Teaching Programs

D.D.S. Program
The section is responsible for the basic science portion of the School of Dentistry’s curriculum. The faculty in this section teaches a broad array of subjects, from Anatomy, Biostatistics, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Neuroanatomy and Pharmacology, as well as providing individual support and mentorship for dental students seeking to do research in the different fields of dentistry.

M.S. Program
The master’s degree is offered to graduate dentists, dentists engaged in postgraduate specialty training and any other qualified individual who have an interest in oral biology. A total of 36 units is required, 20 of which must be at the graduate level. Eight core courses in oral biology are required. Students must take additional elective courses (a minimum of 5 units), either at the upper division or graduate level, that are essential to the research area.

Oral Biology Ph.D. Program
Current dental students, graduate dentists and dentists engaged in postgraduate specialty training and students with BS or Master degrees who are interested in advanced oral biology research may choose to apply for the Oral Biology Ph.D. Program. The program aims to train the future leaders in academic dentistry. Ph.D students will be required to take both required core courses and elective courses in the first year, pass both written and oral qualifying exams by the end of second year. Most importantly, Ph.D students are required to perform high quality research projects and defend their thesis before graduation. Depending on research progress, it usually takes 5-7 years to complete a Ph.D degree.

Oral Biology-ACCESS Program
ACCESS (www.uclaaccess.ucla.edu) is a special graduate program at UCLA for the nationwide recruitment of high quality graduate students interested in life science research. Starting in 2003, Oral Biology will be part of the ACCESS program, providing the opportunity for ACCESS students to obtain an Oral Biology Ph.D degree.

DDS-Ph.D Program
This is a new program at UCLA which allows postbaccalaureate students to pursue DDS and Ph.D degrees concurrently. DDS-Ph.D students are required to pass core courses and elective courses of the Oral Biology graduate curriculum and all courses required in the DDS curriculum for the first three years. In years 4-7, students will devote 25% time to finish the DDS degree and 75% time to complete their Ph.D thesis. It may take longer than 7 years to finish both DDS-Ph.D degrees depending on research progress.

Courses Taught

Pre-Doctoral Courses

Post-Doctoral Courses

Research Activities

The Section of Oral Biology provides scientific leadership in selected areas of oral health research including head and neck cancer, immunity, microbiology and pain research.

Volunteer Opportunities

Students and volunteers seeking research experience are encouraged to contact individual professors regarding positions in their laboratories.