General Information

Academic Catalog 2019-20 Disclaimer

Academic Freedom

Dominican University of California is committed to the open analysis, discussion, and assessment of ideas and values. It supports the proposition that education involves both analysis and re-evaluation of accepted ideas, attitudes, and practices of the culture, with the aim of conserving the good, exploring new ways of thinking and acting, opening new vistas of knowledge, establishing a more profound art, and creating a more vital spirituality.

Dominican assumes that it is the responsibility of all faculty to uphold the purposes and aims of the University as stated in the University catalog.

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.

Diversity Declaration

Dominican University of California declares that its commitment to diversity and the fulfillment of its educational mission is best achieved when every member of the University community upholds in thought, word, and deed:

"E Pluribus Unum; Ut Unum Sint* Two profound visions–our American civic tradition and our Catholic religious heritage–inform Dominican University of California’s commitment to the principle of pluralism and to the dream of a reconciled community. Faithful to these birthrights, Dominican seeks to nurture attitudes and behaviors that promote global awareness, inclusive sensibilities, and respect for the dignity of each individual regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, culture, political conviction, or disability–all in the light of the Truth that breathes forth love and in the hope of a common life that transforms the world."

* “Out of many, one; that all may be one”

Consistent with the above declaration and Dominican ideals, the University recommends that every member of the community support and express his or her active commitment to diversity utilizing the guiding principles stated below:

• All members of the University community are collectively responsible for enabling and institutionalizing diversity throughout the University.
• All members of the University community consider diversity constructively in all planning, policy, decision-making, procedural, academic and administrative operations throughout the University.
• All members of the University community refuse to accept any behavior or action that is diversity-intolerant, insensitive, and/or discriminatory.
• All members of the University community promote an on-campus environment that values equity and access of opportunity for all of its participants irrespective of background, nationality, culture, religion, class, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

Programs Offered

Undergraduate Degrees (BA, BFA, BS and Related Minors)

Day Programs:

• Applied Computer Science: Concentrations in Front End Web, Back End Web, Mobile, Data Science
• Art: Studio Art, Graphic Design
• Biological Sciences: Concentrations in Integrative Biology, Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Molecular Cell Biology, Organismal Biology
• Business Administration: Concentrations in Accounting, Finance, Global Business, Management, Marketing & Sales, BA to MBA (4+1)
• Chemistry and Biochemistry: Concentrations in Biochemistry, Environmental Chemistry
• Communications and Media Studies: Concentrations in Public Relations & Strategic Communications, Sports Media, Advanced Media
• Dance
• Education Studies - Teacher Preparation Programs
• English Literature: Concentrations in Creative Writing, Performance Studies, Cultural Studies, BA to MA Humanities (4+1)
• Global Public Health
• History: Concentrations in History & Social Sciences Teaching, Public History
• Humanities and Cultural Studies
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• International Studies
• Music: Concentration in Performance
• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy - Pre-OT Health Science
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Social Justice
• Visual Studies

Additional Minors

Day Programs:

• American Studies
• Arts Management
• Business Administration
• Clinical and Counseling Science
• Cognitive and Experimental Science
• Community Action & Social Change
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• Ecology & Environmental Sciences
• Gender Studies
• Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Health Humanities
• Latin American Studies
• Leadership Studies
• Mathematics
• Molecular Cell Biology
• Organismal Biology
• Performing Arts and Social Change
• Philosophy and Religion
• Pre-Law
• Public Health
• Spanish Language
• Sports Management

Undergraduate Certificate

• Spanish Language Certificate

Additional Disciplines Offering Coursework

Day Programs:

• Dominican Study Abroad (DSA)
• Drama
• International Languages
• Physical Education
• Physical Sciences

Graduate Degrees (MA, MBA, MFA, MS)

Day and Evening Programs:

• Biological Sciences
• Business Administration: Concentration in Healthcare Leadership
• Counseling Psychology: Concentrations in Marriage & Family Therapy, Professional Clinical Counseling
• Creative Writing: Mentorships in Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction
• Education (MS) and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Programs: MS Concentrations in Special Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, Preliminary Education Specialist (Mild, Moderate).  Teacher Preparation Programs in: Multiple Subject, Single Subject, Preliminary Education Specialist (Mild, Moderate) for both Multiple and Single Subject. 
• Humanities
• Occupational Therapy
• Physician Assistant Studies

Weekend Programs:

• Business Administration

Adult Degree Completion Program Evening/Weekend Majors

• Literary and Intercultural Studies: Concentrations in Creative Writing, Teacher Preparation, Liberal Arts, BA to MA Humanities (4+1)
• Management: BA to MBA (4+1)
• Psychology

Adult Degree Completion Program Minors

• English Literature
• Humanities and Intercultural Studies
• Leadership Studies
• Psychology

Post-Baccalaureate Non-Degree Programs

Offered for Continuing Education credit through the Barowsky School of Business:

• Leadership Academy Certificate Program - Detail available at:  https://bsb.dominican.edu/programs/executive education

Offered for Extension credit as recognized by the California State Board of Registered Nursing through the Nursing department:

• Internationally Educated Nurses - Detail available at:  https://www.dominican.edu/academics/hns2/internationally-educated-nurses-page

Offered for Extension credit through the Professional and Continuing Education Division of the School of Liberal Arts and Education:

• Ongoing Teacher Education - Detail available at:  https://DominicanCAOnline.com

School of Liberal Arts and Education

Our Mission

To educate students for a productive life in a diverse and changing world by fostering the resilience, creativity, and critical faculties essential to civic responsibility and professional success. More distinctively, we nurture ethical and aesthetic sensibilities, a spirit of inclusivity, and the quest for personal meaning and sound character so long associated with the fruits of a liberal education.

We Fulfill Our Mission By:

• Offering majors and minors grounded in a strong liberal arts core and cultivating the intellectual skills and knowledge required for success in the professional world
• Embracing the Dominican ideals of study, reflection, community, and service in an environment in which they can flourish
• Providing opportunities for active, collaborative learning, and educational experiences that enrich the body, mind and soul within diverse communities of learners
• Attracting increased levels of research support by encouraging faculty intellectual contributions that emphasize applied scholarship and creative work
• Recognizing excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship as inseparable
• Nurturing talent and encouraging personal achievement in both faculty and students
• Serving as an educational and community resource for the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, through music concerts, dance performances, art exhibitions, public lectures and conferences, national and international study and service trips, internships, community-based research projects, and service learning partnerships with schools and other non-profits

Barowsky School of Business

The mission of the Barowsky School of Business is to educate our students to the very highest academic standards while developing a global orientation, an entrepreneurial attitude, a commitment to sustainability, and a strong sense of ethics and social responsibility.

We are committed to educating students to be socially responsible leaders of sustainable organizations that make a positive difference in the world. The School cultivates learners with a global perspective to lead sustainable organizations, incorporating the Dominican ideals of reflection, study, community, and service in support of social justice. We believe that sustainable organizations result from ethical and socially responsible leadership, ecologically sustainable entrepreneurship or business practices, and a global mindset.

At the undergraduate level, our Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BA) degree program underscores this commitment to building sustainable organizations by infusing ethical leadership, sustainability, and globalization throughout our curriculum. Our concentrations allow our students to pursue a degree of specialization that is consistent with their career interests. At the graduate level, the Barowsky School of Business offers a general Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program.

Small class size allows students to closely interact with their peers and faculty. Faculty emphasize academic rigor with real world relevance, placing a priority on strong teaching and providing opportunities for students to discuss their assignments and research.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to engage in conversation with their professors, guest speakers, and other members of the faculty. Students learn to think independently, work collaboratively, and develop leadership and citizenship skills that are grounded on an understanding and acceptance of the diverse world in which they live and work.

The Barowsky School of Business has highly respected programs. Graduates have excellent opportunities for pursuing careers or going to graduate school.

Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society

Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society recognizes and promotes scholarship and achievement among students of business, management, and administration. Its purpose is to promote personal and professional development, as well as to encourage “honorable service to humankind.” Sigma Beta Delta admits to membership students who are in the top 20% of their class. Juniors, Seniors, and MBA students who have completed at least 50% of their MBA program are eligible. In addition to these criteria, our chapter also requires a minimum 3.5 grade point average.

Institute for Leadership Studies

Dominican University of California’s Institute for Leadership Studies (ILS) is a leadership development center that incubates leadership learning ideas and actions. The Institute for Leadership Studies facilitates positive individual, organizational, and societal change. We believe engaged citizenship and socially responsible leadership are essential to effect such change. Our leadership development curriculum seeks to develop leaders, inspire constructive changes and organizational cultures through trusting relationships.

ILS serves as a partner to our campus and our community as we strive toward continuing to achieve our Dominican values of service and community based on knowledge and reflection. ILS partners with a variety of academic departments that offer leadership degrees, minors, and certificates. ILS is housed in the Barowsky School of Business, and serves the entire University, the Bay Area community, and beyond.

Vision

The Institute seeks to be nationally recognized as a premiere center for leadership development. It facilitates positive individual, organizational and societal change, engaged citizenship, and socially responsible leadership through research, education, and community services. It benefits business, government, non-profit organizations, and the Dominican community.

Mission

We help people become better leaders. ILS advances the study, teaching, and practice of effective, ethical leadership in our world.

Programming and Services

As a consortium of faculty and students, with business and community leaders committed to providing leadership development opportunities, the Institute serves as an incubator for leadership learning ideas and actions. It serves as one of the University’s portals to and from the community and business world to contribute expanding options for leadership practice, to facilitate constructive change in our society and its organizations. The programs and services offered are in four main areas: (1) leadership education and training, (2) leadership practice and community service, (3) Leadership Research Think Tank and consulting services and (4) public forums.

Research and Leadership Think Tank

• Think Tank to advance leadership theory and practice
• Faculty and student research
• Research projects for business, government, and non-profit organizations
• Leadership impact assessment and organizational analysis and intervention
• Consulting services related to team building, executive coaching, meeting facilitation, and strategic planning

Leadership Education and Training

For Students:

• Help in administering the undergraduate and graduate programs that include leadership courses in the curriculum and a minor in Leadership Studies: A 16-unit multi-disciplinary minor is offered to undergraduate Day and Adult Degree Completion students.
• Leadership Consulting Projects that are project-based, and Service Learning, embedded in select undergraduate and graduate business courses, offering students practical experience by cooperating in teams on current business and community projects. Over the course of one semester, Leadership Practicum students collaborate in teams on actual business-related projects. Students experience the importance of vision, the relationships with one’s partners and the ethical behaviors that promote leadership effectiveness across diverse contexts.
• Graduate students in the MBA program may take leadership courses.
• Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute Leadership Training & Congressional Institute: Dominican has participated in the Panetta Institute student leadership programs.
  • Panetta Institute Leadership Seminar: The incoming President of Associated Students of Dominican University (ASDU) attends a one week seminar at Panetta Institute housed at California State University Monterey Bay. Invitees are incoming student body presidents of 23 California State University campuses, Dominican University of California, and Santa Clara University.
  • Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program: Each year, through a competitive selection process led by the Department of Political Science and International Studies, one Dominican student leader is selected who is prepared and interested in serving our community, state and nation. The one-semester program begins with a two-week orientation at the Panetta Institute at CSU Monterey Bay. Following the training and orientation, the Dominican student intern is placed at a congressional office in Washington, D.C., where the student will work for the fall semester.
• Global Ambassadors is an academic co-curricular program in partnership with Dominican's Global Education Office that supports international and domestic students interested in advancing knowledge and appreciation of world cultures and global affairs. The program’s mission is to promote international understanding and goodwill, while facilitating student’s leadership development.
  • Global Ambassadors also holds events on campus that build cultural awareness and exchanges that builds community among Dominican University of California campus members.
  • Global Ambassadors are trained as visiting Dominican ambassadors, to Marin County K-12 schools, sharing their cultures through presentations about their personal stories, and their country’s culture through such touchpoints as cultural norms, language, literature, art, music, history, geography, and visual and other artifacts, as well as their country’s perspectives on international issues.
  • The program offers Independent Study opportunities (BUS 3923: Leadership in Action) from 1-4 units.
  • Founded by the Institute for Leadership Studies, the program is a partnership with the Global Education Office.
• LeaderShape Institute™  is hosted each year at Dominican University of California: A 6-day summer residential leadership educational program for undergraduate students aged 17 to 22. Named by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as an "exemplary program," The LeaderShape Institute™ is an intensive, energizing, educational experience designed to equip young adults to become extraordinary leaders.
• LeaderShape Fellows: Graduates of the LeaderShape Institute™ who volunteer their time to work for positive change within the campus and the larger community by challenging themselves and supporting each other to be pro-active leaders of change.
• Leadership Host Ambassadors are student leaders who volunteer to greet guests and assist in the coordination of Dominican’s Institute for Leadership Studies lectures, forums and seminars. The Leadership Host Ambassadors contribute their time primarily at the Leadership Lecture Series, featuring topics related to individual, organizational and/or social change inspired by effective leadership. Founded in 2003, the Series has gained a reputation as a premier series in Marin County and has opened Dominican’s doors to thousands of guests since its founding.
• Rotaract International at Dominican University of California: Rotaract, a program of Rotary International, is comprised of a group of young professionals and students who are committed to making an impact in the community through service, non-profit collaboration, and networking events. Rotaract fosters leadership and responsibility, encourages high ethical standards and promotes diversity, international understanding, and peace.
• Student Leadership Academy: Co-curricular training program offering Dominican students opportunities to learn and practice their leadership skills through formal training workshops, leadership practicum in businesses, government and community organizations.
• Toastmasters International: Dominican Toastmasters is the on-campus site of a worldwide network of organizations, aiming to improve how we communicate with others. It is open to both Dominican students and the surrounding community. Dominican Toastmasters strive for better communication and opportunities.
• American Association of University Women is a worldwide community that empowers women by advocating for their rights, researching and reducing social barriers, and delivering programs that give them the confidence and skills to succeed. Men are welcomed to participate.
• Business Bakers Association is a community building club that convenes to talk about world events while baking delicious treats for the Barowsky School of Business and university campus community. The club is primarily comprised of Barowsky School of Business students, faculty, staff, and alumni; however students from any major are welcome to join and participate.

For Professionals:

• Executive Education and Consulting Services in the Institute for Leadership Studies at the Barowsky School of Business has developed an ROI-approach to leadership development. The Executive Education Program is practical and research-derived. Businesses and organizations are much like individuals—those that constantly add new skills, hone existing competencies and boldly adapt to new market realities, are the ones that succeed. The Executive Education programs are designed for independent professionals seeking to enhance their skills; business owners or executives with teams to train, and organizations who need strategy and practices assessment. 
• Leadership Certificate helps promising team leaders become effective strategists, communicators, and leaders. Each of the Leadership Certificate’s six one-day sessions focuses on a different leadership skill and includes hands-on learning techniques and measurable outcomes. The Leadership Certificate includes a capstone project called “Project Leadership,” in which participants design and implement a plan to address a strategic business need of their organizations. The program is designed for:
  • High-potential performers being groomed for advancement
  • Managers and directors seeking to expand their authority
  • Technical specialists seeking to increase their organizational impact
  • Entrepreneurs seeking to inspire their organizations to achieve goals
• Professional Selling Skills Program is a three-day highly interactive and practice intensive program for professionals with technical knowledge and skills who seek to achieve successful sales of complex services or products to deliver substantive value to the customer. The program focuses on communication techniques used by the top 10 percent of salespeople as well as the skills necessary to build authentic and lasting relationships with your customers. The program features hands-on training in the five core sales interaction skills:
  • Empathetic listening
  • Needs-oriented questioning
  • Opportunity identification
  • Trust building
  • Solution framing
• Performance Coaching is a four day program focused on how to manage team and individuals, finding the intersections between employee and company success. Our Performance Coaching course involves skill building to truly know one’s employees and demonstrate one’s commitment to them in a way that builds trust and enhances performance. This new model of performance management focuses on coaching rather than evaluation. Maximizing the performance of the teams and individuals requires knowledge, trust and commitment to their development.
• Fundamentals of Successful Project Management is a three-day workshop focused on developing skills and processes needed to effectively define, plan and manage projects for project managers and senior team members. At the conclusion of the workshop participants will:
  • Understand concepts, skills and techniques needed to define, plan and manage projects
  • Have applied these skills and techniques to case study projects and situations in class
  • Possess improved project and task definition as well as estimation skills
  • Know tracking mechanisms to improve management and status reporting
  • Share a common project management language with their peers
  • Be better prepared to define, plan and manage projects in the real world
• Custom Programs includes anything from tailored, on-site versions of our leadership, sales and coaching programs, to special courses and seminars developed exclusively for Barowsky School of Business client businesses.
• Consulting Services can help evaluate a business’ market, people and corporate culture, and devise actionable plans for addressing the organization’s most pressing business needs and promising opportunities. Addressing rapidly changing markets requires purpose, clarity and discipline. Improve organizational performance in a three-step process: Right Focus. Right Talent. Right Motivation.
  • Right Focus: Make choices based on competitors’ and customers’ reactions to your product and service offerings.
  • Right Talent: Transform talent to be a competitive advantage in executing your mission.
  • Right Motivation: Create a culture of performance management that drives individuals’ efforts. By ensuring your culture is a mix of self-motivation and guided risk-taking, where individuals can find passion in their responsibilities, the organization will then be able to leverage the right focus and the right talent.
• Business Edge Briefings Series offers breakfast forums for business owners and organizational leaders that highlight cutting edge business strategies and techniques for businesses to be resilient and competitive in the domestic and global business environments. The briefings’ goals are to ignite innovation, inspire creativity, and increase profits and productivity. The Business Edge is a partnership between the North Bay Leadership Council and Dominican University of California’s Institute for Leadership Studies and the Barowsky School of Business. Forum community partners include CEO Club of Marin, Marin Economic Forum, Marin Small Business Development Center, San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, and Stanton Chase.

Leadership Practice and Community Service

• Leadership Practicum, Consulting and Service Learning: Partnering with business, government, and community organizations conducting service learning projects to provide leadership and teamwork, practice opportunities and also advance socially responsible and effective leadership and team behaviors.
• Marin Chapter of the World Affairs Council (WAC) partners with the Institute for Leadership Studies, and the Department of Political Science and International Studies offering a series of monthly programs on the Dominican University of California campus, in the Creekside or Shield Room. Each month, from August through June, WAC presents a lecture on a specific world issue, such as War in Iraq, Energy Crisis, or Palestine/Israeli conflict.
• Leadership Learning Lab (L³) offers leadership effectiveness assessments, consulting and coaching services to leaders and their organizations. The L³ provides MBA students with a living laboratory for the study and practice of leadership development, while serving as a community consulting service to leaders of Bay Area organizations. Leaders of Bay Area businesses and non-profit and government organizations volunteer to serve as clients of Dominican’s students in the MBA, offering students leadership development consulting practice using a 360-degree feedback model.
• Leadership Think Tank conducts research and convenes forums to advance the study and practice of effective leadership at all levels. Leadership Think Tank Scholars form a learning community, contributing to the academic literature and applied research, seeking to develop innovations and best practices that improve leadership and team development, as well as systems for constructive change in the workplace and in society.
• Partnership with Latino Futures^SM: Latino Futures^SM is a vibrant initiative advancing Latino entrepreneurship and leadership in the priveate, social, and education sectors. Dominican University of California's Institute for Leadership Studies and Barowsky School of Business partners with Latino Futures, to engage in research, community dialogue, and education in which business and community leaders, faculty and students come together to break barriers, create valuable paths, and remove obstacles by engaging Latinos in all facets of leadership to build social and economic prosperity for America's future.

Public Forums

• Leadership Lecture Series: Each semester, the Institute hosts public forums that actively engage the community in socially relevant discussions and calls to action. Dominican’s popular Leadership Lecture Series in partnership with Book Passage, features lectures on topics related to individual, organizational and/or social change inspired by effective leadership. These events are primarily in the Fall and Spring on a variety of leadership topics across multiple discipline areas and organizational sectors. The events are an opportunity to welcome our neighbors and friends to join our faculty and students as we learn of ideas and actions of leadership by individuals seeking to promote constructive change in our world and its organizations.

The Institute is led by a professor in the Barowsky School of Business and is supported by an advisory council of faculty and deans representing a variety of academic disciplines, student development leadership and community leaders from private, independent, and government organizations.

To access our website go to, www.dominican.edu/leadership, email (ILS@dominican.edu); or call events line at 415-485-3202.

School of Health and Natural Sciences

Mission

The School of Health and Natural Sciences prepares students for careers in diverse fields, for personal growth, and for life in an ever changing, technologically advanced world. The School is committed to the cultivation of intellectual curiosity, individual integrity, mutual respect, and civic responsibility.

The School fulfills its mission by:

• Offering high quality programs that prepare students for entrance into or enhancement of careers in the health and natural sciences
• Maintaining standards for teaching and learning that support personal and intellectual growth
• Engaging students in a culture of critical thinking and scholarly inquiry
• Emphasizing the connections between scientific knowledge and professional practice and knowledge of the liberal arts
• Providing experiences that enhance multicultural understanding, global awareness, and environmental responsibility

Core Values

The core values intrinsic to the mission of the School of Health and Natural Sciences are:

• Intellectual Curiosity: A passion for learning
• Individual Integrity: Adherence to a personal and professional code of ethics
• Mutual Respect: Consideration for the rights and ideas of others
• Civic Responsibility: A sense of community membership and a desire for the well-being of the global society

Vision

Students in the School of Health and Natural Sciences are engaged in distinctive and innovative programs of study that integrate both traditional and emerging fields of knowledge within a global context. Guided by expert faculty mentors, graduates excel at scholarship, professional practice, and community participation. All academic programs are recognized as meeting or exceeding national standards; enrollment is selective, and graduation rates are high. The School is well supported by tuition revenue, a growing endowment, and external funding.

Summer Sessions

Dominican University welcomes enrollment in Summer programs by:

• All current and prospective Dominican University students
• Students attending other colleges or universities who wish to catch up on course requirements and electives
• Persons of all ages seeking enrichment or exploring the option of returning to college
• Senior citizens, alumni, and college-bound high school students

Summer Sessions offer accelerated day, evening, and weekend courses varying in the number of meetings and weeks. Undergraduate and Graduate courses are offered for semester academic credit. Summer Sessions can also be an ideal time for students to enrich academic studies, lessen regular course loads, and reduce the overall time spent in completing the degree. Summer also includes opportunities to engage in independent study, or to enroll for an internship, field placement, tutorial, or similar learning activity. Courses are offered on campus, online, and abroad.

Non-degree-seeking students enrolling in Summer Session courses need not be formally admitted to the University. Summer courses are offered in an intensive and abbreviated format that is shorter than the usual 16-week semester. Courses on campus are offered in 5-, 8-, or 10-week sessions and cover a range of subjects taught by renowned faculty in small classroom settings.

Please consult the Academic Calendar at www.dominican.edu for specific session dates and deadlines.

Academic Calendar

Fall Term Dates Session A

Spring Term Dates Session A

Summer Term Dates Session A1 (10 weeks)*

*See online calendar for additional Summer Term sessions within 10 week period.

Special Notes:

• Academic years begin with the Fall Semester
• Academic dates are subject to change
• Academic Holidays = no classes, campus offices are open
• Campus Holidays = no classes and campus offices are closed
• To locate up-to-date academic dates, please consult the online Academic Calendars at www.dominican.edu