Graduate Program in Oral Health Sciences

The Graduate School of the University of Washington is administratively responsible for admissions to graduate study. To apply to the Graduate Program in Oral Health Sciences, applicants must submit an application to the UW Graduate School as well as meet all requirements set forth by the Graduate School. The nonrefundable application fee for Summer 2025 is $85.00 (USD) and will increase to $90.00 (USD) for Autumn 2025 applications and beyond. Unfortunately, applicants studying on F or J visas are not eligible for application fee waivers. You can find information on the Graduate School’s policies and procedures, along with a link to the on-line application, on their page Understanding the Admissions Process.

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Application Fee Waivers

Information for underrepresented and minority applicants, including programming, resources and funding opportunities and can be found at the page Graduate School’s Equity & Justice in Graduate Education.

PhD, DDS/PhD

• Applicants must have either a four-year baccalaureate degree in the life sciences (e.g. Microbiology or Biochemistry) from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or equivalent or a professional degree from a Dental or Medical School (e.g. DDS, DMD, MD).  We seek applicants who show great promise of successful careers in research with an interest in teaching.  Our applicants typically have strong undergraduate records as well as previous laboratory experience and demonstrated skills in life sciences or public health research.
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the last graded 60 semester credits or 90 graded quarter credits.
• Demonstrated English Language proficiency for all Graduate School applicants whose native language is not English. Minimum English Language Proficiency scores required:
  • 7.0 on the IELTS
  • 92 on the TOEFL ibt
  • 125 on the Duolingo
  • When submitting official TOEFL scores, use institutional code 4854 for the University of Washington.

GRE scores are not required for admission.

PhD/DDS applicants must also meet the DDS Admissions requirements.

MS DH

• Applicants must have either a four-year baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or equivalent or an associate degree in dental hygiene from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or equivalent plus a four-year baccalaureate degree in any area.
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the last two years of study.
• Demonstrated English Language proficiency for all Graduate School applicants whose native language is not English. Minimum English Language Proficiency scores required:
  • 7.0 on the IELTS
  • 92 on the TOEFL ibt
  • When submitting official TOEFL scores, use institutional code 4854 for the University of Washington.

GRE scores are not required for admission.

PhD, DDS/PhD

All applicants for the DDS/PhD combined training program need to apply for both programs for Summer Quarter start only. 

• UW Graduate School online application and fee.
• CV/resume
• Three letters of recommendation.  We prefer that the letters of recommendation come from faculty or professional supervisors who know you well enough to provide us with an objective evaluation of your potential as a graduate student.
• Research Statement (1.5 pages in length)
  • What is your total amount of full-time research experience (in months)? What is your total amount of part-time research experience (in months, hours/week)?
  • Please provide a bullet-point list of your different research experiences including summer research internships, academic year research, post-baccalaureate, and/or work-related experiences. For each experience, include the institution, department, lab head name, and project title.
  • Pick one research experience and explain it in a little more depth. Provide a) the public health burden, b) what we know now, c) the knowledge gap that is impeding progress in the field, d) the model system deployed to address this knowledge gap, e) the hypothesis being tested, f) results you generated, g) whether those results support the hypothesis.
• Statement of Purpose (one page in length)
  • Why is obtaining a PhD necessary to your future goals?
  • What areas of oral health research interest you and why are you specifically drawn to the OHS Graduate Program?
  • Which OHS faculty members’ research are you most interested in and why? This includes adjunct or affiliate faculty in other departments. Faculty profiles can be found on the OHS faculty directory.
• Optional Personal Statement (half page in length). Please include anything that puts your application in a broader context of your lived experience.Why we are asking this: We are actively working to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in our department. People who apply for advanced degrees come from a diversity of backgrounds and world experiences. You may have already discussed your experiences in the answers above, but if you have anything that you would like to add you are welcome to include it here.
• Unofficial transcripts from all universities attended. You will only need to submit official transcripts directly to the Graduate School if you are offered acceptance.
• Proof of English language proficiency if English is not your native language.
• PhD/DDS applicants must also submit the DDS Admissions required materials.

MS DH

• UW Graduate School online application and fee.
• CV/Resume
• Three letters of recommendation. We prefer that the letters come from faculty or professional supervisors who know you well enough to provide us with an objective evaluation of your potential as a graduate student.
• Statement of purpose (one page in length)
  • Why is obtaining the Master’s Degree in Oral Health Sciences for Dental Hygienists necessary to your future goals?
  • What areas of oral health and dental hygiene interest you and why are you specifically drawn to the MS DH graduate degree?
  • Which OHS faculty members’ research are you most interested in and why? This includes adjunct or affiliate faculty in other departments. Faculty profiles can be found on the OHS faculty directory.
• Unofficial transcripts from all attended institutions. You will only need to submit official transcripts directly to the Graduate School if you are offered acceptance.
• Proof of English language proficiency if English is not your native language.

You are an international applicant if you are NOT a U.S. citizen, immigrant, or green card holder.  International students must have a visa status that allows for academic study at the University of Washington.  If accepted, all international applicants must show proof of financial ability.  This information will be provided on your graduate application after you have accepted the offer of admission.  Additional international applicant information can be found here.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact ohsgrad@uw.edu for questions about funding prior to applying.

Tuition

Please refer to the tuition and fee rate schedule for the most current tuition rates.

Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships

OHS most commonly employs three types of financial assistance for graduate students: research assistantships, T90/R90 traineeships and fellowships. OHS does not offer teaching assistantships, but OHS graduate students may apply to relevant TA positions outside of the department.

Research Assistantships

The RA appointment requires that you conduct research under the direction of a faculty member. This could include research planning, experiment setup and measurements, computational analysis, or theoretical analysis of a problem. The appointment typically requires that you work an average of 20 hours per week during the period of support. Students should meet regularly with your faculty supervisor to discuss progress and set goals. It is student’s responsibility to make satisfactory research progress.

Traineeships

T90/R90 NRSA traineeships may be available to students who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents (T90), or a non-U.S. citizen/permanent resident in pursuit of a PhD, who already holds a dental degree (R90).  The traineeships are competitive awards that generally do not require service (i.e., work) as part of the award. They are intended to fund your academic study and research. The T90 and R90 traineeships are offered by the federal government. After you receive a fellowship, remember it is your responsibility to ensure all requirements are met, such as enrollment or reporting to the funding agency.  OHS works with the SOD Office of Research in the administration of the training grant.

Fellowships

Fellowships are competitive awards that generally do not require service (i.e., work) as part of the award. They are intended to fund your academic study and research. Fellowships may be offered by department, the University, the federal government or private agencies. Every fellowship has different provisions, so take note of what is offered. Similar to the traineeship, remember it is your responsibility to ensure all requirements are met, such as enrollment or reporting to the funding agency.

Graduate Funding Resources

• UW Graduate School: Find Funding and Learn about Assistantships and Fellowships 
• Office of Fellowships and Awards
• Graduate Funding Information Services (GFIS)
• ProFellow 

Additional Funding Sources

• Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS)
• ADEA Scholarships (MSDH Students)
• ADHA Scholarships (MSDH Students)
• GSEE: The Office of Graduate Student Equity and Excellence
• Graduate Student Conference Travel Awards
• Magnuson Scholarship