is a program requirement. The Faculty Immunization Clearance Form must be filled out exactly as detailed on the form by an appropriate health care provider with a minimum month and year of all vaccine injections and supporting serology or letters where indicated. It is strongly recommended, where possible, to utilize the University Health Center for your immunization clearance. Appointments can be booked online or by calling 780-492-2612. The vaccination requirements are based on the Alberta Provincial guidelines for HealthCare Students in a Post-Secondary Institution and serology/immunization outside the guidelines is not routinely done or recommended. All immunization records need to be written and legible. Certified translation must be provided for all non-English documentation. Students without acceptable records will be required to complete their primary immunization series which can take many months so early action on this requirement is strongly advised.

A clear Police Information Check (PIC) is required under the Protection For Persons in Care Act. All students going to any clinical placement or rotation in Alberta are required to complete a PIC (also known as a Criminal Record Check, Security Clearance Check, or Police Clearance), which must include a Vulnerable Sector check. The clinical practice site will determine the criteria for acceptance/denial of a placement.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (CPR) is required for all students registered in the program. The School will only accept Canadian or American Heart and Stroke: Basic Life Support CPR for health care providers. No other courses will be accepted to meet the CPR requirement. Students must provide evidence of valid CPR certification at the beginning of each fall term throughout the course of their program. A CPR BLS Provider certificate is valid for one year from the completion date of the course. Online CPR course certifications will NOT be accepted; students must attend an in-person course. Students who do not have current Basic Life Support Provider CPR certification cannot participate in clinical courses. You may visit the Heart and Stroke website to find courses offered in Basic Life Support CPR for health care providers.

Students who are Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Alberta

The approximate costs for Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents for future students in the Dental Hygiene program are as follows: (Tuition is calculated on a full course load.)

If you are not a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident, the approximate costs for future International students are as follows:

Note: All costs noted above are estimates only, and are subject to change and can be effected by economic conditions such as exchange rates. Students pay the fees in effect at the time of registration. Loupes, textbooks and software are separate from the above fees. Students are responsible for any costs associated with these requirements.

The possession of a dental hygiene diploma or degree does not automatically confer the right to practice dental hygiene in any province of Canada. Each province has a licensing authority. A dental hygienist desiring to practice dental hygiene in Canada should contact the appropriate provincial licensing body.

The Registrar of a Provincial licensing body may refuse to issue a registration certificate to practice dental hygiene to any applicant possessing a criminal record. If you have concerns in this area, please contact the appropriate licensing body.

To practice in Alberta, a dental hygienist must be registered with College of Registered Dental Hygienists of Alberta.