SHU to Launch Dental Hygiene Degree Program

New bachelor's degree program and teaching clinic to address Connecticut's oral health workforce shortage, with first students enrolling in fall 2028

Key Highlights

• Sacred Heart University is launching a new Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene, a four-year, on-ground degree program expected to welcome its first class in fall 2028, pending CODA accreditation
• The program is designed to address Connecticut's growing shortage of dental hygienists, preparing graduates for licensure and careers in one of the nation's fastest-growing health professions
• Students will gain hands-on clinical experience in a new on-campus dental hygiene teaching clinic, which is expected to provide affordable oral health care to approximately 1,000 community members each year
• Graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, the required pathway to licensure in Connecticut and across the United States
• The bachelor's degree format offers a distinctive pathway in Connecticut, combining a traditional four-year college experience with strong career outcomes in a field where bachelor's-prepared dental hygienists earn over $100,000 annually

Sacred Heart University's College of Health Professions (CHP) is launching a new Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene, a four-year, on-ground degree program designed to prepare graduates for licensure and careers as oral health professionals. The program plans to begin accepting students in fall 2028, pending accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association.

The program was developed to help address a well-documented shortage of dental hygienists in Connecticut and across the country. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow approximately 9% from 2024 to 2034, significantly faster than the average for all occupations, with an estimated 15,300 to 16,300 job openings annually. In Connecticut, workforce demand is further elevated by an aging dental workforce, the presence of multiple Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, and extended wait times at Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Despite this need, Connecticut's existing dental hygiene programs graduate only about 100 students each year, far fewer than are needed to meet the state's growing demand for licensed dental hygienists.

“At Sacred Heart, we are committed to aligning our academic programs with workforce needs. We are thrilled to launch a new dental hygiene program and accompanying clinic in this spirit,” said Karl Minges, dean of the College of Health Professions. “This new program represents an important step forward in expanding access to high-quality oral health education and clinical skills, and preparing graduates to make a meaningful impact in the communities they will serve.”

A central feature of the program is a new teaching clinic to be developed on the second floor of the University's newly expanded Center for Healthcare Education. The clinic will serve as both a clinical training site for students and a source of affordable oral health services for the surrounding community. The program estimates the clinic will support approximately 1,000 community members annually with low-cost treatments.

The program will be housed in a new dental hygiene department within the CHP and will require 125 credits over eight semesters. Students will complete foundational science and general education coursework in their first two years before advancing to clinically based dental hygiene coursework in their junior and senior years. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, the required step toward licensure in Connecticut and all states.

Sacred Heart’s program is structured as a traditional four-year bachelor's degree, distinguishing it from existing programs in the state that primarily offer an associate degree followed by an online completion pathway. The format is designed to serve traditional students seeking a full college experience as well as career changers and transfer students who are pursuing a high-return pathway in health care. According to labor market data, dental hygienists holding bachelor's degrees earn over $100,000 annually.

Sacred Heart has a search underway for a full-time program director with the hire expected to begin in fall 2026. A faculty hiring plan will support phased enrollment growth, with six full-time faculty ultimately teaching in the program's core curriculum, in addition to support staff.