Dentistry
Types of Degrees Dentistry Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many dentistry graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Doctor’s Degree | 6,928 |
| Graduate Certificate | 33 |
What Dentistry Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to dentistry were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Dentistry Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in dentistry should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Skills for Dentistry Majors
A major in dentistry prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for Dentistry Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a dentistry student include the following:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Dentistry Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with dentistry:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | 19.4% | $151,850 |
| Health Specialties Professors | 25.9% | $97,370 |
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Dentistry
Some careers associated with dentistry require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for dentistry careers below.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.2% |
| Some College Courses | 4.2% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 5.2% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 5.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 18.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 58.2% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 8.0% |
Online Dentistry Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Master’s | 3 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 2 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 67 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Dentistry
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to dentistry.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Michal Jarmoluk under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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