GENERAL INFORMATION

The mission of the programs in Graduate Studies is to (1) provide the highest quality residency programs to train outstanding dental specialists in clinical treatment of dental and craniofacial disorders and (2) educate outstanding biomedical and clinician scientists who will be academic leaders in the field of dental education and research. The specific goals are to:

• provide an educational and training experience that emphasizes the development of a strong basic science background coupled with advanced diagnostic and clinical competence;
• develop a highly skilled specialist with the analytical, clinical and management abilities necessary to provide optimum oral health care;
• produce a graduate who will have the ability to critically evaluate research literature as well as have the inquiring attitude necessary to pursue advancement in the practice, research and/or teaching of specialized oral health care; and

• produce the basic scientists and clinical scientists who will be the future leaders in dental and biomedical education and research.

Overview of Graduate Studies Programs

Admissions Procedures

Application Deadlines

Fees

Links to Graduate Programs

GRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAMS

The programs in Graduate Studies are comprised of three major components. Two of these components - the nine certificate programs in each of the major dental specialty areas and four graduate programs that lead to a Masters (M.S.) degree related to the dental profession - are administered directly by the Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies (OADRGS) of the Baylor College of Dentistry (BCD). The Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences leading to Masters and/or Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences is administered by the OADRGS through the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) of the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

Programs leading to a certificate in a clinical dental specialty consist of a sequence of advance didactic courses and seminars as well as correlative clinical instruction for the dentist seeking specialty training and board eligibility requirement. Clinical training programs may offer the specialty certificate only, an option of a certificate combined with a graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.), or a requirement of a certificate combined with a graduate degree (see summary).  Programs vary from one year to four years in duration depending on the specific options and requirements. All programs are approved by the Texas Education Agency so that those students who are eligible may use VA benefits.

The Graduate Studies program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a fully-integrated program leading to an M.D. degree. The resident attends medical school with advanced standing at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas. Surgical internship and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training are completed at Baylor University Medical Center and BCD.

Baylor College of Dentistry provides advanced graduate education leading to an M.S. degree in the following programs: (1) Dental Hygiene, (2) Health Professions Education, and (3) Oral Biology. Clinical specialty students in programs requiring a graduate degree typically enroll in the M.S. Program in Oral Biology or the M.S./Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Sciences. However, matriculation in one of the other graduate programs may be permissible with the approval of the program directors of the clinical training program and the relevant M.S. program.

The Master of Science in Oral biology is available to residents who are simultaneously pursuing clinical training programs leading to a specialty certificate. This program is designed to extend the competence of the dental specialist in both general and special areas of practice in clinical disciplines.

The primary objective of the program leading to a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene is to prepare the dental hygienist for leadership roles in education or health administration and to meet the need for educators in dental hygiene programs and managers/administrators in institutional health care settings. The program is designed to be flexible, individualized and student-centered. Students enroll in a core of required courses and may choose between an educational or an administrative managerial track that best meets their individual interests and career goals.

The Master of Science in Health Professions Education provides students with the foundations for academic careers in dental education settings. Specific programs objectives are for students to: develop foundational knowledge and skills for conducting research; develop teaching skills and construct effective learning environments; and become well versed in higher education issues.

The Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences is an individualized, interdisciplinary advanced training program leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in areas of basic biomedical science that have strong clinical relevance. This program is designed primarily for outstanding D.D.S/D.M.D. and dental specialty students who are interested in academic careers as basic scientists and clinician-scientists in the dental health sciences. Students who plan to matriculate into a clinical specialty certificate program at BCD may be considered for either an M.S. or Ph.D. with the approval of the clinical program director and after consultation with the program director of the GSBS. The Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences is administered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences through the OADRGS at BCD, under the auspices of the SGS of the TAMHSC.

Research Training and Support for Students

Support for predoctoral students wishing to pursue dual-degree training as dentist-scientists, for dentists desiring to study for a PhD in craniofacial research, and for post-doctoral fellowship students is available through a major training grant - the National Research Service Awards (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grants (T32)- funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH/NIDCR) in mid-2008. The T32 grant is administered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences through the OADRGS at BCD with degrees awarded by the SGS of the HSC.

• General Information and Graduate Studies Information
• BCD Graduate Programs Brochure
• Baylor College of Dentistry Programs Catalog
• Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences

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Admission Procedures

DENTPIN®

The DENTPIN (DENTal Ppersonal Identifier Number) is a unique personal identifier for applicants and students involved with the U.S. dental education system and standardized testing programs.

You must register or retrieve a DENTPIN from the American Dental Association site and use it to proceed with your application to a dental education program or application service, your application to test, or your score report request.

The following programs use the DENTPIN to identify students and test-takers and for the confidential, secure reporting, transmission and tracking of test scores and academic data:

• Dental Admission Test (DAT)
• National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I/Part II
• National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)
• American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Associated American Dental Schools Application Services (AADSAS)
• Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS)
• ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS),
• ADEA Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists (CAAPID)

The following specialty certificate programs and degree programs require the TAMHSC-BCD paper application to be submitted:

Graduate Application Form

Applications for Graduate Studies Programs are to be completed and returned to the Office of the Registrar, Baylor College of Dentistry, 3302 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246. An application processing fee of $35 is non-refundable and must be included with your application. The application renewal fee is $25. International applicants must submit a money order drawn on an U.S. bank. Applications are valid for one year only and a re-application fee must accompany subsequent applications.

Individuals requesting a combined clinical specialty/M.S. or Ph.D. program may do so using a single application form.  If applying through PASS or Match programs, please contact PASS (202-332-8795 or www.adea.org/PASS) or Match (416-977-3431 or www.natmatch.com/dentres) directly for applications. If applying through the PASS Program, it is not necessary to send another application or an application fee to Baylor College of Dentistry.

To check the status of an application, contact the Office of the Registrar at 214-828-8345, or email TWalker@bcd.tamhsc.edu.

Distribute the reference forms to each person writing a recommendation, along with a stamped, addressed envelope. (Note that these go directly from the recommending person to the Director of Admissions.) As you probably know, it is considered discourteous to give a person's name as a reference unless you have first received permission to do so. A brief visit or telephone call will both obtain their permission and show your appreciation for the effort.

Request official transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended be sent to the Director of Admissions. As indicated on side two of the application, these should be sent directly from the college or university to BCD, and not included with this application. International applicants must have transcripts evaluated by Educational Credentials Evaluators. They can be reached at PO Box 514070, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203-3470, by telephone at (414) 289-3400, or by fax at (414) 289-3411. Their web site address is www.ece.org. You should request the "course-by-course" report.

If you have a dental degree, or expect to receive one, request that a letter from the Dean of the dental school, certifying your grade point average and class standing, be sent to the Director of Admissions.

Graduate Studies programs leading to an MS or PhD degree require applicants to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test. (U.S. applicants for Prosthodontics and Endodontics may substitute National Board Dental Exam scores). GRE scores made more than five calendar years prior to application for admission may not normally be used, except when the applicant has been involved in graduate or professional academic programs for the majority of the time since the testing date. GRE scores made more than ten calendar years prior to application for admission to graduate studies may not be used.

Except for international applicants, National Board scores for all clinical programs must be furnished.

International students from non-English-speaking countries must present an acceptable TOEFL score of 79-80 on the internet-based test, 550 minimum paper based; 213 computer based and be fluent in both written and spoken English.

Include with your application a copy of your Curriculum Vitae, or resume and a narrative on your goals and objectives.

Personal interviews may be required at the discretion of the Department.