The Freshman Dental Hygiene Guarantee Program (FRDH) is a highly selective program that identifies students during freshman admission to the University of Minnesota for guaranteed entry into the School of Dentistry's Dental Hygiene program. Students admitted to the FRDH program will spend their first year in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) for prerequisite coursework and begin the Dental Hygiene (DH) Program the following year. Students who complete the program will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene.
To be considered for the FRDH program, students must submit and complete their application to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (via the Common App or our Golden Gopher Application), indicate their program of interest as Dental Hygiene Premajor (first choice), and complete the required supplemental essays. Applications must be completed by the Regular Decision Deadline on January 1. Applicants will be notified of their admission decision on March 15.
Competitive applicants are those who have previous exposure to dental hygiene through shadowing, volunteering, work, and/or internship experience as well as a mature understanding of a career in dental hygiene. Additionally, they are academically strong students, and have a track record of service to their community/volunteering and additional experiences such as leadership, paid work, and/or organizational/extracurricular involvement. Applicants are reviewed holistically by the Department of Dental Hygiene and the Office of Admissions and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (UMN School of Dentistry).
Benefits of the Dental Hygiene Freshman Guarantee Program
- Cohort-based model enables students to get to know their peers in advance of entry into the Dental Hygiene program.
- Individualized advising from their designated CLA academic advisor during the first year, to ensure successful prerequisite course completion. Advising is coordinated with the Office of Admissions and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which provides semester updates on academic progress and standing with the program to FRDH students.
- Required completion of the DH 1101 course enriches students’ understanding of dental hygiene and career opportunities that exist in the field .
- An introduction to the School of Dentistry clinics with dental hygiene faculty during the spring semester of the first year at the University of Minnesota, facilitates relationships with DH faculty prior to entry into the program.
- Shadowing with DH alumni facilitated by providing contact information. These experiences expand participants' knowledge of and exposure to the field of dental hygiene.
One Year vs. Two Year Prerequisite Completion Plan
During their initial meeting at orientation with their designated CLA academic advisor, FRDH students will opt into a one year or two year plan for completing their required prerequisites. Students might choose a two year prerequisite plan if their academic advisor recommends taking this route or the student requests this route for a variety of reasons (scholarship restrictions - no summer courses, wanting to take courses at a slower pace, wanting to add a minor, wanting to study abroad).
Dental Hygiene Course Prerequisites
The following prerequisite courses are to be taken at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (if you have not previously earned credit through AP, CIS, PSEO, etc.) and you need to earn a grade of C or higher:
- Anatomy
- Biology with lab
- Chemistry with lab
- Composition
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Physiology
- Statistics
- Introduction to Dental Hygiene - FRDH students are required to take the DH 1101 course as a prerequisite
Dental Hygiene Freshmen Guarantee Program Sample One-year Schedule*
| Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|
|
Chemistry 1015 + 1017 Psychology 1001 Statistics 1001 CLA 1001 (First year Experience) Dental Hygiene 1101 |
Biology 1009 Kinesiology 3027 (Anatomy) CLA 1002 (First year Experience) Writing 1301** Liberal Education course |
Kinesiology 3385 Sociology 1001 |
Dental Hygiene Freshmen Guarantee Program Sample Two-year Schedule*
| Fall #1 | Spring #1 |
|---|---|
|
Chemistry 1015 + 1017 Psychology 1001 CLA 1001 (First year Experience) Dental Hygiene 1101 Liberal Education course |
Biology 1009 CLA 1002 (First year Experience) Writing 1301** Liberal Education course Course for your selected minor |
| Fall #2 | Spring #2 |
|---|---|
|
Statistics 1001 Kinesiology 3207 (Anatomy) Liberal Education course Course for your selected minor |
Kinesiology 3385 (Physiology) Sociology 1001 Liberal Education course Course for your selected minor |
*College credit such as AP, PSEO, CIS and IB may be used to fulfill requirements for this program. Individual plans will vary.
**Follow your writing placement.
GPA, Minimum Prerequisite Grade, and Shadowing Requirements
Required GPAs you must meet each semester during your time in the program, to be eligible to enter the Dental Hygiene program are:
- Minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Minimum 2.8 prereq and science GPA
You must also meet the minimum grade requirement of:
- Minimum C grade in all prereq courses
You must meet a minimum of 16 shadowing hours of a registered dental hygienist (RDH) prior to your entry into the dental hygiene program.
- You will be provided with a PDF shadowing verification template form to give to the RDH(s) that you shadow, verifying your hours are complete. This must be submitted by the end of August, prior to your September start in the DH program.
- You will be provided with contact information for UMN dental hygiene alumni who have offered to allow you to shadow. You are not required to complete your shadowing hours with these specific alumni, you may shadow other dental hygienists.