Four-Year Dental Technology Program Celebrates Inaugural Year

At a time when two-year dental technology Associate’s Degree programs are on the decline, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) went in the opposite direction, expanding its curriculum to provide a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Technology—currently the only one offered in the U.S. The new program started in Fall 2017.

The change was necessitated by the state’s decision in 2013 to alter the Associate’s Degree requirements at Indiana’s universities, limiting them to no more than 60 credits in total with 30 of those credits being general education courses. IPFW’s two-year program was 72 credits and only 12 were for general education. 

Not willing to sacrifice classes to meet the new requirements or close the dental technology program completely, the Department of Academic Affairs tasked Director Brooke Pratt, CDT, TE, (also an alumna) with expanding the program. Pratt...