West Virginia University's (WVU) College of Business and Economics and School of Dentistry have signed an agreement that will provide dental students with the opportunity to pursue a dual degree.
The schools have partnered to create a Doctor of Dental Surgery/Master of Business Administration (DDS/MBA) degree program, making WVU one of only eight dental schools in the U.S. to offer such a program, according to the university.
The other schools are Columbia University, Harvard University, Howard University, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
The business aspects of dentistry have primarily been learned on the job or through mentorships with seasoned practitioners training new associates in their practices, according to David Felton, DDS, MS, dean of the dental school. The demand for basic and advanced business knowledge in today's world has increased, he added, prompting WVU to create the DDS/MBA degree.
The 2013-20114 academic year will be the first year of the new degree program. Student dentists will complete the requirements for the MBA degree program during an additional fifth year of study beyond the DDS degree.
