Dental Assisting Admissions

Prerequisites:

1. Prospective students must have a high school diploma, its equivalent, or a post-secondary degree to be eligible for the program

2. Minimum age for program entry is 18 years of age.

3. Meet with Dental Assisting faculty member to receive permission to enroll. 

4. Attend a program specific information session prior to the first quarter of classes. 

An additional 26-30 credits of general education courses are also required for graduation from the Dental Assisting (DA) program and must be passed with a 'C' or better. Though not required for admission to the program, it is recommended that you take these courses prior to entry into the program. These include:

• ENGL& 101 (5 credits)

• MATH - Needs to be 100+  college level (5 credits)

• Human Relations (5 credits)

• Communications elective from DTA list (5 credits)

• MED 103 (3 credits) & CCS 101(3 credits) 

Courses coded DENT must be taken in succession. All DENT courses must be completed with a "C" or better to continue in and complete the program.

Program Advising: It is recommended that students eligible for college-level English and math schedule an appointment with a dental program faculty member. It is recommended that students still needing to complete pre-college English or math schedule an appointment with an Ed Planner. 

Notes on General Education:

Based on placement testing, students may need to complete basic skills and/or pre-college English and math in order to complete prerequisites. Proficiency may be demonstrated through placement testing or by receiving a placement test waiver based on previous college credits in English and math. Contact Enrollment Services at (360) 596-5241 for instructions on taking the Computerized Placement Test (CPT) or to request a test waiver. 

Although general education courses may be taken after admission to the Dental Assisting (DA) Program, students are encouraged to complete as many of these courses as possible prior to entering the DA Program.  Summer quarters are also good times to take general education courses.

Transfer of credit: Have any previous college credits evaluated for transfer of credit into the Dental Assisting Program. Submit official copies of previous college transcripts and an Application for Transfer of Credit form.  An official transcript is one sent directly between schools or submitted by the student in a sealed envelope.  Student (unofficial) copies of transcripts may be used for advising.

Readmissions: Readmissions of students is governed by policies in the Dental Assisting Policy and Procedural Manual, available from program faculty.

Health & Safety: Prior to the beginning second  quarter, students registered in the Dental Assisting Program are required to have current and valid healthcare provider basic life support (BLS) certification (a BLS course is offered to students during the first quarter), to have started the Hepatitis B vaccination series or signed a waiver, and to receive a recent Tuberculosis (TB) skin test (within 60 days prior to the start of 2nd quarter).  Documentation for each of these requirements must be presented by the end of the first quarter.

• Submit a FAFSA
• Look into offered Scholarships
• Other funding & support services  
  • Personal support & services
  • Workforce programs & funding
  • Ignite Program