LSCO Dental Assisting Program Offers Stackable Credentials from Certificate to Associate DegreePage Title
July 18, 2025
Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) Dental Assisting program equips students to become successful in the dental profession. With options for dual credit students and over 20 industry connections, the opportunities are vast for dental students.
The Dental Office Basic Certificate is tailored specifically for dual credit students. This certificate is a stackable credential in the Dental Assisting program, leading to the Dental Assisting Certificate, and ultimately the Dental Assisting Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. The basic certificate consists of two semesters and a total of 15 credit hours.
The Dental Assisting Certificate leads directly into the Dental Assisting Associate of Applied Science. This certificate is earned upon completion of three semesters with a total of 38 credit hours including two work-based learning clinical courses. This program provides students the chance to put head knowledge into practice in real-world scenarios. At the completion of this program, a student is qualified to become a Registered Dental Assistant through the Texas State Board registration exam. Graduates with this certificate are prepared to perform various tasks under the supervision of a licensed dentist as dental assistants.
The Dental Assisting Associate of Applied Science is a 60-credit hour program, including four semesters and one summer session. Courses from the Dental Assisting Certificate are applied directly towards this degree. This degree deepens the understanding of complex dental concepts and critical thinking skills of dental assistants.
To learn more about the Dental Assisting program, visit https://www.lsco.edu/programs/degrees-certificates/dental-assisting/index.php