Academic Policy

Dental Therapy Program Progression and Completion Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

It is the expectation that a student will need to complete the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry Dental Therapy curriculum in no more than 48 months from initial matriculation. In addition, students must meet the following requirements and timelines for progressing from year to year within the program.

REASON FOR POLICY

The School of Dentistry believes that it is imperative that the 8-semester program be completed within a timeframe that fosters the successful attainment of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that lead to minimum competency for initial entry into the clinical practice of dental therapy. As a school, we acknowledge that circumstances may arise that require an extension of the academic program length. This policy is designed to articulate a specific timeframe in which all students must complete the Dual Degree Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) and Master of Dental Therapy (MDT) curriculum program, irrespective of leave of absences for medical, mental health, or parental, repeating years for academic or behavioral infractions, including accrued excused absences.

PROCEDURES

DT3 to DT4

  • Students must successfully complete all DT3 and DH3 courses in order to progress to DT4 student status.
  • Students must achieve DT4 status within 6 semesters of matriculation into the Dual Degree Program.

DT4 to MDT

  • Students must graduate with a BSDH from the University of Minnesota and successfully complete all DT4 courses in order to progress to MDT status.
  • Students must achieve MDT status within 9 semesters of matriculation into the Dual Degree Program.

MDT to Graduation

  • Students must complete 2 semesters of clinical care as a MDT, within 12 months of achieving MDT status, to be eligible to graduate.

Students who take Parental Medical Leave, a Military Service Leave, or a Leave of Absence and are a student in good standing at the time of the leave, may be granted an exception to the 48 month program completion deadline. If a leave of absence is requested and granted, in consultation with the Dental Therapy Program Director, the Student Affairs Executive Sub-Committee must approve the extension of a student’s time with the extension not to exceed further than 1 year past the student’s original expected graduation date. This will occur in the Pre-clinical and Clinical Progression Subcommittees of the Student Affairs Committee on a case by case basis. If a student fails to meet this timeline it will result in dismissal from the Dental Therapy program.

Details about Family Leave are further described in the School of Dentistry Student Handbook.

Appeals Process

If a student wishes to appeal a dismissal decision under this policy they must notify the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in writing within fourteen days of the dismissal decision. The Associate Dean will schedule a special hearing of The Student Affairs Executive Sub-Committee to hear the appeal. If a student wishes to appeal the finding of the special hearing, they may file a grievance with the Academic Compliance officer within ten days.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

There are no forms associated with this policy.

APPENDICES

There are no appendices associated with this guideline.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There is no FAQ associated with this policy.

DEFINITIONS

Students

For the purposes of this policy, students are those enrolled in the dual degree BSDH/MDT program.

RESPONSIBILITIES

There are no responsibilities associated with this policy.