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
- online interviews (mandatory)
- Current registration, in good standing, with a regulatory authority where the applicant has practiced most recently.
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.
Applicants are required to have, or be eligible to have, current registration, in good standing, with a regulatory authority where the applicant has practiced most recently. If the applicant has not practiced, then a letter of support from an instructor from their dental hygiene program is required.
Steps to the International Degree Completion Application Process
Step 1: How to Apply
Apply for general admission to UBC. You can do this online through the UBC admissions website. The Undergraduate Admissions office will evaluate your admissibility. The deadline to complete the online application is January 15, 2026. Please see UBC Vancouver’s Academic Calendar for further details.
Document submission: If you are able to upload, please upload the following documents to the ASC (Applicant Service Center). If you are not able to upload, please email all the following documents to the final.grades@ubc.ca
- Complete the online application. Be sure to select “Bachelor of Dental Hygiene – Degree Completion”
- Official Transcripts/Diplomas – Applicants must submit official transcripts and diplomas from all post-secondary institutions that have been attended. Diplomas received that are not related to a university program may be copies. Foreign language transcripts must include English translations and be submitted in the official sealed source envelopes together with original transcripts. We also accept official electronic transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution’s official email address to final.grades@ubc.ca.
- Letter of Good Standing/Letter of Support – Applicants must arrange for their regulatory authority to send a letter of good standing directly to the admissions office 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 or to final.grades@ubc.ca 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 online application.
- NDHCB/FDHRC or NBDHE/DHLOSCE Certificate – Applicants must provide proof of successful completion of their Board Examination. The Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC) provides equivalency assessments for internationally educated dental hygienists and graduates of non-accredited Canadian or American (USA) dental hygiene programs (not accredited by CDAC or ADA/CODA). In order to be deemed eligible for the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board (NDHCB), applicants must first meet all of the 4 criteria listed on the following link: https://www.fdhrc.ca/pages/DHpractice/Equivalency-Application/. If those criteria are not met, the applicant will be denied equivalency. If the criteria are met and the FDHRC determines eligibility, the candidate may apply to write the NDHCE within a span of three (3) years starting from the approval date. For more information, please see the NDHCE Equivalency Assessment Handbook and related forms: https://www.fdhrc.ca/sites/files/Equivalency%20Assessment%20Handbook%20EN%20v1%202022.pdf
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Applicants must successfully complete IELTS Exam with an overall score of not less than 6.5, and a minimum score of not less than 6 on any component of the exam. Applicants are required to complete all four modules – Listening, Speaking, Academic Reading, and Academic Writing – of the academic test. Applicants must arrange to have an original copy of the IELTS Score Sheet sent directly from the IELTS Testing Centre in an official sealed envelope to the Faculty of Dentistry Admissions Office.
Applicants with five years of full-time education in English in Canada or the equivalent in another country where English is the principal language may be exempt from writing the IELTS Exam. If you are from a country where English is not the primary language and you are requesting an exemption, you must provide written proof that English is the language of instruction at the institution where you studied. This may be in the form of an official letter sent directly from the institution in an official sealed source envelope or a printed copy of the institution’s website (with web address included) verifying that English is the language of instruction. For additional information on the English language admission standard consult the UBC Calendar.
- 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 $524.00 CDN non-refundable application fee prior to the deadline.
- Have your institution mail or your supporting application documents directly to the Faculty of Dentistry Admissions Office
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 admissions office. More information on document submission can be found here.
Step 2: Open House / Interviews
Only short-listed applicants are invited to the mandatory Dental Hygiene Admissions Open House/Interview process. Applicants not invited to the Open House/Interview will not be considered further.
Interview
Members of the Interview Teams are comprised of faculty members who have completed an Interview Training Workshop. The Interview Team is unaware of the contents of an applicant’s file or his/her level of academic performance.
How To proceed in The Open House/Interview
The mandatory-attendance Open House/Interview’s 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.
The interview evaluates personal characteristics (non-cognitive traits) important for success in the program and the profession, which include but not limited to, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, problem solving, advocacy, empathy and communication.
LOCATION: Online/Webcast Platform
INTERVIEW DATE: April 28, 2026; Online Platform
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 $1,000.00 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.
Deferral Requests
Requests for deferrals to the DHDP program are not normally accepted. Under special circumstances, when an offer has been accepted, admission may be deferred for one year only (to be admitted in the following academic year) at the discretion of the UBC Faculty of Dentistry Office of Admissions. The deadline to request a deferral is July 15 of the year the program commences.