Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2001
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
School of Dentistry
Department
Not Listed
Committee Chair
Christina DeBiase.
Abstract
The nursing profession has designed a variety of curriculum options for individuals who wish to pursue graduate education in nursing. These options have been created to meet the changing needs of their profession, society, and potential students in the field. The profession of dental hygiene has similar needs. Presently there are only nine programs granting graduate degrees in dental hygiene. More graduate programs are needed to fulfill the future demands for educators, researchers, and practitioners with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide advanced levels of care in a variety of practice settings. Unfortunately, a mean of only 20 students earn the MSDH degree annually. Often potential applicants are not geographically mobile, have family commitments, or may desire dental hygiene as their second career. Based on a review of the literature and a needs assessment of all dental hygiene programs nationally (n = 237), two accelerated graduate programs have been proposed. One program has been designed for individuals with associate degrees in Dental Hygiene and the other for non-dental hygienist college graduates. Distance education and web-based courses are integral parts of both curriculum designs.
Recommended Citation
Grilli, Jennifer Hubbard, "Curriculum alternatives in graduate dental hygiene education" (2001). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 1286.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1286