Admission Procedures

Admission to the Dental Hygiene Degree Program via the Degree Completion option is based upon:

  • academic performance (overall GPA)
  • on-line application and personal statement
  • Interview(s)
  • Current registration, in good standing, with a regulatory authority where the applicant has practiced most recently and a Canadian National Dental Hygiene Certification Board Examination Certificate or the American National Board Certificate are required.

Among the factors considered in the application review are demonstrated leadership skills, critical thinking, problem solving, ethics, substantial volunteerism, active participation in extracurricular activities, and knowledge of the dental hygiene profession.

Steps to the Degree completion application process

Step 1:

Apply to the Faculty of Dentistry in the Dental Hygiene Degree Program with the Dental Hygiene On-Line Application and Personal Statement. The Application deadline is February 5, 2024 and all required documents must be received by the deadline date.  All inquiries about the Dental Hygiene Application should be directed to the Faculty of Dentistry admissions office.

  • Fill out and submit the online application to the best of your ability. Please keep in mind that your answers to the questions on this application are evaluated as part of our broad-based admission policy. Be sure to choose “Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Admission Option”.
  • Official Transcripts/Diplomas – Applicants must submit official transcripts and diplomas from all postsecondary institutions where you have studied in sealed and endorsed source envelopes, or emailed directly from the institution’s email address. However, diplomas received that are not related to a university program may be copies. Foreign language transcripts must include English translations where required and be submitted in the official sealed source envelopes together with original transcripts. We also accept electronic transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution’s official email address to admissions@dentistry.ubc.ca
  • Candidates who attended post-secondary institutions (including on exchange or study abroad) outside of Canada or the USA, must have their foreign transcripts validated and assessed by either the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES), or the World Education Services (WES). These assessments must be received in official ICES or WES sealed envelopes. Applicants’ copies will not be accepted. From ICES we require the comprehensive report and from WES we require the course by course report.
  • Letter of Good Standing/Letter of Support – Applicants must arrange for their regulatory authority to send a letter of good standing directly to the Faculty of Dentistry in a official sealed source envelope, or provide a letter of support from the Program Director for applicants that are currently enrolled in their final year of the Dental Hygiene Diploma Program, or if applicant has graduated from the Dental Hygiene Diploma Program and has not practiced.  Letters of good standing must be submitted online through the provider’s professional e-mail.  No free e-mail accounts will be accepted (i.e. yahoo, gmail, hotmail, etc.).  Details are listed on the on-line application.
  • NDHCB/ANB/FDHRC Certificate – Applicants must provide proof of successful completion of their Board Examination.
  • Name Change Documentation – Applicants must submit an official government document indicating any changes in their name(s) should this be applicable to their situation.
  • Application Fee – Applicants must submit a $252.00 CDN non-refundable application fee prior to the deadline.  Applicants pay on-line at the end of the application by credit card only.  Cash and cheques are not accepted.

NOTE: Applicants must meet the pre-entry requirements for admission to the Dental Hygiene Degree Program in order to be considered for admission.

Have the institution mail or email your supporting application documents directly to the Faculty of Dentistry Admissions Office.

Step 2: Open House / Interviews

Only short-listed applicants are invited to participate in the Dental Hygiene Admissions Open House/Interview process (Phase 2), to be conducted through an online platform.  Applicants not invited to participate in the Phase 2 Open House/Interview process will not be considered further.

Interview
Members of the interview teams are comprised of faculty and dental community members who have completed an Interview Training Workshop. The interview team is unaware of the contents of an applicant’s file or their level of academic performance.

How To proceed in The Open House/Interview(s)

The interview(s) will occur online. These types of interviews evaluate personal characteristics (non-cognitive traits) important for success in the health sciences including but not limited to, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, problem solving, empathy and communication. The mandatory-attendance open house/interview’s (Phase 2) objectives are two-fold; firstly, applicants are provided with the necessary information (academic, financial and professional) of the Dental Hygiene Degree Program to ensure applicants can make the most informed choice and secondly, an opportunity for the Faculty to evaluate the applicant’s personal characteristics.

LOCATION: Online/Webcast Platform

INTERVIEW DATE: April 23, 2024 – 5:30-7:30 p.m. PT

Acceptance

Applicants should be aware that the Dental Hygiene Degree Program has limited enrolment. Since the number of qualified applicants typically exceeds the number of places available, fulfillment of the minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admission. The Faculty reserves the right of selection of all students for admission to the Program.

The admission process will consist of two phases:

Phase I
Applicants will be selected for an interview on the basis of academic performance (overall GPA) and the personal statement. Applicants not selected for an interview will not be admitted.

Phase II
Applicants selected for an interview will be considered for admission based only on their interview score. Academic performance (overall GPA) and the personal statement will not be considered in making offers during Phase II of admission to the program.

Selection of the Class

Applicants will be notified by mid-May. To accept the offer of admission a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 CDN will be required.

PLEASE NOTE: Given that the number of applicants exceeds the number of positions available, a record that satisfies the minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to interview and admission to the program.