Dental Hygiene Diploma at Vancouver Island University

Programme overview

Get ready to help your patients maintain great smiles with excellent care and expert advice. Study on beautiful Vancouver Island with VIU’s Dental Hygiene Diploma program. With a rewarding career in dental hygiene, you can help people live healthier lives while working in a people-oriented atmosphere.

Faculty: Health Sciences | Duration: 2 years | Study mode: full-time | Intake: The Dental Hygiene Diploma program has one intake each Fall. | Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

What you will study

Courses include Dental Hygiene Foundations I, Dental Hygiene Preclinic, Head and Neck Anatomy, Elements of Dental Hygiene, Pathology I: Introduction to Periodontal Diseases, Dental Histology and Embryology, Radiography I, Dental Hygiene Foundations II.

Career pathways

Licensed dental hygienists are key members of the oral health team. The LDH provides high quality dental care, helps prevent oral disease, and promotes oral health.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Prerequisites; Course; Credits; Course Options; English; 6; Degree English Requirement; Anatomy and Physiology; 8*; BIOL 156A/BIOL 156L and BIOL 157A/BIOL 157L or; BIOL 156 and BIOL 157 or; BIOL 151/BIOL 152 and BIOL 153/BIOL 154; Chemistry; 8*; CHEM 140A/CHEM 140L and CHEM 141A/CHEM 142L or; CHEM 140A/CHEM 140L and CHEM 142A/CHEM 142L or; CHEM 140 and CHEM 141 or; CHEM 140 and CHEM 142; Psychology; 6; PSYC 111 and PSYC 112 or; PSYC 121 and PSYC 122 or; PSYC 131 and PSYC 132; Statistics; 3; MATH 211 or MATH 161; Elective; 3; Any 100 or 200 level course (courses without a T or G suffix); *Or an approved equivalent course with lower credit value. For example: six (6) credits from another institution may be approved for the prerequisites of Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry if courses are deemed equivalent. Laboratory and theory components are required.; Note: Students laddering into a...

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Most programmes start in September; January intake is offered for some bachelor's degrees and other programmes; many programmes offer alternative start dates throughout the year.

Applications for most academic programs open October 1 in the year before the program start date (applications for programs beginning September 2027 open October 1, 2026); deadlines vary by program.

Application fee: domestic undergraduate $46.98, domestic graduate $121.86, international all programs $156.06 (non-refundable); no application fee for Adult Basic Education.

Apply through the official page: https://www.viu.ca/apply

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