Apply to the Program

Apply to the Dental Hygiene Program

Application period

The application period for the DVC Dental Hygiene Program is from January 1 to February 28. All applicants must apply to DVC and receive a Student ID and Insite Portal login to access the Dental Hygiene Program application.

Prerequisite and Required Coursework

Students must achieve a “C” grade or higher in each course to meet the program requirements.
Prerequisite courses need to be taken only on a "for grade" basis.
An overall GPA of 2.75 or higher in prerequisite coursework is required for program admission.
Science courses must have been completed within the past seven years.
In-progress coursework will not be accepted.

Science Prerequisites

BIOSCI 139-Human Anatomy
BIOSCI 140-Human Physiology
BIOSCI 119-Fundamentals of Microbiology or BIOSCI 146-Principles of Microbiology
CHEM 108-Introductory Chemistry
CHEM 109-Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry
- An equivalent course must include Biochemistry
- An integrated Inorganic, Organic, Biochemistry course will not satisfy this requirement
NUTR 160-Nutrition Science and Applications

General Education Prerequisites

COMM 120-Public Speaking or COMM 130-Small Group Communication
ENGL 122-First-Year College Composition and Reading
SOCIO 120-Introduction to Sociology
PSYCH 101-Introduction to Psychology or PSYCH 122-Psychology in Modern Life
MATH 135- College Algebra or 142-Elementary Statistics with Probability
- Course substitutions for general education requirements require department chair approval.
- Any 3-unit or higher Math course that satisfies the CSUGE Area B4 or IGETC Area 2 requirement does not need course substitution.

Additional Graduation Requirements for the AS Degree

3 units from DVC GE Area III-Arts and Humanities
ETHN 101-Introduction to Ethnic Studies (beginning Fall 2024)

Dental Hygiene Procedures Observation

The Diablo Valley College Dental Hygiene Program requires dental hygiene applicants to observe an oral prophylaxis or periodontal maintenance appointment, and a non-surgical periodontal therapy appointment. These forms must be completed and signed by a dentist and hygienist regardless of employment experience.

Download the Prophylaxis or Periodontal Maintenance Observation Form

Download the Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy Observation Form

Official Transcript Submission

Official college transcript showing completion of all prerequisites must be sent to DVC Admissions and Records by the application filing period closing date. Exception: Transcripts from Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College or Contra Costa College do not need to be sent.

It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure official transcripts have been received.

Electronic transcripts: Official transcripts should be sent to transcripts@dvc.edu from the granting institution or transcript vendor only. Transcripts sent from personal or student email will not be considered.
Hard copy transcripts: Official unopened, sealed transcripts should be sent through USPS, Fedex, or other carriers to DVC Admissions and Records, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, CA. 94523. They can also be hand delivered to the Admissions and Records office on the Pleasant Hill campus.
Additional information regarding transcripts can be found at the DVC Admissions and Records Transcript page.

Online Application

Please review the sample application to ensure you have all the required information. You will need your Insite Portal login information to access the online application when it becomes available.

Access the Online Application

Contact Dental Hygiene

Chair:	Tonette Steeb
Telephone:	925-969-2658
Email:	tsteeb@dvc.edu
Office location:	LHS-108