Students MUST be a Current Student (applied and accepted to SCTCC).
All prerequisite courses MUST be complete prior to applying to the program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 earned in these courses.
Each prerequisite and General Education course may be taken 3 times.
Consult with an advisor about the impact of repeated courses.
HESI Exam score (effective for Fall 2020 program start date). Please see HESI FAQs.
The Dental Hygienist program is a 4-semester program that begins each Fall semester.
14 students are accepted each fall semester.
The Dental Hygienist program is a full-time program only.
Once accepted to the program, classes are all held on-campus or at Clinical sites.
The Dental Hygienist application window is open December 1st through January 15th.
Dates are estimated and subject to change. Review Dental Hygiene page for updates.
First year classes (semester 1 & 2) are held Mon-Friday from 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM
(8 hours a week in lab, 12 hours of lecture/didactic and additional open lab practice sessions).
- Study time and practice time is roughly double time spent in classes.
- The focus is on learning dental hygiene theory, terminology and basic clinic skills.
- Students will start seeing dental patients in spring of second semester.
Second year classes (semester 3 & 4) are 4-5 days per week depending on the semester.
- Majority of hours per week in the dental clinic with patients (12 hours per week).
- Lecture and lab hours amount to 10-12 hours per week.
- Additional time is spent on skills and practicing with instruments and equipment to increase experience and competency.
- Spring (semester 4) includes off campus activities at various community dental health sites providing oral hygiene instruction to underserved populations in the community.
The St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) Dental Hygienist program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
St. Cloud Technical & Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Dental Hygiene Program and HESI Admission Assessment Exam (A2)
Health Education Systems, Inc., and A2 stands for Admission Assessment.
The HESI exam is being used by the Dental Hygiene Program to help evaluate students’ academic readiness as part of the selection process.
Students will also be completing a learning style and personality profile assessment.
The learning style and personality profile assessment will not be scored.
Students MUST be invited to take the HESI exam at SCTCC. Students are invited to take the HESI exam after the Dental Hygiene Program applications have been reviewed.
Students that have completed all program requirements and scored a minimum required GPA of 3.0 for the required prerequisites will be eligible to take the HESI examination.
Explicit directions are included in the invitation that is sent via email and mailed letter.
Eligible students will take the following components of the HESI exam for application to the Dental Hygiene Program:
English:
-
Reading Comprehension (60 minutes)
-
Vocabulary and General Knowledge (50 minutes)
Science:
- Biology (25 minutes)
-
Anatomy and Physiology (25 minutes)
Learner Profile:
- Learning Style (14 items)
- These scores are not scored for program admission
- Personality Profile (15 items)
- These scores are not scored for program admission
Applicants should allow about 4 hours to complete the exam (all components listed above). Registration is a separate process and will be done prior to taking the actual exam. Details are explained in the invitation letter.
The test will cost approximately $60 -$70 (Fees will be set on the HESI site each year)
Students will register online and pay for the exam online.
Students will take the exam at SCTCC in a testing lab at the main campus (1540 Northway Drive).
Students will be permitted the use of scratch paper if deemed necessary, which will be collected by the SCTCC Testing Center staff and immediately shredded after the test.
Students are allowed to take the test two (2) times for their dental hygiene application process.
The HESI exam must be taken at St. Cloud Technical & Community College (or by using ProctorU as determined by the college) and will only be offered once each year in February.
Students are encouraged to re-test to boost scores for program admission.
The HESI exam must be taken within two years of applying to the Dental Hygiene Program for the score to be eligible for consideration in the selection process.
The testing window for the Dental Hygiene HESI exam is offered mid-to-late February each year.
Eligible students will receive an email with detailed information & dates. Once the Dental Hygiene application period closes, applications are reviewed and ranked.
Eligible applicants will be notified and invited to the HESI exam
Dental Hygiene Program and HESI Admission Assessment Exam (A2)
There is not a minimum score needed to achieve for admission to the Dental Hygiene Program. Students will receive points based off their comprehensive score based on a percent set forth by program.
Within 48 hours students will receive a detailed email regarding their score.
Students are encouraged to study and prepare for all portions of the HESI A2 Exam required for dental hygiene program admissions. Study material sources are suggested on the Evolve Elsevier website and Amazon.
** Only available after a student has signed up and paid for HESI EXAM.
Type in HESI A2 Prep materials on Amazon.com for more test prep books and materials
Health Education Systems, Inc., and A2 stands for Admission Assessment.
Visit SCTCC! – Dental Hygienist
Thank you for your interest in the Dental Hygienist Program at SCTCC!
We invite you to sign up for a tour or open house event at https://sctcc.edu/visit
After reviewing this information, if you need further assistance, please contact:
Admissions Office:
320-308-5089
Academic Advising Center:
320-308-5741