Degrees Offered
MS, PhD
Program Objectives
DBMS MS
The specific objectives of the DBMS MS are to prepare dentists enrolled in Advanced Dental Education Programs at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry to:
• Advance knowledge in the area of Dental Biomedical Sciences.
• Apply scientific principles to learning and to providing oral health care.
• Critically evaluate the scientific literature through their career.
• Acquire skills in research design and methodology.
• Develop teaching skills and become leading members of the general scientific community.
• Understand multidisciplinary clinical care.
• Conduct their professional practice according to the values of professional ethics and acceptance of cultural diversity.
DBMS PhD
Upon completion of the program, DBMS PhD students will be able to:
• Independently design, conduct and analyze ethical and rigorous biomedical research addressing clinically relevant problems affecting the dental, oral, and craniofacial complex.
• Demonstrate effective scientific oral and written communication skills.
• Appreciate, promote, and advance team science based on the diverse, inclusive, and transdisciplinary nature of dental, oral, and craniofacial research.
Program Description
MS Program
The Dental Biomedical Sciences Master of Science degree (DBMS MS) is designed to complement training undertaken by students in the dental school’s certificate programs, i.e., dental postgraduate trainees. This stand-alone degree is offered exclusively to residents in the dental school’s clinical specialty programs who wish to earn the MS degree as part of their advanced training. The DBMS MS prepares dentists for careers in dental education and research. Trainees receive graduate training in the basic sciences, oral biology, and dentistry. Although lecture courses comprise most of the curriculum, many basic science courses include a laboratory component. A significant portion of the program focuses on the design and completion of a master’s thesis research project - a requirement of the program. Students may select research advisors from several disciplines and topics from many basic science and clinical research areas. Specialty certificate programs that offer the master’s degree in oral biology include:
• Advanced General Dentistry
• Endodontics
• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Prosthodontics
PhD Program
The Dental Biomedical Sciences Doctor of Philosophy degree (DBMS PhD) offers a unique program aimed at educating and training dentists in dental, oral, and craniofacial sciences. Our program seeks to build the next generation of new clinician-scientists properly equipped with fundamental scientific knowledge and skills to lead and promote a transdisciplinary approach to research and education in dentistry, nationally and globally. Faculty mentors in the program are internationally renowned scientists carrying out innovative studies to answer timely research questions in broad areas of dental, oral, and craniofacial sciences including dental biomaterials; oral oncology; oral microbial pathogenesis; orofacial neural and pain sciences; tissue engineering, nanotechnology and regenerative medicine; skeletal biology and pathology. The DBMS MS and PhD are offered by the Graduate School in conjunction with the School of Dentistry.
Program Admission
Program Admission DBMS MS Information about the DBMS MS program is presented during the July orientation for new postgraduate dental students. To be eligible for the DBMS MS, applicants must have a professional degree in dentistry and acceptance into one of the specialty certificate programs listed previously. In addition, they must meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for admission. Interested students must complete the Graduate School’s application. The program coordinator at the School of Dentistry will obtain copies of the necessary documents (e.g., transcripts, TOEFL scores) from the applications to the certificate program and submit them to the Graduate School. The graduate application fee is waived for dental residents. Applicants from outside the United States are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
The Graduate School accepts the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and the Duolingo English Test. Minimum required scores are 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS or 115 on the DET. Scores must be sent directly from TOEFL (please use ETS institution code #5848), the IELTS agency or the Duolingo portal to the Graduate School. DBMS PhD Applicants to the DBMS PhD program must apply directly to the Graduate School by December 15.
Applicants must meet all minimum admission requirements and have a professional dental degree with courses in biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics through calculus. Applicants from outside the United States are required to demonstrate English proficiency. The Graduate School accepts the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and the Duolingo English Test. Minimum required scores are 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS or 115 on the DET. Scores must be sent directly from TOEFL (please use ETS institution code #5848), the IELTS agency or the Duolingo portal to the Graduate School.
Degree Requirements
DBMS MS
Students pursuing the DBMS MS degree must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credits, which includes 6 credits of master’s degree research.
DBMS PhD
In the DBMS PhD program at least 30 credits earned from coursework and laboratory rotations is required prior to advancement to candidacy. PhD candidates must complete an additional 12 credits of doctoral dissertation research. As part of the graduation requirements, students must have at least one first-author research paper that is either published or accepted for publication.
DBMS PhD Required Courses
DBMS MS Required Courses
Available Electives
In the DBMS PhD program, all pre-candidacy students are expected to enroll in advanced DBMS and/or GPLS 600+ level courses. Students have maximum flexibility in selecting these courses based on their area of research interest. See DBMS and other GPLS courses in the Course Descriptions part of this catalog.
part of this catalog.