Degree Options
The Major
Students must submit a Declaration of Major form by the census date of the first semester of their junior year. A major consists of a minimum of 24 upper division units and includes all requirements designated by the major department. A student must maintain a minimum average of 'C' (2.0) in the major field and must complete a senior thesis, research project, presentation, and/or comprehensive examination. Students are required to have a 'C' (2.0) average in lower division courses required for the major in order to elect it as a major or minor.
In the upper division, a student may choose to concentrate in one of many major areas or plan an interdisciplinary major; a declared minor is optional.
Pathways students may choose from one of the available Pathways majors offered in the evening or may choose a day major (a day-major fee will apply). Only Pathways students who are registered nurses may elect the Nursing Major. A Pathways student must claim a major once the student has completed 60 units of college credit. Students who transfer a minimum of 60 units to Dominican University at the time of enrollment must declare a chosen major following 18 units completed at Dominican. (Pathways students interested in majoring in Nursing must apply to Dominicans day nurses.) For details regarding Pathways majors see the Pathways section.
The Double Major
Students choosing to concentrate in two fields rather than one, and thereby to carry a double major, must have and maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in both fields. The consent of the Chairs of both departments is required. Courses may be counted for both majors up to a maximum of six units.
The Interdisciplinary Major
For students choosing to study in a broader area than is afforded by a conventional major field, the University offers the opportunity of designing an interdisciplinary major with courses chosen from two or more departments. Courses should constitute a coherent, integrated course of study. Courses are selected with a view to preparing the student for a senior project or thesis directed towards a specific interdisciplinary problem. The major consists of a core of upper division units, customarily 18 in one department, with additional upper division units such that the whole totals 35-45 units.
The student, when pre-registering for the junior year, initiates the process by obtaining the Interdisciplinary Contract Major Forms from the Provost's Office.
The student, with faculty representatives of each discipline, designs a program of courses to fit his/her own goals and writes a contract describing the program. The signed contract must be filed in the Registrars Office before the beginning of the second semester of the junior year. Students transferring to Dominican as second semester juniors or as seniors may not declare an interdisciplinary major unless they are willing to remain at the University for the equivalent of four semesters of full-time coursework. The student completes a senior project or thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor.
Health Professional Program Preparation for Non-Biology Majors
(Addendum - This section added on 3/3/2009)
Health professional programs with prerequisite course requirements include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, chiropractic medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, podiatry, physician’s assistant, and public health,
Pre-Health professional students need to take courses that meet the admissions requirements of medical and other healthcare professional schools and that prepare them for the pre-professional school placement tests such as MCAT, DAT, OAT, or PCAT. In addition to completing these courses, it is important that students make the most of the University experience by choosing a major that matches their interests, aptitudes, and alternative career goals. . An ideal health professional school candidate is a well rounded, intelligent, highly skilled university graduate with a solid background in the sciences. While traditionally students interested in health professions have majored in the sciences, health professional schools give equal consideration to students with any major as long as they have completed the prerequisite coursework and a student should not automatically exclude any course of study when entering Dominican University of California.
Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a molecular cell biology emphasis and a chemistry minor fulfill pre-health requirements as they complete the degree requirements. However, many majors at Dominican University offer sufficient flexibility for students to complete pre-health, including pre-med requirements along with their major. Students who are not majoring in Biology should work with their primary academic advisor for their major and be advised on their pre-health professional program requirements by the pre-health science advisors in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics to insure that appropriate progress is made toward completion of the program
The minimum requirements for health professional school admission are listed along with the specific courses to complete at the university:
- 1 year of English (typically general education requirements)
ENGL 1004 - expository writing
ENGL 3200 - advanced writing & research - 1 year of general/inorganic chemistry (with lab)
CHEM 2000/2005, CHEM 2100/2105 - 1 year of organic chemistry (with lab)
CHEM 3800/3805, CHEM 3900/ 3905 - 1 year of physics (with lab)
PHYS 2000/ 2005, PHYS 2100/ 2105 - 1 year of general biology (with lab)
BIO 1000/1005, BIO 1100/1105 - 1 year of higher math (prerequisite for physics and chemistry)
MATH 1600,1700 - calculus
Health professional schools may require or strongly recommend other specific courses for admission, many of these courses cover topics on the MCAT/DAT/OAT/PCAT. As a result, the following courses are highly recommended:
- At least two following upper division biology courses: Animal Physiology, Comparative Anatomy, Developmental Biology, Epidemiology, Genetics, Histology, Molecular Cell Biology, Neuroscience
- Biochemistry (CHEM 4100/4105)
Furthermore, due to the competitive nature of health professional school admissions, it is recommended that students demonstrate their commitment to the profession by volunteering, participating in internships, and/or job shadowing. Information about specific requirements for health professional programs at individual schools is available on reserve in the Dominican University of California library and on websites for each professional school. For example, pre-med students should find information in the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) guide in the library.
Academic Standing in the Major
The University reserves the right to request a student to withdraw from a major or program due to unsatisfactory performance in the theoretical and/or practical phases of the program. Students are placed on probation in their major if their grade point average in upper division courses in the major falls below a 2.0.
Probation in the major is removed when the student brings his/her grade point average in upper division courses in the major above a 2.0.
The Minor
A minor consists of a minimum of 12 upper division units and includes all requirements designated by the minor department. If major requirements also include a group of courses, which either in part or in full fulfill the requirements for a minor in another discipline, they may be counted for both. A declared minor is optional. A student must earn a minimum average of 'C' (2.0) in the minor field. Students who expect to obtain California State Teaching Credentials are advised to declare a minor. A minimum of one-half of the upper division units in the minor must be taken at Dominican.
Second Bachelor's Degree
A student who has already earned a bachelors degree at an accredited institution may apply through the Admissions Office for a second bachelor's degree at Dominican upon satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
- A minimum of 30 units in coursework must be taken at Dominican by students whose first bachelor's degree was obtained elsewhere; students whose first bachelor's degree was obtained at Dominican are required to take a minimum of 24 additional units at the University;
- At least one-half of the upper division units required for the major must be taken at Dominican; and
- The student must fulfill the competency and General Education requirements of Dominican and all requirements for the second major.
Concurrent Degree Programs (BA, BS, BFA)
A Dominican undergraduate may work simultaneously toward two different degrees. In order to qualify for both degrees, a student must complete the General Education requirements, the departmental requirements for each degree, and a total of 72 upper division units.
Should a student meet the academic requirements of both degrees without completing the residence requirement (72 upper division units), the student must choose the degree that will appear on the diploma. Only one degree is awarded; the official transcript will designate both majors.
