The Advanced Graduate Education Program in Orthodontics at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine focuses on providing our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out ethical, patient-centered, evidence-based orthodontic treatment. In addition, our aim is to graduate specialists who possess advanced technical skills, a comprehensive scientific foundation, a thirst for knowledge, and the capacity to become strong leaders in orthodontics education and research. The program places equal emphasis on clinical ability, research skills, and leadership capacity. Admission to the program is highly competitive.<br> <br>This program is directed toward the development of clinician-scholars whose career goals involve clinical teaching, research, and patient care. Students satisfy didactic and clinical specialty certificate requirements and have additional course requirements distributed among oral biology, biostatistics, and basic medical sciences. A written research proposal, prepared in the format of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, is required, along with research experience, culminating in the preparation and defense of a thesis. The usual length of this program is three years when combined with clinical specialty training. A master of medical Sciences (MMSc) degree in oral biology with a certificate in orthodontics is awarded concurrently with the Faculty of Medicine of Harvard University upon successful completion of all requirements.