About Dominican
Students | Parents | Faculty | Visitors
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 2,200 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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Mission
Dominican University of California educates and prepares students to be ethical leaders and socially responsible global citizens who incorporate the Dominican values of study, reflection, community, and service into their lives.
Guided by its Catholic heritage, the University is committed to diversity, sustainability, and the integration of the liberal arts, the sciences, and professional programs.
Academic Life
U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University of California in the top tier of "Regional Universities West."
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.
Dominican Diversity
Students come from across the United States, although primarily from the Bay Area and Northern California, and from 18 foreign countries, including Brazil, China, Ireland, Japan, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.
More than 80 percent of undergraduate students attending Dominican receive financial aid. The small class sizes ensure that all students receive personal guidance from their faculty mentors.
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 12 intercollegiate programs in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, men's and women's cross country, women’s volleyball, men’s lacrosse, women’s softball and women’s tennis.
Since opening the state-of-the-art Conlan 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.
In 2009-10, Dominican transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division II status as a member of the Pacific West Conference and has gained provisional status for the 2010-11 season.
