Concorde Career Colleges today announced the launch of two dental hygiene associate degree programs at its campuses in Miramar, Fla., and Portland, Ore., bringing the number of dental hygiene programs offered to 14 nationwide. Concorde is the healthcare education division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc., a leading workforce solutions education provider that prepares and supports workers for in-demand jobs.
“Miramar and Portland are markets where we’re seeing growing demand for skilled dental hygienists, so it made sense to diversify and grow our programming at our existing campuses,” said Kevin Prehn, division president of Concorde Career Colleges. “We have successful, long-standing dental assistant programs at these campuses, and expanding our program offerings allow us to deepen our partnerships with dental providers in the area.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. Locally, the demand is even higher. In Broward County, where the Miramar campus is located, dental hygienists are among the 25 fastest-growing occupations, with a 12.4% projected employment growth between 2023 and 2031.1 Likewise, in the Portland tri-county area, dental hygienists have a 13.7% projected job growth between 2022 and 2032.2
Concorde’s dental hygiene curriculum blends online and on ground coursework with in-person lab instruction and clinical experience to prepare students to enter the dental industry in as few as 17 months.3
The Dental Hygiene programs in Miramar and Portland received initial programmatic accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).4 The first cohort of classes began on April 22.
Once the first cohort of students complete their foundational coursework and are ready to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting, each campus will open their dental hygiene clinic. Under the supervision of faculty and licensed dentists, students will provide a variety of services including health screenings, x-rays, dental cleanings, bite guards, and dental sealants. The clinics are open to the community, offering lost-cost preventive dental care to everyone, including uninsured or underinsured individuals.
“Concorde is deeply invested in the communities where our campuses are located. Our community dental hygiene clinics provide a wonderful opportunity for our students to give back to the community, while earning the clinical competencies they need to graduate,” added Prehn.
The Miramar and Portland clinics were retrofitted into the existing campus footprints. Each location has sixteen fully equipped treatment bays that can support the training of 32 students per cohort.
Each campus plans to host an open house in the fall, which will include tours of the facility and clinic.
Concorde offers a full suite of dental programs, from the on-campus Dental Assistant diploma and Dental Hygiene associate degree programs through an online Dental Hygiene bachelor’s degree completion program.
For more information on Concorde and its healthcare programming, visit concorde.edu.
1. Source: Florida Department of Commerce, Employment Projections for Dental Hygienists in Broward County 2023- 2031, viewed April 23, 2023.
2. Source: State of Oregon Employment Department, Occupational Employment Projections for Dental Hygienists in Portland Tri-County area 2022-2032, viewed April 23, 2023.
3. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course schedule. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, employment, or salary.
4. The programs in dental hygiene at Miramar and Portland are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and have been granted the accreditation status of “initial accreditation.” The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission's web address is www.coda.ada.org.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the “Company”) was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades, and healthcare education programs whose mission is to serve students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers across a number of highly skilled fields. The Company is comprised of two divisions: Universal Technical Institute and Concorde Career Colleges. Universal Technical Institute operates 15 campuses located in nine states and offers a wide range of transportation and skilled trades technical training programs under brands such as UTI, MIAT College of Technology, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in eight states and online, offering programs in the allied health, dental, nursing, patient care, and diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu, or visit us on LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges or on X (formerly Twitter) @news_UTI or @ConcordeCareer.
