1. First Year Experience (FYE) (3 units)
First Year Experience “Big History” at Dominican University of California is a program that takes students on an immense journey through time to witness the first moments of our universe, the birth of stars and planets, the formation of life on earth until the dawn of human consciousness, and the ever-unfolding story of humans as Earth's dominant species. As the epic story of evolution is studied, students engage with fundamental questions regarding the nature of the universe and our momentous role in shaping possible futures for our planet.
The program is designed to promote:
- Recognition of the personal, communal, and political implications of the Big History story, including insight into the interdependence of humans and their environment
- Critical and creative thinking in a manner that awakens curiosity and enhances openness to multiple perspectives
- Development of reading, thinking, and research skills in order to enhance the ability to evaluate and articulate understanding of one’s place in the unfolding universe
Beginning in Fall 2018, the FYE requirement is 3 units and is to be completed during the first year at Dominican. Students explore the common history of the cosmos and humanity to learn our universal story and develop a global perspective.
Every first-year student is required to enroll in FYE 1001 Big History: Big Bang to the Present (3 units) or its Honors equivalent (for Honors Program Scholars) in the first year.
Special Conditions
- FYE is required for all students transferring 0-23 units of applicable and transferable coursework prior to matriculation.
Students who transfer in college or university units but have no previous college or university experience are required to take the FYE course sequence.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement
Year 1
| FYE 1001 | Big History: Big Bang to the Present | 3.00 units |
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Employ major Big History concepts and the eight Big History thresholds from the Big Bang to the present in developing a perspective that emphasizes a view of themselves as embedded in the fabric of an interconnected world
- Demonstrate an understanding of Big History themes addressed in the course through identifying, defining, explaining and/or analyzing them
- Demonstrate the ability to locate and evaluate appropriate secondary sources, extract and synthesize research while summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting in accordance to the MLA, APA, or CMS documentation styles
FYE 1100 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze the use of visual arts to narrate the story of our universe, including insight into the interdependence of humans and our environment on personal, communal, or political levels
- Use the appropriate vocabulary to identify, define, and discuss works of art as manifestations of the Big History narrative
- Formulate a research question that addresses the ability of works of art to illustrate specific Big History themes or developments; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
FYE 1210 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze the cultural ways in which humans have extracted energy (in the form of food and drink) from their environment as they have evolved biologically from simple living organisms to complex human cultures as evidenced with the emergence of the ancient agricultural revolution.
- Compare and contrast the cultural food and drink ways of ancient human cultures (as evidenced in his/her Big History narrative) with early modern and industrial cultural developments in human food and drink ways, and conclude with an assessment of how these cultural practices of extracting energy from the environment have serious consequences for the biosphere today and for the near and distant future
- Formulate a research question, locate and evaluate appropriate sources, and extract and synthesize, and apply information on a human cultural topic of the student’s choice
FYE 1220 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Recognize and describe the major developments in power relations and political systems from the beginning of time to the present day through analysis and synthesis of diverse political cultures of prehistoric, ancient, and modern times
- Describe and analyze one aspect of power and politics from a Big History perspective
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
FYE 1250 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Compare and contrast the hypotheses that have been developed to explain the domestication of dogs
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information on a relationship between dogs and humans of the student’s choice
- Describe and analyze the many different ways humans and dogs have coevolved
FYE 1310 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Make connections across widely separated times, places, and cultures, recognizing the common psychological, social, and environmental influences that both inspire and constrain myth-making
- Understand in-depth non-Western mythological tradition, as both a human response to the products of the earliest thresholds of Big History, and as an ongoing development of human experience from ancient times to modern
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information from traditional mythologies to a modern scientific understanding of the place of human beings in the universe
FYE 1320 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Read and understand selections from literary texts, and interpret and apply to make personal and conceptual connections to key threshold ideas presented in first-semester Big History
- Describe and evaluate Big History themes within the framework of great literature from more or less the last hundred years
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate secondary sources to support understanding of primary texts; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
- Participate in the classroom community by showing up prepared, do the reading, offer thoughtful critical feedback to peers, speak and listen in good proportion
FYE 1330 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Make connections across time and cultures and engage with myths and rituals critically through a Big History perspective; includes identifying, comparing, and analyzing Big History thresholds as told in myth
- Formulate a research question within the framework of a myth of personal significance and its associated rituals; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
FYE 1400 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze how businesses function to create wealth, organize labor, promote expenditure of wealth, and how they impact the environment
- Recognize, describe, and evaluate global trade patterns and economic institutions and how they emerged over time
- Articulate issues related to the rise of the modern consumer. This will include key theories that work towards explaining the changing role of consumers throughout history
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
FYE 1510 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Compare and synthesize modes of philosophical thought from the Paleolithic Age to the Modern Era in order to trace the threads of human cognitive, and cultural evolution
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
- Describe and evaluate major Big History themes within the framework of philosophical thought, past and present
FYE 1520 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Compare and contrast two religious systems (analyzing their belief systems, their rituals and practices, or their institutional structures) from different thresholds and based on information gained from assigned texts
- Research how one of the present-day religious systems is responding/not responding, adapting/not adapting to current concerns over the future of Planet Earth and other environmental issues raised by the first semester FYE Big History course
- Understand the emergence of religion as a universal human effort to create meaning that has been captured by great diversity in the history of the human experience
FYE 1600 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Understand how sex and especially gender intersect with major developments in the Big History story. Students will identify and analyze how sex/gender operates within the following contexts: social, historical, political, religious, artistic, or intellectual
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
- Understand the social and biological factors impacting sexual development and behavior in animals, including humans
FYE 1700 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Make connections across time and cultures to engage with music critically through a Big History perspective; includes identifying and analyzing the Big History narrative and its thresholds as evidenced in your topic, in addition to studying and imagining its implications
- Formulate a research question within the framework of a musical selection or topic of personal significance; examples include but are not limited to a research question which leads you to explore how a selected culture from the early world zones/agrarian civilizations composes, performs, and develops an appreciation for music; or how evolutionary concepts might apply to jazz, rock, or Western art music by tracing the development of a form, an instrument, or the music of a specific composer, performer, band, or ensemble. You will locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information.
- Identify and describe the musical concepts of pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and texture
- Listen to or view audio or video recordings of representative composers or performers who intend to interpret musically one or more of the eight thresholds of Big History
- Attend and review one of the Dominican Guest Concert Series Performances; review should demonstrate a careful listening to the concert and seek to illustrate one or more of the concepts or themes of the Big History narrative (this will count as one of your two required Big History events)
FYE 1800 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Discuss health as a concept of the universe, evolution and humanity
- Recognize the impact of disease in the evolution of the universe and humanity
- Describe the components of healthy communities and societies
- Examine the roles of death and life in the universe and humanity
FYE 1900 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Use formal skills in creative art with the content of Big History as a source
- Express content of Big History in creative work
- Recognize and describe the relationship between Big History content and the creative arts discipline. Writing on, reading, and discussing the relationship between the content of Big History and the creation of visual artwork
- Formulate a creative arts-specific research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
FYE 1910 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze “text” from the perspective of Big History, its thresholds, and/or major themes within the framework of the course
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
- Demonstrate formal skills in creative writing with the content of Big History as a source
FYE 2000 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Employ major Big History concepts and the eight Big History thresholds from the Big Bang to the present in developing a perspective that emphasizes a view of themselves as embedded in the fabric of an interconnected world
- Demonstrate an understanding of Big History themes addressed in the course through identifying, defining, explaining, and/or analyzing them
- Demonstrate the ability to locate and evaluate appropriate secondary sources, and extract and synthesize research; while summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting in accordance to the MLA, APA, or CMS documentation styles. Assessment: two library exercises and Little Big History essay
FYE 2100 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze the use of visual arts to narrate the story of our universe by identifying and comparing the social, political, artistic, and intellectual values of different cultures as demonstrated in the visual arts
- Understand, assess, and analyze world issues from historical and contemporary perspectives as implications of Big History
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
- Develop their Honors Portfolio
FYE 2200 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze the use of visual arts to narrate the story of our universe by identifying and comparing the social, political, artistic, and intellectual values of different cultures as demonstrated in the visual arts
- Understand, assess, and analyze world issues from historical and contemporary perspectives as implications of Big History
- Formulate a research question; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and extract, synthesize, and apply information
- Develop their Honors Portfolio
FYE 2300 Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Describe and analyze how innovation has shaped human society and the important issues and impacts technology is likely to have on our future
- Describe the connection between biological and technological evolution and role of both forms of innovation in the big History narrative
- Formulate a research question about innovation; locate and evaluate appropriate sources; and analyze synthesize, and apply information
- Further develop their Honors Portfolio: Achieved by the addition of their final written work (research paper) for this course to their Honors Portfolio
2. Expository Writing (3 units)
Writing of university-level expository essays across rhetorical modes. Emphasis on critical reading and thinking, summary, analysis, synthesis, and research. Students must complete this course with a ‘C’ (2.0) or higher to fulfill the first of a two-semester General Education requirement in writing. Prerequisite: placement test; passing ENGL 1003; passing WRIT 1001/WRIT 1002 and with departmental approval; or equivalent.
English Placement Policy
See the Proficiency/Placement Examinations section of this catalog.
Course that Fulfills the Requirement
or its equivalent with a grade of 'C' (2.0) or better. This course may not be challenged
There are limits on the number of times that ENGL 1004 and its Prerequisites may be taken without passing. See the Satisfactory Progress in Written English section of this catalog.
Course Learning Outcomes
Students will write university-level essays that include:
- Specific, debatable theses
- Relevant, cogent, and valid supporting evidence
- Logical and coherent organization, including effective paragraphing and transitions
- Precise word choice and correctness in spelling, grammar, mechanics, and punctuation
- Appropriate research methods and documentation
Special Conditions
- Students who have passed a 3-unit university-level writing course (comparable to ENGL 1004 Expository Writing, as articulated and approved by Dominican) with a 'C' (2.0) or higher prior to matriculation enroll in ENGL 3200 Advanced Writing and Research.
- Students who have passed with 'C' (2.0) or higher a course that fulfills the IGETC English Communication Area 1A (English Composition) requirement enroll in ENGL 3200 Advanced Writing and Research.
- Students who score 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition Exam or who score 600+ on SAT Critical Reading or 26+ on ACT English enroll in ENGL 3200 Advanced Writing and Research.
- Depending on the SAT Critical Reading exam score, beginning first-year students and first bachelor degree transfer students who have not passed a 3-unit university-level writing course (comparable to ENGL 1004 Expository Writing) with a 'C' (2.0) or higher may be required to take the English Placement Exam. Depending on their demonstrated writing skill and the consequent proficiency assessment, students are assigned to WRIT 1001/WRIT 1002 Language Concepts and Skills Practicum I and II (3 units each semester), ENGL 1003 Developmental Writing, or ENGL 1004 Expository Writing.
- Students who have passed two 3-unit college-level or university-level writing courses (comparable to ENGL 1004 and ENGL 3200 articulated and approved by Dominican), each with a 'C' (2.0) or higher, have met the GE writing requirement. As course levels are determined by the transfer school, writing courses transferred in for credit may be either lower and/or upper division. Lower division transfer courses may be accepted to fulfill the GE's ENGL 3200 Advanced Writing and Research if equivalent; however, these transfer courses remain lower division and do not count towards the total number of upper division units needed for graduation.
- Students who have previously completed a BA, or comparable degree, have met the GE writing requirement.
- Students are subject to the English Placement Policy in effect at the time they first enroll in or transfer to Dominican.
3. Advanced Writing and Research (3 units)
Further development of competencies in critical thinking, expository writing, and research across the disciplines. Practice in identifying, summarizing, evaluating, and integrating information. Students must complete this course with a ‘C’ (2.0) or higher to fulfill the second General Education requirement in writing. Prerequisite: passing ENGL 1004 or its equivalent with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.
English Placement Policy
See the Proficiency/Placement Examinations section of this catalog.
GE Prerequisites
| ENGL 1004 | Expository Writing | 3.00 units |
| or its equivalent | |
| | |
| WRIT 1001 | Language Concepts & Skills Practicum I | 3.00 units |
| and/or | |
| WRIT 1002 | Language Concepts & Skills Practicum II | 3.00 units |
with the 1001/1002 instructor’s recommendation to progress
Course that Fulfills the Requirement
| ENGL 3200 | Advanced Writing and Research | 3.00 units |
with a grade of 'C' (2.0) or better
Unless satisfied prior to matriculation, this course must be taken at Dominican. ENGL 3200 may not be challenged or met by CLEP or Excelsior examination.
Course Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Show continuing competency in the Course Learning Outcomes of ENGL 1004 Expository Writing
- Use appropriate research methods and information sources
- Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis through such methods as summary, evaluation, and integration of research
- Apply standard documentation, such as APA, MLA, or CMS
Special Conditions
See Special Conditions under Expository Writing requirement section above.
4. Speech (3 units)
Theory, practice, and evaluation of oral communication, with a primary emphasis on public speaking. Practice in selection, development, organization, and presentation of ideas in informative and persuasive discourse with attention to ethical responsibility. Study also involves communication in different interpersonal contexts: dyads, interviews, and exercises in listening and speaking intended to develop competence in oral communication. Gender, interracial, and cross-cultural communication patterns will be addressed.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Design a cogent oral argument suitable to the topic, purpose, and audience (being responsive to audience diversity)
- Deliver effective, informative speeches
- Critically evaluate content and delivery of peer oral speeches
5. Mathematical Thinking and Quantitative Reasoning (3 or 4 units)
The primary goal of the quantitative reasoning requirement is to help students develop certain general intellectual mathematical abilities as well as see mathematics as an enriching and empowering discipline. Students will undertake practices that encourage independent exploration in mathematics and that develop tenacity and confidence in their abilities to use it. In the courses below, students will address practical mathematical problems posed by real-world situations and will regularly apply inductive and deductive reasoning techniques to build convincing arguments.
Math Placement Policy
See the Proficiency/Placement Examinations and Placement Policies section of this catalog.
Math Prerequisite Policy
The General Education requirement for Quantitative Reasoning is met by taking and passing MATH 1400 College Algebra, MATH 1450 Mathematical Thinking and Quantitative Reasoning, PSY 3187 Statistics for the Health and Behavioral Sciences or BUS 3023 Business Statistics and Data Analytics. In order to enroll in these courses, students must meet specific requirements, such as passing or transferring in a course equivalent to:
| MATH 1300 | Intermediate Algebra for College | 3.00 units |
with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better or obtain an appropriate placement test score
Pass
| MATH 1210 | Elementary and Intermediate Algebra | 4.00 units |
with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better, or obtain an appropriate placement test score
Fulfilling the Requirement
- Pass one course that fulfills the IGETC Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning Area 2A (Math), with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or higher
- Pass one 3-unit university-level math course, comparable to College Algebra (or higher); MATH 1400; MATH 1450; PSY 3187; or BUS 3023 articulated and approved by the University, with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or higher
- Pass one of the following exams with the corresponding minimum score:
- AP Calculus AB: 3 or higher
- AP Calculus BC: 3 or higher
- AP Statistics: 3 or higher
- CLEP College Mathematics: 50 or higher
- CLEP College Algebra : 50 or higher
- CLEP Precalculus: 50 or higher
- Achieve an appropriate placement test score
Course Learning Outcomes
For MATH 1400 and MATH 1450, the student will:
- Differentiate between deductive and inductive reasoning and an ability to construct valid deductive arguments
- Reason and draw conclusions from numerical information
- Translate problem situations into symbolic representations and use those representations to solve problems
- Understand the concept of a function graphically and symbolically and incorporate it into the use of mathematics
For PSY 3187, the student will:
- Calculate and interpret the results of basic descriptive and inferential statistical procedures
- Understand the logic underlying the testing of research hypotheses
- Analyze and interpret statistical procedures using the computer-based program SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences)
For BUS 3023, the student will:
- Calculate and interpret the results of basic descriptive and inferential statistical procedures
- Understand the logic underlying the testing of research hypotheses
- Analyze and interpret statistical procedures using the computer-based program SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and/or discipline-based statistical software commonly used in business decision making
6. Social Science (3 units)
The disciplines of social science investigate the thought and behavior of human individuals and groups as cultural contexts and social environments condition them. The aim of social science inquiry is to gather empirical evidence regarding, and to develop theories explaining, human thought, action, and interaction.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Effectively communicate an understanding of the method(s) used by the particular social science under study
- Articulate at least three theories used to understand human behavior in the social science discipline
- Recognize themselves as citizens of diverse communities
7. Natural Science (6-8 units)
Scientific reasoning is distinguished by understanding and applying scientific method, laboratory techniques, mathematical principles, and experimental design to natural phenomena. The natural science requirement prepares students to (a) understand the role of empirical data in establishing scientific knowledge; (b) appreciate that, in addition to empirical evidence, science involves skepticism and rational arguments; that it is not opinion but is rather a reasoned consensus among informed experts which improves over time; and (c) comprehend several paradigmatic examples of the fundamental conceptual models in at least two separate disciplines of the natural sciences including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geology.
To satisfy the general education requirement in natural sciences students are required to complete two courses: one from Category A and one from Category B. Courses are designed to help the student develop an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method, and explore the relationships between natural science and other human activities (world issues).
Special Conditions
Biology, Chemistry, Health Science, Liberal Studies, Nursing and Public Health students complete their Natural Science requirement through their majors.
For day transfer students, all 6 units of the Natural Science requirement may be satisfied by transfer units consisting of 3 units of Biological Science and 3 units of Physical Science, with at least one of these courses including a lab. If neither course has a lab component the student must take a Natural Science course with a lab, either at Dominican or off campus.
For freshmen entering in Fall 2018, only 3-4 credits of Natural Science is required. Students may select a biological science course or a physical science course to meet the requirement. The course must include a lab. In Fall 2019, the new Core Curriculum will apply to any thematic GE/Core areas that are not satisfied in the first year.
After matriculation, GE Natural Science courses taken off campus must include a lab.
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Use (understand) the scientific method to carry out a quantitative experiment; develop a hypothesis and research protocol, analyze data, interpret and assess reliability of results, and draw reasonable conclusions
- Communicate the result effectively in written and oral form including use of figures, graphs, and presentation software
- Explain the method by which scientific theories and models evolve over time
- Explain key scientific ideas covered in the course
- Show the relevance of scientific findings to current social, political, and/or ethical issues
Although all courses listed below are eligible to meet the General Education Natural Science requirements, not all courses are suitable for students in all majors. The School of Health & Natural Sciences has categorized the following courses into those that are: (1) recommended for non-science majors, (2) those that require permission or are intended only for certain majors, and (3) those that are not recommended for non-science and/or non-health majors. Students should review these notations carefully and consult with their academic advisor before selecting a science course in order to ensure the best possible learning experience.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirements for the Biological Sciences
(*Prerequisite course required) Recommended for non-Biological Sciences or non-Chemistry majors:
Not recommended for students for whom this is not a major requirement:
| BIO 1000 | Organismal Biology | 3.00 units |
| BIO 1005 | Organismal Biology Lab | 1.00 unit |
| BIO 1100 | Cell and Developmental Biology | 3.00 units |
| BIO 1105 | Cell and Developmental Biology Lab | 1.00 unit |
| BIO 2500 | Human Anatomy | 3.00 units |
| BIO 2505 | Human Anatomy Lab | 1.00 unit |
| BIO 2600 | Human Physiology | 3.00 units |
| BIO 2605 | Human Physiology Lab | 1.00 unit |
| BIO 3600 | Microbiology for Health Sciences | 3.00 units |
| BIO 3605 | Microbiology for Health Sciences Lab | 1.00 unit |
Not recommended for non-Dance majors:
| BIO 3810 | Anatomy/Kinesiology for Dance | 3.00 units |
| BIO 3815 | Anat/Kinesiology for Dance Lab | 1.00 unit |
Courses that Fulfill the Requirements for the Physical Sciences
(*Prerequisite course required) Recommended for non-Biological Sciences or non-Chemistry majors:
Not recommended for students for whom this is not a major requirement:
8. Creative and Performing Arts (3 units)
The experience and growth of one's own creativity through the actual process of making art through studio work, creative writing, performing arts, visual arts, or music. The creative process should include the use of problem solving and methodology, personal experience, reflection, and invention.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement
Courses in art, dance, literature, language, and music that are listed below fulfill the Creative and Performing Arts requirement.
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Identify important concepts and methods under study
- Apply the above to the creation of works in the artistic genre
- Engage in the creative process as an effective and imaginative problem-solving method, involving research, development and synthesis
9. Moral Philosophy/Ethics (3 units)
Practicing the art of clear and cogent reasoning in the critical analysis of various moral positions and arguments on a variety of contemporary ethical issues.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Conduct analysis of contemporary ethical issues
- Comprehend ethical method and theory
- Make moral arguments that demonstrate awareness of and sensitivity to differing values and ethical perspectives
10. Religion (6 units)
The study of religion is characterized by the application of interpretive methods—phenomenological, historical and comparative—to religious phenomena, i.e., the religious experiences, beliefs, and practices of the world’s cultures. The cross-cultural aspect of the requirement prepares students to: (a) understand human religiosity in the context of biological and cultural evolution; (b) comprehend the historical foundations, central truth-claims and key practices of the world’s major religious traditions; and (c) appreciate the role of rational analysis in assessing the truth or falsity and/or psychological and sociological utility or inutility of religious beliefs and behaviors. For students from a non-Christian or non-religious background, the Western aspect of the requirement complements their cross-cultural study; for students from a Catholic or other Christian background (at DUC, 75% of those responding to the religious affiliation query), the Western aspect of the requirement prepares them to overcome naive or absolutist understandings of their own faith and at the same time gain a greater appreciation for its uniqueness and spiritual depth. The study of religion, however, always involves more than the attainment of objective knowledge; it necessarily involves students in reflection upon the ethical and spiritual dimensions of their own lives, whether these are construed in religious or a-religious terms.
To satisfy the general education requirement in religion, students are (in most cases) required to complete two courses: one from the category of Cross-Cultural Study of Religion, and one from the category of Western Cultural Study of Religion. Courses in both categories are designed to help students understand that particular religions and spiritualities are culturally variant forms of a transcultural phenomenon—which some social and biological scientists consider an adaptive mutation in homo sapiens’ evolutionary success.
First-Year students entering the university in Fall 2018 with less than 24 transfer credits are required to take one 3-unit Religion course to meet this GE requirement. The course may be upper or lower division.
For others in the Day program there is a 6-unit requirement: one course from each category. One of these can be lower division.
In the Honors program, there is a 6-unit requirement: HONO 3191 and one course from the Western Cultural Study of Religion category. The latter course may be lower division.
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement for the Cross-Cultural Study of Religion
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement for the Western Cultural Study of Religion
Course Learning Outcomes for Religion Courses
The student will:
- Explain key features (e.g., scriptural contents and context, major historical events and their contexts, ritual practices, spirituality, ethical perspectives, theology, impact on culture) of the religion(s) being studied.
- Analyze such features critically per at least one of the following:
- Their implication for dealing with problems in contemporary social life (e.g., sexual and gender issues, ecological issues, poverty, war, religious diversity, and/or science and religion).
- Their impact on the student’s personal quest for meaning and spiritual well-being.
- Express this knowledge in some effective written document (e.g., essay examination, research paper, reflection paper, and/or journal).
Special Conditions
Quantitative transfer protocol
For students transferring into the Day program with at least 24 academic units, the Religion requirement is reduced to 3 upper division units (one course) from either category.
Qualitative transfer protocol
For all transfer students, the decision as to whether any transferred units can be counted toward the fulfillment of their Religion GE is made by the University’s transfer credit evaluator in consultation with Chair of the Religion Department.
11. Colloquium (6 units)
Each colloquium consists of two 3-unit 3000-level courses taught in conjunction in the same semester. These courses are from different disciplines and integrated around a shared theme addressing issues of human accomplishments, concerns, and challenges. The colloquium courses follow Big History and provide room for students to envision their role in a global society by examining diverse communities and real-world challenges.
These courses serve as an introduction to upper division study and should be taken in the student’s second year. Colloquia are anchored in the LEAP essential learning outcomes articulated by the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- Apply an integrative colloquium idea to large social contexts to deepen understanding of diverse communities and real-world challenges
- Evaluate a colloquium idea critically as evidenced by a sophisticated thesis argued within a logically and coherently organized essay crafted through a process of drafting, revising, and editing
- Formulate research questions; utilize proper research methods, integrate evidence appropriately and effectively; provide incisive explanations; and document sources in the appropriate style, MLA, APA, or CMS
GE Prerequisites
Courses that Fulfill the Requirement
- Colloquia vary from year to year. See each semester’s Course Schedule for Colloquium offerings, labeled “CLQ.” Enrollment in both courses in a Colloquium is required for completing this GE category. Students may not take one course from one Colloquium and one from another to meet this 6-unit requirement. Colloquia must be taken at Dominican unless one of the following special conditions apply.
Special Conditions
- Freshmen entering Dominican in Fall 2018 are not required to take Colloquium.
- Students who transfer to Dominican may satisfy the GE Colloquium requirement in one of the following ways:
- Transfer students who are IGETC-certified (37 units minimum) by California Community College are exempt from this requirement.
- Transfer students with 45 or more transfer units and students seeking a second Bachelor’s degree are not required to take Colloquium.
- Students who study abroad in their time at Dominican may develop a colloquium abroad with the approval of the Director of the General Education Program.
- Honors Program students will take Colloquia developed specifically for the Honors Program. Contact the Honors Program Director for selection of courses.