Advanced Placement

The School of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting at Old Dominion University has the option of awarding advanced placement for didactic and clinical experience taken at other institutions of higher education. Students accepted into the dental hygiene program with coursework from dental assisting, dental hygiene, or dental programs may apply for advanced placement within the program. The decision to award advanced placement is dependent on length of time since course was taken, grade received, course content, and whether the program is accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation. 

I. Students who have completed dental assisting, dental hygiene, or dental coursework at a program that is accredited by the ADA within the past five years.

A. Requirements

1. Receive at least a "C" in course being requested. 

2. Provide transcripts from institution awarding course credit to the
    Dental Hygiene Director of Admissions. 

3. At the option of the Dental Hygiene Director of Admissions, provide
    available course materials for evaluation including course syllabus and
    course description. 

B. Procedure

1. Following acceptance into the dental hygiene program, the student will
      request consideration for advanced placement in writing. Request should
      be made as possible for advising purposes. 

2.  Students will be notified in writing of the Admission committee’s
    decision. One of the following recommendations will be made:

     a.  Award course credit
     b.  Requires course(s) be taken for pass/fail.
     c.  Requires course(s) be taken for credit. 

3. A copy of the evaluation and the recommendation from the Admissions
    Committee will be placed in the student’s folder. Decision of the
    Admission Committee are final. 

II. Students who have completed dental assisting, dental hygiene, or dental coursework at a program that is accredited by the ADA greater than five years are invited to challenge individual courses by passing a test for the desire course. 

Successful completion (75% or higher) will exempt the student from the challenged course(s).