Shoreline College awards its first bachelor’s degrees to dental hygiene graduates

20 dental hygiene graduates awarded the first bachelor's degrees from Shoreline College

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, Shoreline College celebrated a historic milestone as the 20 graduates of its Dental Hygiene program became the first cohort of students to earn bachelor’s degrees from the college.

“I am incredibly proud of our graduates, and their increased participation in community health and interprofessional education with dental and medical students,” said dental hygiene professor Nikki Honey.

Launched in 2024, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene (BASDH), which built upon the curriculum of the college’s Associate of Applied Science degree, requires students to complete 119 credits of intensive dental hygiene courses following the successful completion of all program prerequisites.

Shoreline’s Dental Hygiene program operates in partnership with the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Students earn their degrees through Shoreline College and are taught by Shoreline dental hygiene faculty, but the program is housed on the University of Washington Seattle campus. 

Speaking at this year’s Dental Hygiene Pinning Ceremony, Andre Ritter, Dean of the UW School of Dentistry, praised the graduates and expressed his hopes for an ongoing partnership.

“It is no surprise to us that Shoreline students are sought after by the School of Dentistry alumni and other dentists in Washington State, by DSO’s [Dental Support Organizations], and by community health centers,” said Mr. Ritter.

“The UW School of Dentistry is firmly committed to the Shoreline Dental Hygiene program. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Shoreline’s faculty and leadership for many years.”

The BASDH program was designed to prepare highly skilled healthcare professionals and to tackle the pressing need for qualified dental hygienists in Washington State, particularly in rural areas where access to dental care is limited.

The shortage of trained dental hygienists has been an ongoing challenge in Washington. According to research published by the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, dental hygienists have been in high demand for many years, and additional graduates are needed to fill long-term vacancies across the state.

To further address this need, Mr. Ritter discussed his hopes for continued growth of the program. “Ultimately, we hope to expand to 30 students in each class to help remedy the shortage of dental hygienists in Washington State.”

This first cohort of baccalaureate graduates will begin to address that shortage as they, in the words of 2026 graduate Emily Dietzel, “leave with a shared purpose: to preserve the health of our communities and improve the lives of the patients we serve.”

“This is an incredibly important milestone for Shoreline College as we award our first bachelor's degrees in dental hygiene,” shared Dr. Jack Kahn, president of Shoreline College.

“Our partnership with the University of Washington exemplifies our commitment to student success, bringing institutions together to create opportunities that are stronger and more impactful than any one of us could achieve alone. Congratulations to all the graduates and thank you to everyone past and present who helped turn this vision into reality.”

New cohorts begin the BASDH program every summer. The BASDH classes of 2027 and 2028 are both fully enrolled with 20 students each.