1:8
faculty-to-student ratio on the clinic floor of the Norris Dental Science Center
Students graduate from the dental school well equipped to excel. But the average student also leaves the school with more than $280,000 in debt – a factor that may profoundly impact his or her professional choices after graduation. Our program is highly competitive, and we want the exceptional, diverse students who are admitted each year to be able to attend without the burden of significant debt. Endowed scholarship aid plays a crucial role in offsetting the cost of a first-rate education. We are committed to investing in our students, knowing that the returns – for their patients as well as their communities – will be invaluable.
1934 The school offers its first postgraduate program – in orthodontics.
Courses of Study Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) USC’s DDS program is one of the most rigorous in the world, incorporating the latest techniques in restorative dentistry. Students complete a comprehensive didactic course of study and develop their skills on simulators before transitioning to direct patient care by the end of their first year in the program.
Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists (ASPID) Designed to teach qualified dentists from other countries the knowledge and skills found in the United States, the eight-month ASPID curriculum incorporates technical and academic education with clinical training leading to the DDS degree.
Advanced Specialty Certificate and Graduate Programs Specialty certificates and graduate programs include endodontics, general practice, operative dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine with an emphasis in orofacial pain, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, and craniofacial biology.
Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene USC’s dental hygiene program spans the basic sciences as well as clinical and general education, and is one of only 48 programs in the United States (among 315 overall) that confer the bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
1942-46 Responding to the increased need for dentists during World War II, the school offers an accelerated three-year curriculum and accepts two entering classes each year.
1948 The USC College of Dentistry becomes the USC School of Dentistry.