CFDB - Minor in Craniofacial and Dental Technology

The Ostrow School of Dentistry, the Viterbi School of Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Department of Biological Sciences jointly offer the minor in craniofacial and dental technology. This minor is designed to prepare engineering, pre-dental, pre-medical and biological sciences undergraduates to enter the dental biotechnology industry as well as to introduce them to recent innovations in craniofacial sciences and therapeutics. The course work introduces students to concepts in dental and craniofacial sciences and technology, tissue engineering, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and biotechnology as well as applications to dental diagnostics, imaging and dental therapies (dental implants, restorative dentistry, salivary diagnostics).

This minor requires a minimum of 16 units unique to the minor, and a varying number of total units beyond major requirements, depending upon the student’s major program of study and the elective(s) chosen by the student. Students may be required to complete a minimum of 38 units for the minor including pre-requisites or as many as 50 units, depending on whether their major includes any of the minor requirements or their prerequisites.

View a list of required and elective courses below.  Please see a biomedical engineering or biological sciences or a school of dentistry’s advisor for specific program requirements.

Click here to download the application form.  Completed applications should be emailed to Chris Noll at c n o l l @usc.edu.

All information contained here is summarized from the USC Catalogue and is considered non-official. For all rules, regulations, procedures, and outlines, please see the current academic year USC catalogue.

Core Required Courses

DENT 412: Fundamentals of Craniofacial and Dental Technology - 3 units
Offered in the Spring only

BISC 320L: Molecular Biology - 4 units
Offered in the Fall only

BISC 325L: Genetics - 4 units
Offered in the Fall only

BME 410L: Introduction to Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering - 4 units
Offered in the Spring only

Pre-requisites for core required courses include BISC 120, and BISC 220, as well as CHEM 105ab and CHEM 322ab.

Electives

Enroll in at least two courses from the following (not part of your major) to complete at least 16 units outside your home department and at least 16 units unique to the minor:

BISC 330L: Biochemistry - 4 units
Prerequisite: BISC 320L; CHEM 322aL. Offered in the Spring only

BISC 403: Advanced Molecular Biology - 4 units
Prerequisite: BISC 320L. Offered in the Fall only

BISC 406L: Biotechnology - 4 units
Prerequisite: BISC 320L; recommended preparation: BISC 313 or BISC 325. Offered in the Fall only

BISC 410: Applications of Molecular biology to Medicine - 4 units
Senior standing. Prerequisite: BISC 330L. Offered in the Spring only

BISC 435: Advanced Biochemistry - 4 units
Prerequisite: BISC 330L. Offered in the Spring only

BME 404: Biomechanics - 4 units
Prerequisite: PHYS 151L; MATH 245; AME 201. Offered in the Fall only

BME 415: Regulation of medical products - 2 units
Offered in the Spring only

BME 451L: Fundamentals of Biomedical Microdevices - 4 units
Prerequisite: EE202L. Offered in the Fall only

DENT 221: Introduction to Dentistry - 1 unit
Offered in the Spring only

ENGR 305: Engineering Biology Matters - 3 units
Recommended preparation: CHEM 105aL, MASC 110L

HP 340L: Health Behavior Statistical Methods - 4 units

HP 350L: Health Behavior Research Methods - 4 units
Recommended preparation: HP 340L

MASC 310: Materials Behavior and Processing - 4 units
Offered in the Fall only

RXRS 416: Medical Products: From Idea to Market - 4 units
Offered in the Fall only

Published on February 1st, 2017

Last updated on February 17th, 2023