Two months after it was announced that the Board of Governors of California Colleges would permit West Los Angeles College to award students a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, the board made the move to ratify its earlier decision on March 15.
The community college is the only one in the Los Angeles Basin approved to offer a bachelor’s degree in a specific field of study.
Last year Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation authorizing a pilot program that would allow 15 community college districts to offer traditionally four-year degrees that are not offered in the California State University or the University of California systems.
“I am delighted that West’s application to offer a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene has been approved,” said West Los Angeles College President Dr. Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh. “Over at least the last decade, dental hygienists with associate degrees from West have had a 100 percent record of passing the same board examinations that are required of students in bachelor’s programs in order to practice their profession.”
West Los Angeles was initially greenlighted as one of 15 schools statewide to offer bachelor’s degree coursework on Jan. 14. A week later, Vice President Joe Biden toured on the college’s dental hygiene facilities on Jan. 23 with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Culver City) and Culver City Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells.
“The selection of this program at West Los Angeles College is wonderful news for prospective students and the entire district,” said Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Dr. Francisco Rodriguez.
The bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene is an expansion of the college’s outstanding dental hygiene Associate degree program.
“Receiving the bachelor’s degree from West will open the door for our graduates to private practice, leadership positions, and transfer into master’s programs,” Abu-Ghazaleh added.
According to representatives of the college, a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene can cost between $80,000 to $120,000.
“This has been a long time coming, a game changer for graduates of the program, and it will open doors that were barriers in the past,” said Carmen Dones, who heads of the Allied Health Division at West Los Angeles. “Graduates will now be able to apply to be an educator, researcher, or corporate representative, in addition to working in clinical practice.”
The other colleges that received final approval are: Antelope Valley College for airframe manufacturing technology; Bakersfield College for industrial automation; Cypress College for mortuary science; Feather River College for equine industry; Foothill College also for dental hygiene, Mira Costa College for bio-manufacturing; Modesto Junior College and Skyline College for respiratory care; Mesa College health information management; Santa Ana College for occupational studies; and Shasta College for health information management.
“Receiving the bachelor’s degree from West will open the door for our graduates to private practice, leadership positions, and transfer into master’s programs. Go West. Go Far,” Abu-Ghazaleh said.
Colleges may begin offering the four-year degrees as early as this fall.