Associate in Arts & Sciences (AA)

Pre-Dental Hygiene

About The Program

Careers in medical professions require several years of advanced study. Medical coursework is rigorous and entry into professional schools is very competitive. Students planning a career in medicine, medical technology, dentistry, pharmacy or veterinary can begin their studies at LCC and gain a solid foundation in the basic sciences required in those fields. A number of medical schools require a foreign language.

NOTE: The program-specific Associate in Arts & Sciences (AA) transfer degree is for students who are sure of the baccalaureate institution they wish to attend. This may be a good option for students who plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in a professional field. Students must work closely with their program advisor to design a program that will fulfill the transfer institution’s general admission and program entry requirements. Students should expect to have courses evaluated on a course-by-course basis upon transfer to the upper division. The LCC program advisor and the appropriate department chair must approve the intended program.

For a roadmap that identifies the preferred sequencing of courses and other specific recommendations from faculty, please see the corresponding program map(s):

Pre-Dental Hygiene - AA

Degree Requirements

Communications:

15 credits – ENGL& 101 English Composition I (5 credits), AND ENGL& 102 English Composition II OR ENGL& 235 Technical Writing (5 credits), AND CMST& 220 (was SPCH 110) Public Speaking OR CMST& 230 (was SPCH 114) Small Group Communication (5 credits).
Diversity:

5 credits – from the Diversity Course List. Courses that meet this requirement may also be used toward other graduation requirements. Diversity courses are listed in the quarterly schedule and identified by ‘DIV’ attached to the course title. Example: SOC& 101 – Intro to Sociology:DIV.
Electives:

37 credits. One (1) year of foreign language recommended. Completion of the courses as prescribed by faculty and accepted by the advisor and Department Chairperson is necessary.

Program Requirements

BIOL& 241	Human A & P 1	5
BIOL& 242	Human A & P 2	5
BIOL& 260	Microbiology	5
CHEM& 121	Intro to Chemistry	5
CHEM& 131	Intro to Organic/ Biochemistry	5
NUTR& 101	Nutrition	5
MATH 210	Elements of Statistics	5
PSYC& 100	General Psychology	5
SOC& 101	Intro to Sociology:DIV	5
PE Elective	Must be fitness/activity course	1

Diversity and Distribution Lists are available in the Lower Columbia College Catalog located at lowercolumbia.edu/catalog.

Minimum credits required to earn this degree: 97. Must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.

Students completing this program should acquire the following skills and abilities:

Biology students will become familiar with the (empirical) scientific method of problem solving.
Majors-level biology students will perform competitively with their peers at four-year institutions or professional programs.
Majors-level biology students will demonstrate proficiency with life process mechanisms such as biological chemistry; cellular metabolism; heredity, anatomy and physiology of major animal organ systems; plant structure, as well as transport and reproductive function; diversity and classification of Organisms; evolution; and ecology.
Biology students will express ideas and information in writing in a format that is clear and appropriate to a science-literate audience.
Biology students will apply various techniques and processes using information, data, and situations, to draw logical, rational, ethical and coherent conclusions.
Major-level biology students will achieve competency with numbers and graphical skills to interpret and communicate quantifiable information, and apply mathematical and statistical skills and abstract contexts.

Revised March 2018 (Effective Winter 2018)

Notes:

Program planning is based on information available at the time of preparation. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with their LCC advisor and with an advisor at the college to which they plan to transfer for specific requirements. Consult the LCC catalog for LCC graduation requirements. Most four-year universities require one year of a single foreign language as a graduation requirement.