Postgraduate Dental College (PDC)
Master of Science (MS) degree programs are incorporated within existing Army, Navy, and Air Force Advanced Dental Education Residencies. A certificate attesting to successful completion of the residency is awarded by the Military Service upon satisfactory completion of all elements listed in the curriculum (by location) and a Master of Science degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU) is awarded to graduates who have successfully completed their research requirements. However, both certificate and MS Degree must be earned for either to be awarded. All residencies are programmatically accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (ADA CODA). These programs combine formal research requirements with postgraduate specialty certificate programs to educate, train, and comprehensively prepare military dental officer specialists to support the Military Health System (MHS), the National Security, National Defense Strategies of the United States, and the readiness of our military forces. Coursework successfully completed in the certificate programs concurrently fulfills requirements for the MS degree programs. The programs provide an integrated foundation in the biological, material, and clinical sciences within each dental discipline to prepare military dentists for careers in clinical dentistry, dental education, and clinic leadership roles in MHS. The mandatory research component culminates with the completion of military-relevant research and documentation of results in either a publishable paper or thesis format. The programs’ educational focus concentrates on training students as intelligent consumers of the scientific literature, along with instilling critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are applicable to any military assignment. There are 7 MS Programs and 1 Fellowship (subspecialty Certificate) that correspond to recognized dental specialties, taught within 19 existing military residencies, at 6 separate military installations throughout the United States. These dental specialty disciplines (associated MS degree Programs) include: Comprehensive Dentistry (MS in Dental Clinical Sciences), Endodontics (MS in Endodontics), Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (MS in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology), Orofacial Pain (MS in Orofacial Pain), Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (MS in Orthodontics), Periodontics (MS in Periodontics), and Prosthodontics (MS in Prosthodontics). In addition, a Fellowship leading to a subspecialty of Maxillofacial Prosthetics is offered following completion of the MS in Prosthodontics Program. Graduates are well prepared and expected to pursue certification by the specialty certification board applicable to their dental specialty discipline. Finally, professional military development is integrated into the curricula to develop not only clinicians, but also officers who are prepared to lead and support our nation’s defense through a keen awareness of the greater mission.