It is expected that the review of the applications and selection process for the dental hygiene class will take 4-6 weeks. Our goal is to inform you of your status in writing around the first part of April. Admissions results will not be communicated over the phone.

No. However, it is helpful to do some research about the dental hygiene profession to see if the roles and responsibilities of the dental hygienist match your personal goals.

No specific aptitude tests are required to be completed to apply to the Dental Hygiene program. You do need to meet the admission requirements of the College which includes meeting the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements.

Yes. Once you have been accepted to the program you will receive information about the courses you can challenge. It is important to understand that to challenge out of a course, you will need to demonstrate the same level of competence as someone taking and passing the course.

It depends. You do need to meet the admissions requirements of the College. For information about admission to Austin Community College, go back to the ACC home page and click on the How to Enroll link. For further help, you can call any of the offices of Admissions and Records on any of the ACC campuses (except the Highland Business center).

You need to have an overall college grade point average (GPA) of at least a C average, 2.0 based on a 4.0 scale. You will also need to have successfully completed each of the prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.

Letters of recommendation are not required as a part of the admissions process and will not be considered when selecting the class.

In order to be considered for our Dental Hygiene program you will first need to be admitted to the College. For information about admission to Austin Community College, go back to the ACC home page and click on the How to Enroll link. Then you can link to the International Students site.

You can plan on class or clinic commitments 4 to 5 days a week. The daily schedule will be pretty much from 8am till 5pm.

At this point in time we are planning typical daytime schedules for most of the dental hygiene courses. (8am till 5pm). Most likely the daytime schedule will best meet the needs of the patients that we will be serving in our dental hygiene clinic.

The Dental Hygiene program requires a significant commitment in time. Aside from the time the classes and clinic sessions require, a good bit of time is needed to study. Many students do end up working part-time while attending school, however if at all possible we advise you to try and not work. We have tried to package the program so that summer between the first and second year of the program will allow some time to work. Contact the College’s financial aid office for advice in this area.

Yes, no, and maybe. Since science is foundational to the study of dental hygiene and your success in the program. That is why courses like Anatomy and Physiology need to be current. Current is defined as taken within five years of admittance to the program.

The English Composition and Chemistry courses do not have time limits.

The content of these courses create a foundation necessary to support your success in the first year of the program.

If you do not complete the required prerequisites by the February 1 deadline, you will not be considered for admission to the program.

When we calculate your application ranking formula, we will use the higher of the two grades.

The counselors here at ACC are more than happy to help you investigate funds available for your education. For information about financial aid, go back to the ACC home page and click on the How to Enroll link. Then you can link to the Financial Aid site.

The two year program will cost roughly somewhere between $7,000 - $8,000. That cost figure considers your tuition, lab and clinic related fees, uniforms, books, dental instruments, and fees to take the registration and licensing examinations. We are committed to keeping your costs as reasonable as possible and will provide more detailed cost information once it is available.

An excellent source of this type of information is the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook. A link to their site is listed under “Helpful Links."

The Texas Workforce Commission also provides up to date employment information.

You need to request that your prior college work be evaluated by our Admissions and Records personnel.

Courses will more than likely transfer into the program as long as you successfully completed the course receiving a grade of C or better at a regionally accredited college or university.

Program transfers are managed on a case-to-case basis depending on space availability. To be considered for admission to our program, you will be required to submit letters of support from the Director of your current dental hygiene program and the program’s Clinic Coordinator(s).