Program Map

Dental Hygiene - Associate in Science

Award Type: Associate in Science
Effective Date: Fall 2025
Learning and Career Pathway
  • Health and Wellness

This program map from the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway to complete this program. Your pathway may vary depending on your transfer plans and also previous college credit, including AP Test scores, concurrent enrollment courses and high school articulated courses.

I'm ready to get started. What do I do next?

  1. Review this program map to get an overview of the required courses
  2. Meet with a counselor to develop your customized student education plan www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling
  3. Use DegreeWorks, an online student education planning tool, to track your progress toward graduation www.chabotcollege.edu/admissions/degreeworks
Description:
This area of study will provide students with the foundation, knowledge and skills needed to apply for licensure to practice dental hygiene. Students will earn a certificate in Radiation Safety after successful completion of the first year curriculum. Students will earn an AS degree at the completion of the program.
What can I do with this Major?

Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals who have graduated from an accredited dental hygiene program in an institution of higher education, licensed in dental hygiene to provide educational, clinical, research, administrative and therapeutic services supporting total health through the promotion of optimum oral health." (ADEA, 2012).

Successful completion of the two-year program qualifies the student to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam and the regional board exam for licensure as a Registered Dental Hygienist.

Students in this program may choose to use their AS degree in Dental Hygiene to continue their education by earning a bachelor's degree. Career paths include but are not limited to:

  • Clinical Practice
  • Public Health
  • Education
  • Research
  • Sales
  • Entrepreneur

Critical Course Prerequisite for Other Courses Prerequisite Required Required for Major GE General Education

All students must be certified in BLS for the Health Care Provider through the American Heart Association. The Dental Hygiene Program units combined with the Associate in Science Degree (G.E.) requirements will be in excess of the minimum 60 units.

Prerequisites
 

Prerequisite courses are required before applying for the Dental Hygiene program and must be completed by the Fall prior to the year of application.

In-progress grades are not accepted.

39 units
BIOS 42
General Human Anatomy (Active)
GE
5.0
BIOS 43
Human Physiology (Active)
5.0
BIOS 44
Microbiology (Active)
5.0
CHEM 30A
Introductory and Applied Chemistry I (Active)
GE
4.0
CHEM 30B
Introductory and Applied Chemistry II (Active)
4.0
PSYC C1000
Introduction to Psychology (Active)
GE
3.0
SOCI 1
Principles of Sociology (Active)
GE
3.0
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing (Active)
GE
4.0
NUTR 1
Introduction to Nutrition Science (Active)
GE
3.0
COMM 1 or COMM 10 (choose one)
 
GE
3.0
COMM C1000
Introduction to Public Speaking (Active)
3.0
OR
COMM 10
Interpersonal Communication (Active)
3.0
Semester 1
 

Once admitted into the Dental Hygiene program, all of the required courses below must be completed. 

15 units
DHYG 50A
Dental Hygiene Orientation I (Historical)
0.5
DHYG 60
Dental Anatomy and Morphology (Historical)
1.5
DHYG 60S
Dental Anatomy and Morphology Independent Study (Active)
0.5
DHYG 61
Head and Neck Anatomy (Historical)
2.0
DHYG 61S
Head and Neck Anatomy Independent Study (Historical)
0.5
DHYG 69A
Oral Health Care Education (Active)
2.0
DHYG 71A
Pre-Clinical Dental Hygiene (Historical)
4.0
DHYG 71S
Pre-clinical Dental Hygiene Independent Study (Historical)
1.0
DHYG 74A
Dental Radiography I (Historical)
3.0
Semester 2
 
14.5 units
DHYG 51
General and Oral Pathology (Active)
4.0
DHYG 55A
Dental Materials (Active)
1.5
DHYG 69B
Treatment and Evaluation in Dental Hygiene (Historical)
1.0
DHYG 71B
Clinical Dental Hygiene (Historical)
4.0
DHYG 73
Educational Theories in Dental Hygiene Care (Historical)
1.5
DHYG 74B
Dental Radiography II (Historical)
1.5
DHYG 75
Medical Emergencies (Historical)
1.0
Semester 3
 
15 units
DHYG 50B
Dental Hygiene Orientation II (Historical)
0.5
DHYG 52A
Periodontics (Historical)
2.0
DHYG 54
Pharmacology (Active)
2.0
DHYG 56A
Community Dental Health I (Active)
1.0
DHYG 57
Expanded Functions for the Dental Hygienist (Historical)
2.0
DHYG 72S
Advanced Periodontal Procedure (Active)
0.5
DHYG 80A
Patient Management (Active)
1.0
DHYG 81A
Clinical Practice I (Active)
5.0
DHYG 82A
Clinical Experience Seminar I (Active)
1.0
Semester 4
 
12.5 units
DHYG 56B
Community Dental Health II (Active)
1.0
DHYG 50C
Dental Hygiene Orientation III (Active)
0.5
DHYG 52B
Advanced Periodontics (Historical)
1.0
DHYG 58
Dental Office Practice (Active)
1.0
DHYG 80B
Advanced Clinical Topics (Active)
1.0
DHYG 81B
Clinical Practice II (Active)
5.0
DHYG 82B
Clinical Experience Seminar II (Active)
2.0
DHYG 83
Patients with Special Needs (Active)
1.0
General Education Requirements
 

Students may earn an AS degree at Chabot with completion of any one of the following general education patterns: 

  • Local AS pattern 

  • CSU General Education Breadth pattern 

  • IGETC General Education pattern 

See the general education course lists: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling/transfer/ge-requirement-transfer-archive.php.  

It is recommended that all students meet with a Chabot College counselor to review and create an individualized student education plan. See the Counseling Department webpage for information on how to speak with a counselor: www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling. 

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Total Units: 96.0
This program map is not a guarantee of course availability or financial aid applicability.