Table of contents Introduction to Graduate Study in the Department of Dental Hygiene | Master of Science Degree students in the Department of Dental Hygiene are invited to join a process of learning for understanding and competence. You will be encouraged to be actively involved in learning that prepares you for independent, critical thinking and professional leadership. Whether you are pursuing an advanced degree by taking courses full- or part-time, or actively involved in research, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are expected to meet the highest standards of achievement. WELCOME! Our program offers a combined emphasis on scholarship and professional preparation and exhibits the necessary compatibility and tension between theory and practice. Students will meet faculty in the Department who similarly combine research and involvement with the practical realities of professional practice and teaching. Student independence and initiative are highly valued in this Department. This is especially true in student-advisor relations and the student's transition from taking courses to conducting research. Students are encouraged to make active use of the resources available through a faculty advisor. Courses, career plans, research topics, and simply interesting ideas -- these are matters that students and advisors can work on together. Both benefit from the exchanges. The transition from course work to independent research poses special challenges that every graduate student in the Department eventually confronts. Identifying and defining research problems, designing and conducting research, and analyzing data require higher levels of knowledge/ability and confidence than are entailed in completing courses. The faculty stand ready to offer advice on how these changes in orientation can be negotiated in your quest for your Master's degree. Students in our Department are carefully selected. They come from varied backgrounds, reflecting the Department's intention to attract as students outstanding men and women without regard to race, ethnicity, social class, or nationality. Our students are experienced, busy professionals with clear goals and expectations. This website offers the initial information and counsel you will need to pursue graduate study in the Department successfully. Kathryn Spears-Battani, RDH, MS
Assistant Professor and Interim Graduate Program Director
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Dental Hygiene Today - Keeping Pace with a Changing World
| These are dynamic times for health care and particularly for dental hygiene. In the last decade alone, the roles of dental hygienists have changed to keep pace with new technology, new systems of health care delivery, an increasing geriatric population and a more informed public. The Master of Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore is an innovative program designed to educate the leaders of dental hygiene for today and tomorrow. An increasing number of leadership positions for dental hygienists have created a demand for graduate education in research, management, teaching and community/institutional health. As one graduate student stated, "Dental Hygiene is a changing profession and I selected Maryland because I wanted to involve myself in a program that would facilitate this change and help me see the difference that I can make." |
THE PROGRAM
| The Master of Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene is designed to prepare dental hygienists to assume positions of responsibility beyond those assumed by the baccalaureate graduate and to provide a foundation for doctoral level study. The program is student-centered, individualized and flexible. The faculty is committed to facilitating the development of creative, thinking professionals who are competent to pursue careers in teaching, research, administration, management or public/community health care. Self-evaluation and self-direction are encouraged throughout the program. Students have the opportunity to share their experiences, knowledge and skills, work cooperatively with colleagues, and explore a variety of resources to help them reach their maximum potential as health care professionals. Program concentrations include education, management and community/ institutional health. Students in the community/institutional health concentration may choose to focus on acute/hospital care, chronic/geriatric care, or community health issues.
Within each concentration, practical career-oriented applications of knowledge and theory are emphasized. For example, one student in the education concentration designed a practicum in which she managed the laboratory and clinical component of the radiology course. A student in the community/institutional health concentration designed an instructional brochure for dentists and hygienists on the oral care and management of the cancer patient. Another student in the health concentration conducted thesis research on the incidence of fever in the granulocytopenic cancer patient following dental hygiene scaling. Students and faculty agree that these learning experiences help to develop and strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to pursue specialized career goals.
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Admission Guidelines and Criteria
| Admission to graduate study at University of Maryland Graduate School resides with the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School. Complete information on applications and admission procedures are found in the catalog of the University of Maryland Graduate School. Below is a brief outline of the process. International Students Visit the UMB Graduate School for specific instructions related to transcripts. Unless English is your first language, international students are required to take the TOFEL exam, achieving a minimum total score of 550, with a minimum score of 50 in each section on the paper-based test; or a minimum score of 213 on the computer based test; or a minimum score of 80, with a minimum score of 20 in each section on the IBT format. The exam must be current, no less than 2 years old. When registering for the test you should indicate the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School as the score recipient. The TOFEL test is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and can be contacted at http://www.ets.org. You should take the test no later than October for admission for the Spring semester and June for admission for the Fall semester in which you wish to apply. |
Application for Admission | - Obtain the admission application materials from the Graduate School at 410-706-7131 or http://graduate.umaryland.edu/admissions/admissions.html
- Return all* forms, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and application fee to the University of Maryland Graduate School, Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Services, 515 W. Lombard Str., Suite 208. Pay particular attention to due dates.
- The Department of Dental Hygiene makes a determination of your admissibility:
| you must be a graduate of an accredited, entry level Dental Hygiene program;
you must have a bachelor's degree;
you must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4 point scale. |
- The Department determines admission based on your academic record, recommendation letters and your personal goal statement. The Department then forwards the recommendation for admission or non-admission to the Graduate School.
- The Graduate School notifies you of your admission status:
| admission in full graduate status;
provisional status; or
not admitted. |
- Once admitted, students must be in continuous registration with at least one credit for Fall and Spring Semesters. Students DO NOT have to enroll during summer sessions.
*Note: The Department does not require the Graduate Records Examination or the Miller Analogies test.
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Other Graduate School Policies Related to Admission
| A number of other policies of the Graduate School governing admissions should be kept in mind. Chief among these are: - Students must complete the program in five years.
- A student is admitted only for a specified objective e.g., a master's degree. If a change of objectives or degree level is desired, a new application must be submitted.
- A student's admission terminates when the original objective has been obtained (e.g., when a student admitted for a master's degree completes the requirements for that degree); if a student wishes to continue for a doctorate in another Department, a new application must be submitted.
- Students must maintain a GPA of 3.00 (B) of better in all graduate courses taken and must satisfy all additional Department and Graduate School program requirements.
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Academic Advisement | Academic advisement is a unique process that facilitates the clarification of student goals, encourages continuity of learning and promotes a quality educational program. In the Department of Dental Hygiene, the advisement process is viewed as a shared responsibility between student and faculty. The Graduate Program Director will act as Primary Advisor for all full-time and part-time dental hygiene graduate students. |
The Curriculum | Full-time students can expect to complete the graduate program in approximately 18 months. Part-time students usually complete the program in 24 to 36 months. Students must complete a total of 30 semester credits to graduate. Students, under the guidance of a committee, design and conduct original research for a total of six credits. |
Core Requirements
Courses | Credits | | Educational Program Development | 3 | | | Introduction to Oral Health Research | 3 | | Literature Review and Evaluation for Dental Hygienists | 3 | | Research Design, Methodology, and Statistics | 6 | | Area of Concentration Practicum | 3 | | Master's Thesis/Research | 6 | | Approved Electives | 6 | | Total | 30 | |
Dental Hygiene Core Course Descriptions | DHYG 414. Educational Program Development (3). Students explore ways in which effective instructional skills may be used by dental hygienists in such areas as public school systems, community health programs, higher education, and consumer education. DHYG 416. Introduction to Oral Health Research (3). Students will learn the principles of conducting scientific research, develop skills to assess the quality of published literature and begin formulating research questions and proposals for their graduate theses.
DHYG 601. Literature Review and Evaluation for Dental Hygienists (3). Through an analysis and critique of literature pertinent to the dental hygienist, students examine biological, clinical, research, political, sociological and educational trends that influence dental hygiene. Potential research questions are identified.
DHYG 609. Special Topics in Dental Hygiene (2-4). Through seminar, laboratory, clinical, and/or research activity, this individualized course enables the student, in cooperation with a faculty advisor, to work on an area of interest in dental hygiene.
DHYG 618. Effective Clinical Teaching (2-3). Through independent study, seminar, and clinical experience, the beginning dental hygiene clinical teacher will identify, analyze, and develop the skills and attitudes necessary for successful clinical instruction. This course must be taken concurrently with a clinical teaching practicum.
DHYG 619. Teaching Practicum (2-4). In cooperation with a faculty advisor, graduate students gain experience teaching in didactic, clinical and/or laboratory settings. An analytical approach to teaching effectiveness is emphasized. Placements in junior colleges, baccalaureate programs, elementary or secondary schools or the Dental School are arranged according to each student's career goals.
DHYG 629. Health Care Management Practicum (2-4). In cooperation with a faculty advisor, graduate students observe and participate in the administrative activities of a health care program. Placements are arranged to support the student's career goals.
DHYG 639. Advanced Clinical Practice Practicum (2-4). In cooperation with a faculty advisor, graduate students gain knowledge and experience in an advanced clinical area of dental hygiene practice, such as nutritional analysis and counseling, oro-myofacial pain, periodontics, or orthodontics.
DHYG 799. Master's Thesis Research (6). Research Methods and Materials courses(6). Several different course options are available at the different campuses of the USM. Students acquire an understanding of the philosophy of research, the nature of scientific thinking and methods of research. Prerequisite: Basic Statistics. See concentration lists for specific course numbers. |
Elective Offerings
| Electives may be chosen from the courses offered by the schools and departments at any of the three University of Maryland campuses in Baltimore, Baltimore County and College Park, or other campuses in the University System of Maryland (USM). Students who have taken DHYG 414, Educational Program Development, and/or DHYG 427, Health Care Management, as undergraduates in the Department of Dental Hygiene will select other courses to meet these requirements. Electives that apply to the concentrations of teaching, management, and community/institutional health must be approved by the student's faculty advisor prior to registration. |
Elective and Research Course Suggestions by Concentration | Below are courses that most closely relate to each concentration. Other courses are offered during mini-mester and summer that can be included in your course of study. Other relevant courses may be included to enhance a concentration with the Advisor's approval. These lists are not meant to be exhaustive, and some courses may not be offered every year. Planning your program is essential. |
| Education DHYG 639 Advanced Clinical Practice Practicum
DHYG 618 Effective Clinical Teaching (3)
DHYG 609 Special Topics in Dental Hygiene (2-4)
DHYG 619 Teaching Practicum Classroom, Lab or Clinic (2-4)
EDUC 601 Human Learning and Cognition (3)
EDUC 602 Instructional Systems Development I (3)
EDUC 603 Instructional Systems Development II (3)
EDUC 605 The Adult Learner (3)
EDUC 610 Principles of Computer-Based Instruction (3)
EDUC 612 Message Design (3)
EDUC 613 Development of Multi-media Instruction (3)
EDUC 616 Analysis of Learner Variables (3)
EDUC 617 Principles of Systematic Observation (3)
EDUC 619 Instructional Supervision (3)
EDUC 645 Quantitative Research Methods I (3)
EDUC 646 Quantitative Research Methods II (3)
EDUC 684 Introduction to Field Research in School & Community (3)
PREV 650 Principles of Health Education and Promotion (3)
Management DHYG 649 Research Practicum
DHYG 609 Special Topics in Dental Hygiene (2-4)
DHYG 629 Management Practicum (2-4)
POSI 614 Quantitative Methods for Management (3)
POSI 615 Managerial Leadership and Communication Skills (3)
POLI 624 Administrative Planning Theory and Forecasting Techniques (3)
POLI 643 Management of Health Institutions (3)
POLI 652 Politics of Health (3)
SOCY 603 The Management of Formal Organizations (3)
SOCY 653 Health Organizations & Professions (3)
PREV 648 Health Care Administration and Evaluation (2-3)
SOCY 601 Formal Organization Theory (3)
PREV 642 Applications of Organization & Management Theories in Health Care
NURS 690 Managerial Health Finance (3)
ECON 652/POLI 652 Economics of Heath (3)/Politics of Health (3)
COMP 500 Introduction to Health Care Computing (3)
BMGT 650 Marketing Management (3) UMCP
POSI 600/SOCY 600 Research Methodology (3)
POSI 604/SOCY 604 Statistical Analysis (3)
POSI 605/SOCY 605 Advanced Research & Evaluation (3)
Institutional/Community Health
The focus in this concentration may be in Hospital and Acute Care or Geriatric and Chronic Care or community health departments. Practicums are selected based on interest and career goals related to teaching, management, research and/or advanced clinical practice. There are also several courses in Geriatrics offered through University College and during the minimester at UMB.
DHYG 609 Special Topics in Dental Hygiene (2-4)
DHYG 649 Research Practicum
SOCY 613 Community Organizational Systems (3)
SOCY 630 Sociology of Aging (3)
SOCY 631 Family and Aging in Society (3)
SOCY 651 Sociology of Health and Medicine (3)
SOCY 652 Sociology of Health Care Organization and Delivery (3)
SOCY 656 Comprehensive Health Planning for the Elderly (3)
SOCY 671 Health and Related Social Conditions in Old Age (3)
PREV 600 Principles of Epidemiology (2-3)
PREV 680 Intro. to Gerontology: Multidisciplinary (3)
PREV 691 Info. Resources in Health Professions (3)
PSYC 649 Foundations of Behavioral Medicine (3)
NUSC 600 Recent Progress in Human Nutrition (3) (CP)
NPHY 600 Human Physiology and Pathophysiology (3)
POSI 612 Ethics and Public Policy (3)
PREV 668 Environmental and Occupational Health (3)
PREV 681 Epidemiology of Aging (3)
NURS 609 Critical Issues in Health Care (3)
NURS 612 Trends and Issues in Women's Health Care (2)
NURS 625 Introduction to Gerontological Nursing (3)
NURS 674 Community Health Nursing Within the Health Care System (2)
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Interested individuals may contact:
Kathryn Spears-Battani, RDH, MS
Acting Director, Graduate Program
410.706.7773
Email: kbattani@umaryland.edu |
