Postbaccalaureate to Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences

The Kornberg School of Dentistry offers a unique opportunity to combine credits from our Postbaccalaureate program with the Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences. Students benefit from adding four semesters of advanced graduate work while completing an independent research project culminating in a thesis of publishable quality, and presenting their research at a juried poster session.

Completion of the Oral Health Sciences master’s program prepares graduates for careers in academia and industry, as well as further training in a DMD program. This opportunity is made possible through designating 15 credits of coursework within the Postbaccalaureate curriculum that the Oral Health Sciences master’s program will accept as electives to partially fulfill the 25 credit elective requirements of the master’s.

Admissions

Applicants can choose to apply to both programs concurrently, or opt to apply to the master’s program in January of our Postbaccalaureate program. The following requirements are necessary for admission to the MS program. 

  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be allowed to continue beyond our Postbaccalaureate program.
  • A minimum B in the designated classes to be accepted as electives in the MS program.
  • Participation in an interview and a 500–1000-word personal statement of research goals.

For more information and to apply, please contact the Office of Admissions at kornbergadmissions@temple.edu.

Timeline

Students can earn their master’s within four semesters of completing our Postbaccalaureate program. Students who complete our Postbaccalaureate program can take up to one academic year leave before matriculating in the master’s program to be eligible for this credit sharing. For more information, contact the office of Graduate Education at dentalgrad@temple.edu.

Program Format & Curriculum 

The Postbaccalaureate program requires 38 credits and requires one year to complete.

The Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences program requires 40 credits and a minimum two years to complete.

The combined Postbaccalaureate to Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences program saves students 15 credits of graduate work by accepting completed postbaccalaureate courses as electives in the master’s program. This option provides substantial savings in time (one year) and tuition. 

Summer Semester One (Postbaccalaureate courses)

Course number

Course name

Credits

ORGB 5001

Intro to Dental Assisting

2

ORGB 5002

Chairside Dental Assisting

3

ORGB 5004

Dental Radiology

2

ORGB 5005

Dental Anatomy*

1

ORGB 8021

Microbiome*

3

ORGB 8022

Microbiome Techniques*

2

Fall Semester Two (Postbaccalaureate courses)

Course number

Course name

Credits

ORBG 8036

Molecular Technology for Trans to Dental Clinic

2

ORBG 8029

Behavioral Change Theories & Prac*

2

ORBG 8032

Practical Clinical Practice

3

ORBG 8035

Intro to Ortho

2

ORBG 8042

Intro to Dental Biology

3

Spring Semester Three (Postbaccalaureate courses)

Course number

Course name

Credits

ORBG

Basic & Adv Stat Methods*

3

ORBG

Biomaterials*

2

ORBG

Adv. Practical Clinical Practice

3

ORBG

Inflammation and Oral Disease*

2

ORBG

Intro to Dental Biochemistry

3

*Courses designated as eligible Oral Health Sciences MS electives. Students must earn a minimum B grade or higher to be counted in the MS program as electives.

Summer Semester Four (Master of Science courses)

Course name

Course number

Credits

OHSC 8015

Research Methodology and Design

1

OHSC 9993

Qualifying Exam

1

Fall semester five (Master of Science courses)

Course number

Course name

Credits

OHSC 8013

Introduction to Evidence Based Dentistry

1

OHSC 8017

Oral Microbiology and Immunology

1

OHSC 8018

Biostatistics

1

OHSC 8059

Oral Radiology for Non-Clinicians

1

OHSC 9991

Master’s Research

2

DPHS 8001

Elective—Foundations of Dental Public Health (Preferred)

3

Elective

1

Spring Semester Six (Master of Science courses)

Course number

Course name

Credits

OHSC 8011

Molecular Oral and Craniofacial Biology

1

OHSC 8012

Adv Dental Pharmacology and Therapeutics

1

OHSC 8014

Clinical Anatomy of the Head and Neck

1

OHSC 8056

Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology for Non-clinicians

1

OHSC 8033

Bioethics and Critical Thinking in Dentistry

1

OHSC 9991

Research in Oral Health Sciences

2

Elective

3

Elective

2

Summer Semester Seven (Master of Science courses)

Course number

Course name

Credits

OHSC 9996

Research in Oral Health Sciences

1

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Master of Science offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more.

You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.