DA12 Dental Assisting, Diploma
Offered at the Griffin Campus
| Program Entrance Term: |
Fall and Summer |
| Minimum Length of Program: |
4 terms |
| Minimum Credit Hours for Graduation: |
54/55 |
Program Description
The Dental Assisting accredited program prepares students for employment in a variety of positions in today’s dental offices. The Dental Assisting program provides learning opportunities, which introduce, develop, and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. Additionally, the program provides opportunities to upgrade present knowledge and skills or to retrain in the area of dental assisting. Graduates of the program receive a Dental Assisting diploma and are eligible to sit for a national certification.
Program Accreditation
The program in dental assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation [and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”]. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is: https://coda.ada.org/.
To file a formal complaint with the Commission, please visit the Commission on Dental Accreditation's webpage at https://coda.ada.org/en/policies-and-guidelines/file-a-complaint.
College Admission Requirements:
Prospective students entering all degree, diploma and certificate programs must do all of the following:
Program Admission Requirements:
- The Dental Assisting program is offered as a daytime only program and is full time. The program admits twice a year, Fall and Summer semesters at the Griffin Campus. The deadline to apply for the Fall semester is the last day of Summer semester and the deadline for Summer semester is the last day of Spring semester.
- Be at least 17 years of age
- Successfully complete (or transferred in ) ENG 1010, MATH 1012, ALHS 1011, and ALHS 1040 OR COMP 1000 OR MAST 1060 with a minimum grade of C in each course.
- Upon completion of one or more core classes, the student should make an appointment to see the Dental Assisting program director.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for core classes.
- Meet nationalized test requirements (HESI A2)
- Scores cannot be older than one year at the time of application
- All general education, occupational core classes, and the HESI A2 examination must be completed and submitted before the student can be considered as a candidate for the program.
- Submit the Allied Health Program Application online https://www.sctech.edu/programs/allied-health-program-application/. After submission of the application, the student must send an email to luzmarina.ibarra@sctech.edu indicating that the application was submitted.
- Students must possess a current CPR card. It is recommended to obtain CPR card just prior to entering the program so that the card will remain current throughout the program
- The student will be responsible for making sure that all transcripts are received by the college and evaluated by the College Registrar by the application deadline.
- Program applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
- If the student’s phone number, mailing address, or e-mail address changes, the Dental Assisting program MUST be notified by e-mail at luzmarina.Ibarra@sctech.edu.
- If the student is not accepted and wishes to apply for the next class, the student must submit a new allied-health-program-application and test scores during the next application period.
- Applicants must meet general admission requirements, as well as the following minimum requirements
- A minimum of 25 percent of the program course work must be completed on the campus intended for graduation
- There is no waiting list for this program.
The College accepts credit from the College Board's College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). A grade of EXP is assigned for awarded CLEP credit. Quality points are not awarded for CLEP, therefore, courses with CLEP credit are not calculated into the GPA during the competitive admissions process.
Note: Should there be more qualified students competing than available spaces, candidates are admitted based on the GPA, for courses listed above, plus the score on the HESI A2. The grade point average, which is based on the 4.00 scale, will be converted to a 400 point scale and added to the score of the HESI A2. Spaces are filled from the highest score downward until the maximum enrollment total is reached. In the case that two or more applicants complete requirements simultaneously, the position will be determined on the basis of the date and time the student submitted the Allied Health Program Application online with all the core classes finished. All applicants will be notified of program status by email within three weeks following the competition deadline.
Background Check
A student who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be admitted to the Dental Assisting program; however, such a conviction may prohibit a student from attending certain clinical sites and may prohibit a student from taking the Dental Assisting National Board exam.
Grading Standards
Grading standards for dental assisting (DENA) courses are very stringent. A grade of C or better is required in all classes.
Readmission Policy
Readmission into the Dental Assisting program following withdrawal or first-time failure will be based on the following:
- Proof of previous program course completion of less than one year.
- Students who withdrew or completed either Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters in good standing (GPA 2.5 or higher) will be allowed remittance into the Dental Assisting program. The student may be allowed to re-enter the program the following year at the point in which the student withdrew from the program.
- Students who were dismissed from the Dental Assisting program due to receiving a final grade of D or F in any dental assisting class (DENA) will be allowed to re-enter the program the following year to retake those classes.
- Readmission will be based on available space within the classrooms and clinical sites.
- Students who do not successfully complete the Dental Assisting program after two attempts, whether at this college or at another college, will not be readmitted into the program.
- A student must complete another background check, drug screen, and health screen as designated by participating clinical sites.
- The student must complete additional requirements as deemed necessary by the program faculty.
- This courtesy is extended only once.
Approximate additional costs other than tuition, fees, and textbooks
| Uniform |
$208 |
| Medical exam |
$45 |
| Oral exam |
$45 |
| Hepatitis B vaccine |
$300 |
| Clinical insurance |
$30 |
| American Dental Assistants Association |
$50 |
| Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) |
$450 |
| Background Check and Drug Test |
$80.95 |
| Background Check "Only" |
$40.95 |
| Drug Test "Only" |
Varies |
| Hepatitis Titer |
$64 |
| Tuberculosis skin test |
$20 |
| Text Books |
$1,016 |
Contact Us
Luz Ibarra, D.D.S., Program Coordinator
Email: Luzmarina.ibarra@sctech.edu
Phone: 770.229.3136
Program Courses
First Term
Second Term
Third Term
Fourth Term
Note: Students enrolling in the Dental Assisting program have the potential for routine or unplanned exposure to blood and/or other potentially infectious body material pathogens in the normal conduct of student instructional activities. Grading standards for dental assisting (DENA) courses are very stringent. A grade of C or better is required in all classes to be awarded a diploma in this program.