About Dominican

Approximately 40 percent of undergraduate students are of ALANA heritage (African American, Latino, Asian American or Native American); of the total student body, 23 percent are men and 77 percent are women.

Dominican University of California is an independent university of Catholic heritage located 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, California. Founded in 1890 by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, Dominican enjoys a century-long reputation for excellence in scholarship, research, and community outreach.

The University offers more than 60 academic programs that reflect the diversity and creativity of the faculty and students.

With more than 2,100 graduate and undergraduate students and a student to faculty ratio of 11:1, Dominican is able to successfully blend personal direction associated with smaller schools with the academic resources of a larger university.

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Academic Life 

Dominican’s focus on interdisciplinary studies provides a challenging academic environment. In the sciences, the University excels at involving undergraduates in sophisticated research projects that enable students to present at national academic conferences and publish alongside their faculty mentors in peer- reviewed journals. In the humanities, students can combine dance and musical performance with the study of philosophy, literature, world cultures, and religion. Dominican also offers strong undergraduate professional programs in business, education, and nursing, in addition to graduate offerings in these disciplines as well as counseling psychology and occupational therapy.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University of California in the top tier of "Western Universities - Master's."

Dominican Diversity

Students come from across the United States, although primarily from the Bay Area and Northern California, and from 21 foreign countries, including Brazil, China, Ireland, Japan, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.

More than 70 percent of students attending Dominican receive financial aid. The small class sizes ensure that all students receive personal guidance from their faculty mentors. In addition, the University offers a four-year guarantee: any student who carries a full course load and meets all the requirements for eight consecutive semesters will graduate in four years or spend a fifth year at Dominican tuition-free.

Challenging the Student

Special characteristics of a Dominican education include the Senior Thesis, an intensive research project that provides all students with an opportunity to shine in their chosen fields of study. The Senior Thesis can also provide the final distinguishing feature that ensures admission to graduate school or the offer of an appealing job.

Internships are available through the University’s Career Services Office, giving students the opportunity to explore employment options with local companies. The center also offers workshops and individual counseling on career and job search strategies, résumé writing and interviewing skills.

Athletics

Dominican offers 10 intercollegiate programs in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, women’s volleyball, men’s lacrosse, women’s softball and women’s tennis. Since opening the state-of-the-art Conlan Recreation Center in 2000, Dominican has enjoyed tremendous success in athletic competition. In 2007-2008, the men’s basketball team won its fifth Cal Pac Conference Championship in six years. The women's volleyball and women's soccer teams also won Cal Pac Conference Championships in 2007-2008.

Special Programs

• Dominican offers the Honors Program for especially talented, highly motivated students who want to create a challenging academic experience for themselves. Honors students can expand their work in a course by doing a special project, explore a topic through Honors Seminars, or pursue independent study and research under the guidance of a faculty advisor.

• Each year a Dominican student is selected to participate in the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program. This student leader spends the fall semester working in Washington, D.C.

• In 2006, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce relocated its North Bay U.S. Export Assistance Center to Dominican. Students are gaining hands-on experience in international trade by working with the USCS and its clients.

• International opportunities are offered through Dominican's Office of International Student Services (OISS). The OISS provides students with opportunities to live and learn in foreign countries while earning academic credit, though the University's Study Abroad Program. At the same time, the ELS Language Centers program located on the Dominican campus is a world-class language center. The program brings international students to campus for intensive English instruction, while creating a lively global influence among the student body.

University Expansion

In 2006, Dominican partnered with Alonzo King's LINES Ballet School to offer a unique joint educational program. The BFA in dance program combines Dominican’s comprehensive liberal arts education with the technically rigorous and artistically expansive dance training of King’s Ballet School. Classes will be held in San Rafael and in downtown San Francisco.

In 2007, Dominican opened a 35,000 square foot Science Center, which will enable the University to expand its biomedical research program and continue to train students for careers as doctors and research scientists. The center also will assist the University in meeting the demand for science and mathematics teachers in California schools.