Your Gateway to Exploration

The beginning of every great journey starts with a clear sense of direction. As a Catholic, Hispanic-Serving Institution with a tradition of service and justice, we have a history of guiding generations of students toward their true calling while empowering them to make their mark on the world. 

That’s why we’ve created our North Star Core Curriculum, a transformative set of courses designed to be your roadmap to success—and more than just general education requirements. It’s a 37–42 credit-hour, purpose-driven path that builds foundational skills to not only launch your career but also to make a real difference in your community and beyond.

You’ll be ready to achieve your most ambitious goals—and begin a lifetime of purpose.  All you have to do is follow the guidance and direction of your north star: your personalized path to fulfilling your ambition.

Transferring to Dominican? To make your process as seamless as possible, we will automatically place you in the core curriculum that has the more direct path toward degree completion. Learn more about transfer credit.

 

Four Pillars. One Powerful Education.

The North Star Core has four parts designed to enhance our students’ capacity for personal growth though building foundational skills. 

Becoming Scholars

Build strong foundations in writing, speaking, quantitative skills, and global language learning that are essential for your success across all courses. 

Disciplinary Perspectives

Explore sciences, humanities and the arts while learning to inquire in new ways, including critical and creative thinking.

Dominican Frameworks

Tackle big questions about justice, sustainability, and meaning as you develop the tools and abilities to participate in the creation of a more just and humane world. 

Group of Students

Your Dominican CV

Gain four years of integrated career courses and hands-on experiences that set you up for success, so you graduate with an established portfolio, real-world work skills, and a network.

Discover Who You’re Destined to Be 

At Dominican, you’ll experience the power of a well-rounded liberal arts education that will increase your capacity for personal growth by deepening your learning experiences. As part of your North Star Curriculum, you’ll take the following courses, all of which are structured with the goal of helping you build knowledge while gaining essential skills.

In your first year, you’ll take a seminar course meant to get you thinking about who you are, who you want to be and how to live a life full of purpose. You’ll strengthen your reading, writing and speaking skills, sharpen your math and data literacy, and expand your worldview as you build cross-cultural awareness to become a responsible global citizen. You’ll even take part in an intentionally crafted first-year experience built to provide support as your transition to Dominican.

These courses, designed to spark your curiosity and broaden your perspective, will explore how the world works. You’ll focus on the terms, concepts, methodologies and practices of inquiry while applying analytic reasoning to the investigation of the natural and social world.

You’ll gain a better understanding of human experiences and cultures as you take these courses crafted to promote reflection, self-awareness, empathy and critical and creative thinking. You’ll explore the human condition and its interactions with the world while also gaining a better understanding of your own identity and the experiences of others.

These inquiry-based, themed courses help students develop interrelated skills of reading, writing and speaking. You’ll learn key concepts to elevate your skills in written and oral communication.

Dominican provided me with not only an education, but also the practical skills required to succeed in the real world. As a student here, Dominican was there for me through every step of the way.”

Fernando Lopez-Flores
Dominican University Graduate

Career-focused Coursework 

Gaining the skills you need to make your mark on the world shouldn’t wait until after graduation. Here, our priority is setting you up for success well before you leave campus. That’s why our award-winning Career and Vocation courses are directly woven into your general education requirements. 

You’ll take one career-focused course every year, taught by faculty and industry professionals who understand the real-world skills you need to stand out. These courses, taught by industry experts across multiple disciplines, prepare you for the profession of your dreams. 

You’ll master crucial skills in key areas of the professional world like networking, interviewing, negotiating and applying for jobs and internships, ensuring you’re ready to make an impact. Here’s how: 

  • Practice the job you hope to have—before graduation By junior year (or earlier!), you’ll complete a required career practicum experience, that connects your classroom learning to real-world practice. This is a cornerstone of the North Star curriculum because graduates with this type of experience are more likely to land the jobs they want right after graduation. And you’ll begin creating professional relationships and networks that will set you up with access to high-impact opportunities after graduation.

  • Meet with Career Mentors Throughout your four years, you’ll have dedicated mentors guiding you, helping you build and expand your network, and connecting you with opportunities. 

Find Your Calling

Each year, you’ll take part in a high-impact course that will provide you with the tools to succeed in the workforce while offering you opportunities to think deeply about the meanings of the work you’re called to do. 

Faculty member and student at desk

Year 1

Informational interviews with professionals in your desired field—get a feel for what your future career might look like and how you can best prepare.

Year 2

Master Dominican’s S.T.A.R. approach to interviews and professional communication. You’ll refine your résumé, practice networking, and participate in a mock interview event with real employers.

Year 3

Develop polished presentation skills and give an industry-specific presentation to professionals in your field and get direct feedback that will help you level up.

Year 4

Learn to navigate job offers, benefits, and long-term career planning. Create a professional and present it at a reverse job fair where top employers come to you.

Your Education, Your Way. 

 The North Star Curriculum is all about you. We offer an unmatched level of flexibility that lets students craft their own personalized journeys. 

  • Choose coursework in areas that interest you while exploring the liberal arts and sciences.
  • Explore pathways that align with your career interests, so you’re ready to jump right into a meaningful profession after graduation. You’ll choose Career and Vocation courses in a variety of pathways—and you may change your pathway each year, allowing you to stay on track even if your passions and interests evolve.
  • Experience a seamless course to completion. Because our career experiences are part of the core curriculum, you won’t need to find extra time outside of class to participate. This offers all our students an equitable approach to professional development.
Two students on campus

Dive Deeper

Learn more about your North Star curriculum and the specific courses you’ll take.

Explore your classes

I appreciate Dominican’s strong emphasis on hands-on experience, which helped me bridge the gap between theory and real-world practice. The small class sizes and close faculty support also stand out, as they allow for more personalized learning and mentorship.”

Nyema Burns
Dominican University Graduate

The Foundation for Your Future

We believe that earning your degree should be more than a checklist.That’s why we’ve intentionally designed a flexible path that’s built around your ultimate goals, putting you on a course that will make you stand out as you enter the professional world.

Whether you’re aiming for graduate school, a dream job or both—your Dominican experience is about finding your passion and discovering how you’ll change the world. We’ve put the foundation in place—but the path to making a difference is yours to build. Together, we’ll embark on your journey toward extraordinary impact. 

Ready for your next steps?