Anoka-Ramsey Launches Dental Assisting Program on Cambridge Campus

Anoka-Ramsey Community College will launch its new Dental Assisting program at its Cambridge Campus in spring 2027, helping address a growing workforce need for dental professionals across East Central Minnesota.

The program offers stackable credentials in the form of a 23-credit certificate, 47-credit diploma and 60-credit associate of applied science degree.  

Students will learn in a newly constructed dental clinic environment featuring industry-standard equipment.

"Anoka-Ramsey Dental Assisting students will train using modern, state-of-the-art equipment that closely mirrors what they will encounter in today's dental offices, ensuring a smooth transition from the classroom to the clinic," Anoka-Ramsey Dental Assisting Program Director Kelly Messier said.

Students in the diploma and Associate of Applied Science pathways will quickly gain the clinical, technical and professional skills needed to enter a high-demand field where employers are actively seeking qualified dental assistants. They will follow two semesters of program instruction with one semester of internship experience.

"Our program is a short three-semester program where students will be career-ready as soon as they graduate,” Messier said.

The program was developed in close partnership with local dental professionals who identified a growing need for trained dental assistants throughout the region.

Shannon Kirkeide, Anoka-Ramsey’s dean of academic and community outreach, said the Cambridge community played a critical role in bringing this program to campus.

"This program would not have happened without our Cambridge community,” she said. "We brought together so many members of the dental community locally in Cambridge and surrounding areas because the need is so great, and they were clamoring for a program here in this desert of dental assistant training programs."

Kirkeide said she expects the program will set a new standard of excellence, making Anoka-Ramsey a destination for dental assisting education.

“I feel like we are at the cusp of being a leader in dental assisting preparation in our state,” she said. "When Anoka-Ramsey graduates a dental assisting student, we want our local dental offices advocating that they are the best ones to hire."

About Anoka-Ramsey’s Dental Assisting Program

The Dental Assisting program at Anoka-Ramsey is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Graduates of the diploma and AAS degree in dental assisting from Anoka-Ramsey are eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board Certification Exam to become certified and licensed dental assistants.

Learn more about Dental Assisting at Anoka-Ramsey Community College