University of Louisville Undergraduate Catalog
Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program
All applicants should refer to the information
included in the University of Louisville catalog
relative to general admission policies. Applicants
may obtain additional specific information regarding
admission to the Upper Division professional
component of the Bachelor of Science Dental
Hygiene Degree Program. Correspondence should be
addressed to the Dental Hygiene Admissions Advisor,
Office of Student Affairs, University of Louisville
School of Dentistry; Louisville, Kentucky 40292. The
telephone number is (502) 852-5081. General
information and an application may also be obtained
online at www.louisville.edu/dental/future-students/.
Admission to the Lower Division does not guarantee
admission to the Upper Division (Professional
Curriculum).
Admissions Requirements for Lower Division
Upper Division Pre-Placement Program
Special admission option for high school & Lower
Division Dental Hygiene students
Students who have been admitted to the Lower
Division of the Dental Hygiene Program and meet
the criteria described below, may apply for the Upper
Division Pre-Placement Program (UPP). The Upper
Division Pre-Placement Program is designed to pre-
admit up to 10 high-achieving students into the
Upper Division portion of the Dental Hygiene
Program. Students selected for the Upper Division
Pre-Placement Program will be required to maintain a
specific GPA in the Lower Division and will agree to
begin Upper Division courses for a specific semester.
UPP students who have complied with the program
requirements will NOT have to apply for competitive
admission to the Upper Division– their admission is
guaranteed! Five spaces are reserved for high school
seniors who will be first-time freshmen at the
University of Louisville in the Fall semester. In the
Spring, five spaces are reserved for freshmen
students who have successfully completed the first
semester of fulltime course work and meet the GPA
requirement.
Application deadline for both these types of UPP
admissions is Jan. 15.
High School Seniors who are looking to enter the
Dental Hygiene Lower division should apply online:
Admission Policies
Summer 2010 – Spring 2011
http://louisville.edu/admission/aid/guaranteed-
entrance-programs/guaranteed
First-time freshmen who are finishing their first
semester in the Dental Hygiene Lower Division
should contact the Dental Hygiene Advisor for the
appropriate UPP Application form.
UPP admissions requirements for high school
seniors
An applicant (high school seniors) must:
• Have been admitted to the Uof L lower
division Dental Hygiene program
• Have an ACT composite score of 25 or
higher
• Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Submit a letter of recommendation from
high school guidance counselor*
• Submit a signed copy of the minimum
technical standards for admission and
matriculation with or without
accommodation with your application
• Accept a start date to begin upper division
courses for a specific semester
• Submit the online UPP application at:
http://louisville.edu/admissions/aid/guarante
ed-entrance programs/guaranteed
o Upload an essay of 500 words or
less describing your interest in a
career in dental hygiene*
o Include documentation of 12 hours
of observation of dental/dental
hygiene practice *
• Because command of the English language
is essential for successful professional
school study, applicants whose first
language is not English, regardless of
citizenship, must demonstrate their English
proficiency by taking the Test of English as
a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Preference is
given to candidates with a minimum score
of 100 and with listening and speaking
section scores at 26 or above. The institution
code for submitting TOEFL scores to the U
of L School of Dentistry is 5933. For more
information about TOEFL testing, go to:
www.ets.org/.
Dental Hygiene Program
University of Louisville Undergraduate Catalog
• Students who have graduated from a high
school in which English is the primary
language and/or has completed a minimum
of 30 credit hours in a fully accredited U. S.
college or university qualify for a waiver of
the TOEFL requirement
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
each semester of enrollment in the lower
division
*Submit these application materials to:
Scholarships/Guaranteed Early Admissions
Office of Admissions
Dept. AO
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292-0001
UPP admissions requirements for U of L Lower
Division Dental Hygiene freshmen students
An applicant must:
 Successfully complete one full-time semester of
required Lower Division courses at the 100-level
or above with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
(including at least one required science course)
 Submit the UPP application
 Submit an essay of 500 words or less describing
your interest in a career in dental hygiene
 Submit documentation of 12 hours of
observation of dental/dental hygiene practice
 Accept a start date to begin Upper Division
courses for a specific semester
 Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher each
semester of enrollment in the Lower Division.
 Meet TOEFL requirement (see above)
If you have questions, please contact the Dental
Hygiene Admissions and Academic Advising
Counselor in the Office of Dental Student Affairs at
(502) 852-5081.
Admission in Good Standing
To be admitted to the Lower Division in good
standing, beginning freshmen and transfer applicants
with less than 24 hours must meet the following
requirements:
• Graduation from an accredited high school with
a grade point average of 2.8 or higher, have a
GED, or equivalent by petition (for example,
home school education).
• Completion of the pre-college curriculum
Admission Policies
Summer 2010 – Spring 2011
• Composite ACT score of not less than 21.
Admission in Conditional Standing
Students who meet the following criteria may be
admitted in conditional standing:
 Graduation from an accredited high school with
a grade point average of 2.8 or higher, have a
GED, or equivalent by petition (for example,
home school education)
 Completion of the pre-college curriculum
 Composite ACT score of 20 Students in
conditional standing become students in good
standing if their University GPA is 2.8 or above
after completion of their 1st semester.
The University Grade Point Average (GPA) is based
on all college-level undergraduate courses taken at
the University of Louisville. Students will be placed
on warning if after completion of their 1st semester
their university GPA is less than 2.8.
Undergraduate lower division students on academic
probation are notified that their achievement is below
expectations and are subject to course and/or credit
hour limitations, specified course registration
requirements, or other intrusive advising
interventions as deemed appropriate by their
enrollment unit.
Transfer Students
Transfer applicants with 24 hours or more must have
a college grade point average of 2.8 or higher to be
admitted in good standing. There is no conditional
admission for transfer students.
Intra-university transfer students
Students who have completed at least one semester in
another school of the University with a grades point
average of at least 2.8 and have a cumulative grade
point average of 2.8 or above for all college
coursework may apply for an intra-university transfer
to the Lower Division Program in Dental Hygiene.
They must complete an online IUT application that
can be found at: www.louisville.edu/provost/iut
Students admitted through this process must be
advised before registering for courses in their first
semester in the dental hygiene lower division pre-
professional curriculum.
Admission to the Upper Division
Dental Hygiene Program
University of Louisville Undergraduate Catalog
Admission to the Upper Division is competitive.
Admission to the Lower Division does not guarantee
admission to the Upper Division. To be considered
for admission, applicants must:
1. Complete the required pre-professional
(prerequisite) courses or be in last semester of
completion
 6 hours of Written Communication
 3 hrs of Oral Communication
 Psychology 201
 Sociology 201 or 203
 Math (one from Gen Ed list)*
 Intro. to Biological Systems 102*
 Intro. To Biological Systems Lab 104*
 Anatomy & Physiology I 260**
 Anatomy & Physiology II 261**
 Anatomy & Physiology Lab 262**
 Chemistry 101 or 105**
 Nutrition 303**
 History 101 or 102
 6 hours of Cultural Diversity (at least 3 hours
must be CD1)
 Arts & Humanities (one in each)
 Social & Behavioral Sciences (one course at 200
or 300 level)
Notes: Must have a grade of “C” or better in
these courses.
** Students must make a “C” or above in these
courses and must have completed them no more
than 5 years before Upper Division admission.
Transfer credit for science courses taken prior to
the last five years will be evaluated on an
individual basis.
2. Have earned a cumulative and pre-professional
(prerequisite) program grade point average of 2.8
or higher (applies to U of L students admitted
Fall 2008 or after). The cumulative GPA for
admission to Upper Level Dental Hygiene is
calculated based on all course work completed at
accredited post-secondary institutions. The pre-
professional program cumulative GPA is based
on all required pre-professional curriculum
course work.
3. If new to U of L, submit a University of
Louisville Undergraduate Application. If
enrolled in a U of L department other than
Dental Hygiene (such as A&S, Nursing, etc.) at
U of L, submit an online IUT (Intra-University
Transfer) request for admission to the Upper
Division of the Dental Hygiene Program (DHU).
Admission Policies
Summer 2010 – Spring 2011
Available online at:
www.louisville.edu/provost/iut
Note: Step 3 does not apply to Lower Division
DH students. They need only complete Steps 4
and 5 below.
4. Submit a Dental Hygiene Professional
Application (available online at :
http://www.louisville.edu/dental/future_students/
dental_hygiene/prof.pdf )
5. Return the DH Professional Application to the
Student Affairs Office in the School of Dentistry
along with the following documents:
• documentation of 12 hours dental work
experience/observation
• three letters of recommendation one (1) from a
personal/work/community and two (2) from
instructors, one of whom must be a science
instructor
• A 150 word personal statement stating why you
wish to become a member of the dental hygiene
profession.
• The minimum technical standards for admission
and matriculation with or without
accommodation should be signed and submitted
with your application.
• Because command of the English language is
essential for successful professional school
study, applicants whose first language is not
English, regardless of citizenship, must
demonstrate their English proficiency by taking
the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL). Preference is given to candidates with
a minimum score of 100 and with listening and
speaking section scores at 26 or above. The
institution code for submitting TOEFL scores to
the U of L School of Dentistry is 5933. For more
information about TOEFL testing, go to:
www.ets.org/.
o Students who have graduated from a
high school in which English is the
primary language and/or has completed
a minimum of 30 credit hours in a fully
accredited U. S. college or university
qualify for a waiver of the TOEFL
requirement .
Upper Division application deadline is February 1.
Students are admitted to the Upper Division in the
Fall term only.
Dental Hygiene Program
University of Louisville Undergraduate Catalog Summer 2010 – Spring 2011

The Committee on Admissions of the Dental Hygiene
Program selects applicants for the Dental Hygiene
Program. All required forms and transcripts must be
received by the Dental Hygiene Program by February
1. Students are admitted to the Fall Semester only
each academic year. Applicants will be informed of
the decision of the Committee on Admissions and, if
accepted will be requested to send a $150 deposit to
the School of Dentistry to reserve a place in the class.
This amount will be applied as a credit toward the
regular registration fee at the time of enrollment. This
sum will be forfeited in the event that the student
should cancel the reservation in advance or fail to
appear for enrollment.
The University of Louisville recognizes appropriate
course work completed at other accredited
universities and colleges and accepts that work
according to the principles set forth in the American
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions
Officers Transfer Credit Practices and state law.
Transfer work that is college-level, academic in
nature, and earned at appropriately accredited
institutions will be accepted and posted as credit
earned (i.e., with no grade) and will be accepted as
credit toward degree, consistent with program
requirements in the Dental Hygiene Program.
Transfer Equivalency Determination

Upper Divison transfers from another Upper
Division program
The University of Louisville School of Dentistry
considers Upper Division Dental Hygiene transfer
students (coming from the Upper Division of another
dental hygiene program) on a case-by-case basis.
Only individuals who are in good standing at their
present dental hygiene school (or were in good
standing when they left) are considered as a transfer
student. For more information, call the Dental
Hygiene advisor in the School of Dentistry Office of
Student Affairs at 502-852-5081.
Courses that meet general education requirements
may be transferred under course equivalencies
established in the Office of Transfer Services. In
cases where no equivalency is established, the Office
of Transfer Services will direct students to the
university academic department, school or college
where similar courses are offered for evaluation of
transfer credits.

Orientation

Students admitted to the Lower Division of the

Dental Hygiene Program will be issued a certificate
of admission by the University’s Office of
Admissions. Freshman students and transfers with
less than 24 credit hours will be required to attend a
new student orientation. Students admitted to the
Upper Division of Dental Hygiene will be required to
complete online orientation modules as well as attend
an orientation conducted by the Program in Dental
Hygiene.

It is the student’s responsibility to read the catalog,

student handbooks, and official notices (e.g.,
University of Louisville School of Dentistry Dental
Hygiene Program web page, emails, and Blackboard
postings) to be informed about credits, requirements,
and to abide by the regulations of the University and
the School of Dentistry. Additional policies are
published in the Program of Dental Hygiene Student
Handbook. This handbook is distributed during
orientation upon acceptance into the program and is
updated annually.

Transfer Grade Acceptance

Admission Policies Dental Hygiene Program