Mar 23, 2026  
2026-2027 General Catalog 
    
2026-2027 General Catalog

Dental Hygiene


The Bachelor’s of Dental Hygiene degree is offered in conjunction with the LSU School of Dentistry in New Orleans and Alexandria. Students should check the LSU School of Dentistry website for any additional updates or changes to the prerequisite curricula in dental hygiene. Visit http://www.lsusd.lsuhsc.edu for more information.

The Dental Hygiene Program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) is committed to serving the healthcare needs of Louisiana residents. In alignment with this mission, admission to the Dental Hygiene Program is strictly limited to individuals who are verified legal residents of the state of Louisiana.  

Approval of course selections must be obtained from an Allied Health Programs advisor in University College, located in 150 Allen Hall or from the head of the appropriate professional department at the LSU School of Dentistry. Students are required to meet with an Allied Health Programs advisor in University College for advising each semester to review their schedule and discuss any possible changes in prerequisites and entrance requirements to this program. 

Students are permitted to remain in the Pre-Dental hygiene program while actively working towards the completion of the program’s 62-65 hours of prerequisite coursework. upon reaching 30 hours, students should meet with an Allied Health Programs advisor to discuss the application process. 

Admission to the LSU School of Dentistry requires Louisiana state residency, an ACT composite score of 20 or higher, completion of the ATDH examination, and completion of the DHCAS application. The application cycle for this program opens once per year, typically on or around November 1st, with applications closing by December 31st. If admitted into the LSU School of Dentistry, students will start at the LSUSD campus to complete the remaining 60 hours of this degree program in the Fall semester of the upcoming calendar year. 

After completion of the required 62-65 hours of prerequisite coursework, students are expected to either be admitted to LSU School of Dentistry or declare and complete an undergraduate major offered at LSU A&M.

Critical Requirements


The following outline of Critical Requirements must be met by the semester indicated to ensure that minimal progress will be made in the program selected.

Semester 1: “C” or better in ENGL 1001  and MATH 1021 .
Semester 2: BIOL 1201 , 2.25 LSU GPA. 2.25 Cumulative GPA.
Semester 3: BIOL 1202  and CHEM 1201 , 2.5 LSU GPA. 2.5 Cumulative GPA.
Semester 4: ENGL 2000 . 3.0 LSU GPA. 3.0 Cumulative GPA. Declare a Degree Program.
 

BIOL 1201 Biology for Science Majors I (3)     
ENGL 1001 English Composition I (3)  
ENGL 2000 English Composition II (3)  
BIOL 1202 Biology for Science Majors II (3)  
MATH 1022 Plane Trigonometry (3)  

Total Semester Hours: 16


Total Semester Hours: 16


Total Semester Hours: 15


Semester 4


CRITICAL: ENGL 2000 . 3.0 LSU GPA. 3.0 Cumulative GPA. Declare a Degree Program.

Total Semester Hours: 15-19


62-66 Total Sem. Hrs.


1 ILC ARTS course must be from: ART, ARTH, MUS, or THTR rubric.
2 ILC HUMANITIES course must be from: ARAB, CHIN, CMST, ENGL, FREN, GERM, GREK, HEBR, HIST, ITAL, LATN, PHIL, SPAN, or REL rubric.
3 ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSES may be selected from the following: