The Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (DOCS) Master of Science Program requires two years to complete, but no more than four years. Early completion may be considered for students with exceptional progress in their thesis that have completed their coursework. The MS Program is distinct from the PhD Program. MS students may apply to be accepted for the PhD Program once they are accepted into the MS Program. If the student is accepted into the PhD Program at a later date, courses taken toward their master's degree will satisfy doctoral degree credit and residency requirements.
The program is open to post-baccalaureate students, pre-doctoral (First Professional) DMD students, and dental residents. School of Dental Medicine pre-doctoral students and residents may apply for a dual degree option with the PhD or MS Graduate Programs in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences.
Admissions will only be considered for the fall term each year. However, early applications are encouraged, and offers may be extended to suitably qualified candidates before the application deadline.
The curriculum consists of the required didactic course work (21 credits), additional elective courses must be taken to fulfill the didactic course requirements (minimum 4 credits), and a minimum of 6 credits of research-based classes. It is expected that students’ dedication to their research project represents full time commitment regardless of the number of research credits they are enrolled in.
Requirements for the MS Degree
- A total of 31 credits: 25 didactic in the MS core curriculum and 6 in research
- Successful completion of MS core curriculum with a grade of B (3.0 GPA) or better in each course
- A research project leading to a written master’s thesis
- An oral defense of the thesis project