Which core curriculum courses are needed?
Core curriculum classes are required courses outside of your major that will give you a well-rounded academic education and allow you
to explore different thoughts and fields. They consist of a semester of:
- Foundations classes: Mathematics (MATH 130, 150, or 170)
- Languages 102 (Spanish, French, German, or Italian)
- English 102 - Information Access Workshop
- Computer Information Science 120
- Liberal Arts & Science Seminars: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior seminar
- The Area Studies courses: students choose one course from the following areas: Fine Arts, History, Literature, Natural Science, Philosophy, Social Science, Theology and Multicultural. Students get to choose which class they want to take for each of these Area Studies.
Can students test out of Math, Language and/or English?
YES. All students are required to take our assessments in Math, English and Language. These assessments are given during SOAR,
and based on a student’s test results; they can test OUT of Math, Language or English.
What are seminars? Are they mandatory?
Seminars invite students to integrate multiple perspectives on personal, social, and philosophical issues by reading, discussing, and
writing about the seminar topic. Each academic year, students are enrolled in a seminar. Freshman students have to take a seminar in the fall semester of their first year, while most transfer students can usually enroll in sophomore, junior or senior seminars depending on their incoming class standing. All students must have a passing grade in all required seminars in order to graduate.
How do I know what classes are good for me, my major and my goals?
During SOAR, you meet with you advisor and discuss your goals, interests, and experiences to determine what career to explore,
especially when you are undecided. While students hold primary responsibility for their education, throughout your academic career at Dominican your faculty advisors, as well as the Academic Advising office, are always available and willing to work with you on
building an academic schedule that reflect your major interests. We also offer career advising services and a Career Development program, which offers a test to assess interest in particular career choices.
If students are having trouble in class, where can they go for help?
Dominican offers many academic resources for students who struggle with classes. We offer a variety of services in our Academic
Enrichment Center such as tutoring and writing assistance. Other services are offered through the Student Success and Engagement office and Rosary College of Arts and Sciences. Students can also attend Scholar’s Hour, an intentional study session that is offered Monday through Thursday. Lastly, professors offer office hours and they are always available and willing to help their students when they need it.
What is the grading scale? How important are grades?
Course work is graded as follows: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-,D, F. Maintaining good grades is very important for life after
graduation. Students must earn a C- or better for courses in their major but can earn a D in Area Studies, Seminars and all Foundation courses except for ENGL 102 (C- or better).
How challenging will my classes be?
Classes vary in difficulty. As time goes on, your major classes become more specific to the topic area you are studying. Despite the
level of difficulty, we have a variety of resources to work with all students for additional assistance, and professors are very willing to work with students on particular class issues.
How and where can students take summer classes or classes not offered at DU?
Dominican allows students to transfer credits from various accredited institutions in the country. Many of our students also take
summer classes at community colleges in the area. In addition to offering an exchange program with Concordia University, we also offer many dual degrees and study abroad programs. The student just has to make sure these institutions send the transfer credits to Dominican so they can be applied towards their academic record. Visit the Registrar’s Transfer Guide website to view a list of approved transfer classes.
How do students apply for study abroad? Does it matter what year they study abroad?
For study abroad questions, contact Alison Healy at ahealy@dom.edu, x6785 or visit our Study Abroad website. Most student
choose to study abroad either their sophomore, junior, or senior year.
What is the average class size?
Typically there are about 12 students per class, though some classes, such as science labs, may have a larger amount of students. There are typically very few classes that have more than 30 students.
Is it challenging to change majors?
Changing majors is a simple process. Every student can declare a major after a semester at Dominican. We encourage students to
declare so they can be assigned a faculty advisor from their department early. This also allows those students to take courses that are only open to students of a certain major. Students can change majors as often as they desire, but we do not recommend doing so at the end of their junior year or into their senior year, unless they plan on finishing college in more than four years.
How many majors can a student have? How many minors?
Many students have a major and a minor or two majors. Some have two majors and a minor, one major and two minors, and a few
students even have three majors. All these scenarios are possible and with careful planning, students can still graduate in four years.
Will we have to take religious classes?
Yes. One of the Area Studies that Dominican requires is Theology. You can choose among a plethora of theology classes the one you
want to use to fulfill this requirement.
What is the Honors program all about? What are the benefits of the Honors program?
The University’s Honors Program provides talented and self-motivated students with the skills they will need to become lifelong
learners. Students who accept this challenge are awarded a Bachelor of Arts or Science with Honors on recommendation of the Honors Committee. Students can get this distinction through coursework or through a research Project.
What is the hardest thing to adjust to in college?
Different students face different challenges while adjusting to challenges. While there are many academic support services listed
throughout these FAQs, we also offer services at our Wellness Center, located in the lower level of Coughlin, to assist with any other transitional or personal issues students may face while adjusting to college. To contact the Wellness Center to make an appointment, you can call at x6229.
Does Dominican accept AP, IB and CLEP scores?
YES. There is a helpful AP, IB and CLEP chart on the RCAS website that will show the minimum score required and course fulfillment.
What are the clubs/extracurricular activities offered?
To see a full list of the student organizations, visit the Student Involvement website.