Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Endodontics

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Endodontics is designed to meet the formal educational standards of the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation and prepare the student for successful completion of board certification by the American Board of Endodontics. Intensive training is given in clinical endodontics and correlated basic and medical sciences, and in other dental subjects related to the practice of endodontics. Supervised clinical training encompasses both surgical and nonsurgical endodontics, ensuring clinical proficiency in these areas. Extensive opportunities exist for combined treatment of endodontic-periodontic problems and for endodontic management of teeth involved in major oral rehabilitative procedures.

All students must be prepared to meet the scholarly requirements that familiarize them with the development of endodontic theory and practice and an evidence-based approach that permits an intelligent evaluation of current and future technologies and materials.

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Endodontics requires a minimum of 24 months of full-time enrollment. Each student must participate in research and the research project must be compiled into a document suitable for publication.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • Demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to diagnose, understand the basis of, and adequately treat—alone or in concert with other dental and medical practitioners—endodontic problems and their related diseases, and to maintain the health of the attachment apparatus.
  • Acquire the knowledge and skills to critically evaluate and apply current technological developments and research into their clinical practice of endodontics.
  • Attain board-eligible status for the American Board of Endodontics.
  • Provide quality patient care in the specialty of endodontics.
  • Develop and attain rigorous scholarship and high academic standards.

Curriculum

Didactic Requirements (61.00 units)

  • SDM EN 804 Endodontics IV: Current Concepts in Endodontics
  • SDM EN 805 Endodontics V: Topical Literature
  • SDM EN 806 Endodontics VI: Topical Literature
  • SDM EN 808 Biological Aspects in Endodontics
  • SDM EN 811 Seminar: Endodontic Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
  • SDM EN 814 Seminar: Restoration of Endodontically Involved Teeth
  • SDM EN 815 Surgical Endodontics
  • SDM EN 821 Seminar: Current Literature
  • SDM EN 822 Seminar: Current Literature
  • SDM EN 823 Seminar: Case Presentation
  • SDM EN 824 Seminar: Case Presentation
  • SDM EN 981 Research: Endodontics
  • SDM OB 766 Oral Immunology & Microbiology
  • SDM OB 830 Research Writing
  • SDM OS 761 Medical Concerns of the Dental Patient
  • SDM OS 828 Anxiety and Pain Control
  • SDM OS 831 Head and Neck Anatomy
  • SDM PA 801 Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • SDM PE 810 Implant Dentistry for the Dental Specialist
  • SDM PE 817 Seminar: Grand Rounds
  • SDM PE 818 Seminar: Grand Rounds
  • SDM PE 827 Applied Dental Pharmacology
  • SDM PH 763 Bioethics and Law
  • SDM PH 803 Biostatistics

Preclinical and Clinical Requirements (17.75 units)

  • SDM EN 803 Endodontics III: Preclinical Endodontics
  • SDM EN 911 Clinical Endodontics
  • SDM EN 912 Clinical Endodontics
  • SDM PE 811 Clinical Implant Dentistry for the Dental Specialist—Simulation

Research Requirement (8.00 units)

  • SDM EN 982 Research: Endodontics

Completion is not tracked by unit accumulation but by successful completion of individual courses and duration requirements.

Combined CAGS with Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) or Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD)

Students enrolled in a combined program must successfully complete the requirements for both the CAGS and either the MSD or DScD:

The MSD or DScD program includes a research project, thesis and defense, or dissertation and defense. Research may be conducted before or after the clinical CAGS program, based on recommendations from the Department Chair and/or Program Director. Additional coursework may be assigned at the discretion of the Research Advisor and Department Chair.

Completion is not tracked by unit accumulation but by successful completion of individual courses and duration requirements.