Advanced Specialty Education Program in
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Program Director

V. Leroy Leggitt, DDS, PhD, MS Professor of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Faculty

General Information

Gainful Employment Disclosure

Application Method

Contact Information

Center for Dentistry and Orthodontics (CDO).

Program Description

The goals of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics are:

All of these stated goals are designed to prepare clinicians for a specialty practice in orthodontics and/or career in dental education. The content of the program conforms to the standards established by the specialty board.

All candidates must apply for admission to the Master of Science (MS) degree track.  *The program begins in late June and requires twenty-seven (27) months of study in residence.  Additional time may be needed to complete the research and thesis requirements for the award of a Master of Science degree.

*Satisfactory completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for admission to FGS for pursuit of the master's degree.

Graduates of the MS degree program are educationally qualified for certification by the American Board of Orthodontics.

Connect to the Loma Linda University Center for Dentistry and Orthodontics website

Graduate orthodontic clinic waiting room (left) and reception desk (right).

Application and Admission Process

Application deadline - Applications for admission must be submitted by August 1st of the year prior to the summer of intended enrollment. All transcripts and supporting documents must be sent to Admissions Processing, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350 and received by the August 1st deadline.

Electronic application submission - The application process must be completed online and only applications with all the required supporting documents will be reviewed for admission. Online application

Advisory to Applicants: To ensure prompt posting of your required supporting documents, complete your application before you request transcripts and test scores.

Invitation to interview - All complete applications that meet the minimum admissions requirements are reviewed (refer to Admissions Requirements below). The top candidates are invited for an interview by a selection committee composed of department faculty and outside faculty/administrators and chaired by the program director.

Admissions decisions - The program director presents the list of nominations for admission (with alternates) for discussion and approval by the graduate admissions committee. The committee meets monthly, and candidates will be notified of a decision as soon as possible.

Acceptance - Candidates offered acceptance are required to submit a non-refundable deposit check of $1,000 to hold a place in the entering class. These funds will be applied towards tuition and fees for the first quarter of study. Individuals who accept admission to the program will be required to submit an application to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (Form A), resubmit their application for the professional certificate track accompanied by an application fee of $60 after they matriculate.

Background check - Accepted students must complete a background check in order to register and begin the program.

Health Clearance Information and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) Training for incoming graduate students and residents - All individuals accepted into an Advanced Education Program must receive a health clearance from Student Health Service before they are permitted to start their program. A health clearance includes passing a PPD (tuberculosis), Hepatitis B, and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) test. In addition, all incoming graduate students/residents also must undergo Health Care Provider CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training and obtain certification prior to the start of their program.

How to obtain information regarding policies on blood-borne and infectious diseases:
Federal OSHA (www.osha.gov) In search menu type: Bloodborne Pathogens 1910.1030
State Cal/OSHA (www.dir.ca.gov) In search menu type: Bloodborne Pathogens Standards 5193

An operatory inside the J. Milford Anholm Graduate Orthodontic Clinic.	Graduate orthodontics students study area.

Admissions Requirements

See a Comparison of the Admissions Criteria for all eight Graduate Programs

The following information and documentation are required for all applications to the Orthodontics Program:

1.  Transcript(s) - from all post-secondary institutions from which the applicant received credit whether or not the work pertains to their LLU degree.  Only official transcript(s) will be accepted.  An official transcript is one that is submitted directly from the school, college, or university to Loma Linda University.  Transcripts that are hand-carried or mailed by an applicant, even if in a sealed envelope, cannot be considered official and will be recorded as still missing.  Transcripts should be mailed directly to: Admissions Processing, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350.

Applicants who have transcripts from non-US dental schools must submit a translated course-by-course transcript report from one of the following agencies (See International Transcript Information):

1. World Education Services (WES)
2. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
3. Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE)
4. American Education Research Corporation (AERC)

2.  GPA and class rank specified in a dean's letter - A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher is required. Applicants must request the dean of their dental school to provide a letter with their official GPA and class rank.  This letter can be sent through the online recommendation form or mailed to: Office of Advanced Dental Education, Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, CA 92350.

3.  Graduate Record Examination (GRE) - Satisfactory completion of the GRE is required for all applicants applying to the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.*  Official test results must be received by the August 1st application deadline.  When requesting GRE scores, please use the LLU Institutional Code 4062.  Only test results transmitted through the Educational Testing Service are considered official.

For information regarding the Graduate Record Examination, test locations, and test dates, please contact the Educational Testing Services (ETS) at www.ets.org. 

*The Orthodontics Program reserves the right to admit selected students to the certificate program which would require submission of a second application.

4.  National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) - Successful completion of the National Board Dental Examination Part I and Part II (when available) is required of all applicants. Part I results must be submitted by the application deadline and Part II results are to be submitted when taken. Please allow plenty of time for NBDE score report requests to be processed by the ADA.  NBDE scores reported in a dean's letter cannot be accepted as an official report of test results.  Please have NBDE scores mailed directly to: Admissions Processing, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350. Request NBDE scores

5.  English Proficiency Exam - Regardless of nationality or citizenship, an applicant whose native language is not English or whose secondary education has been given outside the U.S. is required to pass one of the following English proficiency tests:

1. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date.  The institution code for Loma Linda University is 4062. TOEFL minimum scores are: 80 - Internet-based test , 550 - Paper-based test, including a minimum final score of 5.0 on the TWE part (Test of Written English)
2. IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. LLU minimum score is 6.5
3. MELAB LLU minimum score is 77

6.  International Dentist Program - All graduates from non-ADA accredited dental schools who apply to the Advanced Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics must complete an accredited International Dentist Program.

7.  Letters of recommendation - Three letters of recommendation from individuals who have known and worked closely with the candidate are required in support of an application.  Letters of recommendation are valid for no more than two consecutive years for the same program.  Letters of recommendation also must be program specific (i.e., support an applicant for the actual program to which he/she is applying).  Any applicant applying to more than one Advanced Education Program in the same year must submit a set of three letters of recommendation specifically identifying and supporting the candidate for each program.

8.  Curriculum vitae - Applicants must include their curriculum vitae sent electronically with the online application or mailed directly to the Office of Advanced Dental Education.

9.  Dental license - A copy of the applicant's current dental license (if available) should be sent to the Office of Advanced Dental Education.

10. Photograph - A passport-style photograph can be sent electronically with the online application or mailed directly to the Office of Advanced Dental Education (this is optional, but recommended).

Important Instructions for the Transmittal of Official Documents

All official documents must be mailed from the issuing institutions. Applicants must not mail originals or official copies of transcripts, GRE scores, National Dental Board scores, and TOEFL scores themselves.

An application is not considered complete until all required supporting documents have been received. Only completed applications go to committee for consideration. This policy holds true for both U.S. and non-U.S. applicants. So please apply early.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year (effective July 1, 2012) is $13,124 per quarter.  Health insurance is $470 per quarter and the student services fees are $232 per quarter.  The information technology (IT) support fee is $195 per quarter.  These fees do not include instruments and textbooks that may be required.

From left to right: Drs. Brent Tingey, Melina Adamian, Gregory Olson, Todd Wesslen, Warren Libby, and Vanessa Kaplan in the second floor conference room.	Third floor conference room.

Departmental Required Courses

Interdisciplinary Required Courses

Curriculum by Academic Year

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

Graduation

Study may extend beyond 27 months for those pursuing a master of science (MS) degree.