Degree Options
The Major
Students must submit a Declaration of Major form in the first month 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. In certain majors, students are required to have a minimum ‘C’ (2.0) average or better 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 supplemental day-major fee will apply). 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. 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 Registrar’s 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.
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 may be 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 bachelor’s 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.
