General Education Requirements

The General Education (GE) curriculum at Dominican fosters the development of the skills, knowledge, and moral character essential to lifelong learning and a rich, satisfying life by: (1) providing students with essential foundations in the main areas of human knowledge (i.e., sciences, arts, and humanities); (2) engaging them in the persistent practice of logical thinking, persuasive writing, and effective speaking; (3) enhancing their self-understanding as citizens of diverse communities in an ecologically imperiled world; and (4) in light of Dominican's Catholic heritage, offering them the guidance--and freedom--needed for developing their own awareness of the moral and spiritual dimensions of existence.

What are the General Education expectations for my first year at Dominican?

Although many majors require a course sequence that may differ from the list below, it is our hope that all first-year students take the following courses in either their first or second semester at Dominican, as they provide a solid foundation of skills and knowledge for future academic success.

First Year Experience (FYE) (6 units)

Must be taken at Dominican

• FYE 1000 Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present (3 units, to be taken in the student's first semester): Drawing on disciplines such as biology, sociology, anthropology, geology, economics, political science, astronomy, literature, and more, this course tells the universe story. This places humankind within a universal narrative and promotes an exploration of humans' roles and effects within that narrative. Having exposed students to this grand sweep of natural and human history, this course will end with a look to the future and an overview of the crises our global civilization faces.

• In their second semester, first-year students choose one 3-unit course from an array of six. These courses examine the common history of human ventures in specific areas of knowledge, creativity, or inquiry, with implications for working together in a global society. It re-examines Big History with a literary eye, a musical eye, or an eye to trade, religion, social order, or art's place in those sweeping tides of human history. These courses too end with a look to the future.

Engl 1004 Expository Writing (3 units)

Must be taken at Dominican and passed with a grade of 'C' or better

Can be waived by the following:

• SAT Critical Reading score of 600 or higher,
• ACT English score of 26 or higher, or
• AP exam score of 4 or 5 in English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition

Engl 3200 Advanced Writing and Research (3 units)

Must be taken at Dominican and passed with a grade of 'C' or better

Speech (3 units)

• CMS 1200 Public Speaking, or
• Bus 2030 Business Communication and Critical Thinking

Quantitative Reasoning (3 or 4 units)

• Math 1400 College Algebra (3),
• Math 1450 Mathematical Thinking and Quantitative Reasoning (4),
• Psy 3187 Statistics for the Health and Behavioral Sciences (4)--for Nursing, OT, and Psych majors only,
• AP exam score of 4 or 5 in Calculus or Statistics, or
• A passing CLEP exam score in College Mathematics, College Algebra, Pre-calculus, or Calculus

Social Science (3 units)

• Bus 1000 Macro-Economics, 
• Hist 1776 U.S. History: Columbus to Clinton,
• Pol 1100 Introduction to American Politics,
• Psy 1100 Introduction to Psychology,
• HCS 1001 Introduction to Sociology, or
• HCS 1002 Cultural Anthropology

What are the General Education expectations for my remaining years at Dominican?

Natural Science (6-8 units) 

One course in a Biological Science, plus lab, and one course in a Physical Science, plus lab

Creative and Performing Arts (3 units)

One course that requires one's own creativity through the actual process of making art through studio work, creative writing, performing arts, visual arts, or music

Moral Philosophy/Ethics (3 units)

One course that engages students in the practice of clear and cogent reasoning in the critical analysis of various moral positions and arguments on a variety of contemporary ethical issues

Religion (6 units)

One course in the Cross-Cultural Study of Religion and one course in the Western Cultural Study of Religion

Colloquium (6 units)

The Colloquium is comprised of two three-unit courses taught in conjunction in the same semester. These courses act as a bridge between lower division and upper division courses, and should be taken in the student's second year