MS in Oral Health Sciences

The Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) is designed specifically for students who wish to improve their academic preparedness for dental school admission. This 32-credit, full-time master’s degree program, starting in August, is open to applicants who have already earned their bachelor’s degree and have completed all of the predental prerequisite course requirements.

Oral Health Sciences students take courses at both Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (SDM) and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS). Optional coursework is available in a variety of disciplines, including public health, infectious diseases, histology, and anatomy.

The Oral Health Sciences program takes four semesters to complete with two semesters full-time and two semesters part-time. The MS program has flexibility allowing students to complete the program in 12 months by submitting a capstone paper, whereas those students using the full two years have the opportunity to complete a research-based thesis on a topic of their choice in the field of dentistry. Faculty from both the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine serve as teachers and mentors enriching students’ educational experience while in OHS. Students also receive AADSAS application support and participate in a parallel enrichment program to build professional and academic skills.

Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a Master of Science in Oral Health Sciences will:

• Develop the intellectual skills to be successful in a rigorous dental school curriculum.
• Improve their overall academic credentials (through coursework, research, and extracurricular experiences) to become a competitive dental school applicant and gain admission to a US dental school.
• Demonstrate research and critical-thinking skills through the completion of a novel capstone or thesis.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the MS in Oral Health Sciences are required to complete a minimum of 32 graduate credit hours, including a final thesis project or capstone paper. The required courses are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Coursework

The following core courses are taken at Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine:

• GMS OH 700 General Pathology (4 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 730, 731 Physiology* (6 cr, 1st sem and 2 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 740 Microbiology and Immunology (4 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 750 Prevention and Oral Health Promotion in Dentistry* (3 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 751 Biochemistry* (6 cr, 1st sem)

The following courses are taken with students in Graduate Medical Sciences at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

• GMS MS 640 Biomedical Information* (2 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 685 Infectious Diseases: Pathogens and Clinical Manifestations (3 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 770 Evidence Based Dentistry (2 cr, 1st sem)
• GMS OH 771 Fundamentals of Head and Neck Anatomy (3 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 710 Applied Histology (2 cr, 2nd sem)

Additional elective courses may also be selected from those offered through Graduate Medical Sciences.

Admission Requirements

The application deadline is May 1, and admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis starting January 1. Required application materials include:

• Completed online application
• An official college transcript indicating receipt of a baccalaureate degree from a US or Canadian institution
• DAT scores
• A personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• CV or résumé
• A $95 nonrefundable application fee

More Information

For details about the program, please visit the Graduate Medical Sciences website and the MS in Oral Health Sciences website.