Community Oral Health
Community Oral Health Master Program
If you are interested in learning and applying the principles of public health in solving the issues related to oral health and oral health care delivery to oral health care, consider the Master of Science in Community Oral Health. The program is suitable to a wide swath of backgrounds (such as healthcare workers, public health practitioners, pre-med or pre-dental students, dental hygienists, social workers, future healthcare providers, healthcare workers professionals, health administrators or educators, communicators, policymakers, and advocates).
- We are accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and University Committee of Academic Review (UCAR)
- We do not provide a stipend, and this is not a clinical training program
For further questions, please contact our Admissions team.
Application Deadlines
- Fall – July 15th
- Spring – November 15th
- Summer – April 15th
More Program Information
| Student Type | US/International clinicians, healthcare workers, public health practitioners, pre-med or pre-dental students, dental hygienists, social workers, future health care providers, health care workers/professionals, health administrators or educators, communicators, policymakers, and advocates. |
| Required Work Experience | BA/BS |
| Rolling Admission | Fall, Spring, Summer |
| Estimated Program Length** | 24 months** |
| Courses | 16 courses |
| Units | 30 |
| Delivery Format | (90%) online learning and (10%) educational activities |
| Typical Week | 2-3 weekly streaming video lectures, one live weekly video conference and online quizzes |
| Employment Impact | Ability to continue working full time with classes |
| On-Ground Bootcamp (summer only) | Yes (1 week) |
| Capstone Project | Includes a practicum where the student develops a project within a community or organization. The program includes two elective tracks to respond to specific student’s interest: Vulnerable populations and community health care and Project Administration |
| Program Type | part time |
| Estimated Tuition* | $2354 unit |
*adjusted annually
Community Oral Health Certificate Program
If you are interested in improving access to oral health care with a community-based approach, consider applying to the Online Certificate in Community Oral Health. The program is suitable to a wide swath of backgrounds (such as healthcare workers, public health practitioners, pre-med or pre-dental students, dental hygienists, social workers, future health care providers, health care workers/professionals, health administrators or educators, communicators, policy makers, and advocates), with interest on developing a career on Community Oral Health.
- We are accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and University Committee of Academic Review (UCAR)
- We do not provide a stipend, and this is not a clinical training program
For further questions, please contact our Admissions team.
Application Deadlines
- Fall – July 15th
- Spring – November 15th
- Summer – April 15th
More Program Information
| Student Type | US/International clinicians, healthcare workers, public health practitioners, pre-med or pre-dental students, dental hygienists, social workers, future health care providers, health care workers/professionals, health administrators or educators, communicators, policymakers, and advocates. |
| Required Work Experience | BA/BS |
| Rolling Admission | Fall, Spring, Summer |
| Estimated Program Length** | 12 months |
| Courses | 6 courses |
| Units | 13 |
| Delivery Format | (90%) online learning and (10%) educational activities |
| Typical Week | 2-3 weekly streaming video lectures, one live weekly video conference and online quizzes |
| Employment Impact | Ability to continue working full time with classes |
| On-Ground Bootcamp (summer only) | Yes (1 week) |
| Program Type | part time |
| Estimated Tuition* | $2354 unit |
*adjusted annually
Student Testimonials
“In terms of flexibility and opportunity to continue our lives without too much interruption, this program is really unique. They provide a lot of support. The faculty are awesome and they do try to help us as much as they possibly can.”
Limited Status Enrollment
The Limited Status Enrollment program is intended for individuals who wish to take a limited number of courses at USC without enrolling in a full program. Limited Status Students still have access to all the same resources that traditional, full-time students have; they’re able to interact with the cohort and join a collaborative learning experience. Becoming a Limited Status Student is the perfect way to see if a complete Master or Certificate program is a good fit!
Instructions to Register as a Limited Status Student:
- Contact us at online@ostrow.usc.edu. We will provide further instructions on registering.
- Complete the Limited Status Registration Form.
- Submit the form and $100 processing fee to the Registrar One Stop Center in person or by mail.
If you are unable to submit the form in person, you may designate a representative to act on your behalf. Please contact online@ostrow.usc.edu for specifics on the documentation needed to designate a representative.
If you wish to mail in your form, please include a copy of your driver’s license or passport. If you wish to mail your payment, please consider using certified mail.
Registrar One Stop Center
700 Childs Way, JHH 106
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0912
Phone: (213) 740-8500
Setting Up Your Account and Paying Fees:
Once we process your request, we will email you confirmation of your registration. To pay your tuition bill and to view other student services, please visit the Student Financial Services page.
You can also visit MyUSC, your personalized online portal at the University of Southern California that provides access to a variety of campus resources.
- Financial Aid is not available for limited status students.
Master Curriculum
The Community Oral Health Master’s Program is a 24 month program. Courses outlined by trimester are completed throughout the 24 month period.
Fall Trimester
COH-701 Community Health Sciences (2 units)
Examines common theoretical and conceptual models, health education methodologies and emerging technology to provide health services in community settings.
COH-706 Foundations and Strategies in Health Education (2 units)
Examines the impact of education in community health, identifying strategies to engage and empower the members of the community to achieve health and wellness.
COH-707 Epidemiology (2 units)
Explores the fundamental understanding of epidemiology that concerns various domains and disciplines, and apply the epidemiologic principles in community health projects.
COH-708 Community Health Science Administration, assessment and evaluation (2 units)
Fosters the opportunity to develop foundational knowledge to be administrative and executive leaders in the healthcare industry and assist with the skills to identify and assess the key problems and available resources that affect community health.
COH-709 Community Health Program Execution and Communication (2 units)
Develops the communication skills as an administrator including social marketing techniques for health promotion.
COH-710 Health Assessment (2 units)
Focusses on the importance of health assessment in order to understand the needs and priorities of a community. The concepts of vulnerability and inequality are addressed, identifying strategies to achieve appropriate health care and healthy communities.
COH-711 Practicum 1 (1 units)
The practicum provides the opportunity to apply the acquired competencies to real world settings, and to provide to the community with tools to improve health promotion and disease prevention. The practicum incorporates a service learning approach involving a partnership between the student, community organization, and designated faculty or research team members. The first course emphasize in the establishment of an alliance, needs identification and educational proposal.
Spring Trimester
COH-593a Capstone Project (2 units)
Instructs ways to successfully conduct a systematic review by covering the 5 steps: Formulating the research question, searching the literature, assessing the quality, summarizing the evidence and interpreting the findings.
COH-593b Capstone Project (2 units)
Independent study to prepare an oral defense of the Capstone project.
COH-702 Social and Behavioral Sciences (2 units)
Explores the social and behavioral factors of diverse groups that can affect the health status and choices of communities.
COH-703 Community Health Program Planning and Implementation (2 units)
Introduction to the concepts and processes used in evidence-based community oral health program development.
COH-705 Research and Biostatistics in Healthcare (2 units)
Healthcare research encompasses a wide range of research disciplines including basic and applied research. This course introduces participants to the research process with emphasis on different types of research methods and designs frequently used to study health and health care delivery.
COH-706 Foundations and Strategies in Health Education (2 units)
Examines the impact of education in community health, identifying strategies to engage and empower the members of the community to achieve health and wellness.
COH-710 Health Assessment (2 units)
Focusses on the importance of health assessment in order to understand the needs and priorities of a community. The concepts of vulnerability and inequality are addressed, identifying strategies to achieve appropriate health care and healthy communities.
COH-711 Practicum 1 (1 units)
The practicum provides the opportunity to apply the acquired competencies to real world settings, and to provide to the community with tools to improve health promotion and disease prevention. The practicum incorporates a service learning approach involving a partnership between the student, community organization, and designated faculty or research team members. The first course emphasize in the establishment of an alliance, needs identification and educational proposal.
COH-712 Practicum 2 (1 unit)
The practicum provides the opportunity to apply the acquired competencies to real world settings, and to provide to the community with tools to improve health promotion and disease prevention. This course incorporates a service learning approach involving a partnership between the student, community organization, and designated faculty or research team members. During the course, the student participate in a multidisciplinary team, executing an educational program, and collects data regarding the community health.
Summer Trimester
COH-593b Capstone Project (2 unit)
The student will conduct a systematic review as the research capstone experience of the program. Students will work in teams ranging from 2 to 4 students, and will present and defend their capstone projects in front of a panel of faculty. The final report needs to be of a quality that it could be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
COH-704 Environmental Health Sciences (3 units)
Environmental factors affecting community health and evidence-based approaches to control or reduce the risks of these health problems.
COH-715 Community Health Practice Standards (2 unit)
Examines the scopes and standards of practice, regulations, policies and ethical principles that affect healthcare providers, payers and other stakeholders in community healthcare settings.
COH-716 Healthcare Communication Technology (2 unit)
Reviews systems and applications of the emerging technology of Telehealth for patient and professional health-related education and applications for patient access to care.
COH-717 Practicum 3 (1 unit)
The practicum provides the opportunity to apply the acquired competencies to real world settings, and to provide to the community with tools to improve health promotion and disease prevention. The course incorporates a service learning approach involving a partnership between the student, community organization, and designated faculty or research team members. During the final course, the student participate in a multidisciplinary team, collects data regarding the community health and builds a plan for sustainability and maintenance.
Certificate Program Curriculum
The Community Oral Health Certificate Program is a 12 month program. Courses outlined by trimester are completed throughout the 12 month period.
Fall Trimester
COH-701 Community Health Sciences (2 units)
Examines common theoretical and conceptual models, health education methodologies and emerging technology to provide health services in community settings.
COH-702 Social and Behavioral Sciences (2 units)
Explores the social and behavioral factors of diverse groups that can affect the health status and choices of communities.
Spring Trimester
COH-703 Community Health Program Planning and Implementation (2 units)
Introduction to the concepts and processes used in evidence-based community oral health program development.
COH-705 Research and Biostatistics in Healthcare (2 units)
Healthcare research encompasses a wide range of research disciplines including basic and applied research. This course introduces participants to the research process with emphasis on different types of research methods and designs frequently used to study health and health care delivery.
COH-706 Foundations and Strategies in Health Education
(2 units)
Examines the impact of education in community health, identifying strategies to engage and empower the members of the community to achieve health and wellness.
Summer Trimester
COH-703 Community Health Program Planning and Implementation (2 units)
Introduction to the concepts and processes used in evidence-based community oral health program development.
COH-704 Environmental Health Sciences (3 units)
Environmental factors affecting community health and evidence-based approaches to control or reduce the risks of these health problems.
Where can your degree take you?
Academic
Faculty positions in public and community health academic programs with additional knowledge of current oral health issues
Administration
Advocacy
Clinical Practice
Community Clinic
Health and oral education and instructional positions are available in schools and universities, non-profit organizations, medical centers, community health centers as well as local and state departments
Industry
Research
