Adult Degree Completion (ADC) Programs (BA)

Dominican University of California’s Adult Degree Completion Program (ADC) offers adults the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree while continuing to fulfill career and family responsibilities. Eligibility for the ADC Program requires that applicants have a minimum of six years of post high-school work experience. ADC students enter as transfer students with a minimum of 30 transferable college credits.

The ADC program mission is to meet the higher educational needs of adult learners through a range of degree programs and support services which embrace the experience of adults returning to the classroom, making the learning process transformational. Programs are offered in the liberal arts and in the business and psychology professions.

All ADC courses are accelerated and either meet on weekday evenings or on Saturdays. Most evening classes are offered Monday through Thursday allowing students with considerable discretionary time to take a full-time course load of 12 semester units. In addition to attending weekly classes, students should expect to spend three hours outside of class for course preparation for every one credit (unit) weekly.

Degree programs are interdisciplinary, multicultural, and global in focus. The curriculum integrates theory and practice, is outcome-based, and incorporates experiential, interactive, and collaborative learning components. To earn the bachelor’s degree an ADC student must complete all degree requirements including electives, General Education and major requirements.

Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy General Education requirements prior to undertaking more advanced courses in the major subject area.

Adult Degree Completion Program Majors

Bachelor’s degrees for adult learners are offered in the following majors:

Business Administration (this program is not accepting applications for admission in 2016-17)
English, English with a Writing Emphasis
Humanities and Cultural Studies
Management
Psychology

Adult Degree Completion Program Minors

English, English with a Writing Emphasis
Humanities and Cultural Studies
Leadership Studies
Psychology

The ADC major courses are offered year round on a rotating basis. To expedite time to degree, students should expect to attend classes part-time during the Summer Session. Some minors in the Day undergraduate program may be also be an option for ADC students, provided that the student is available to take the additional coursework scheduled during the daytime.

ADC students may choose from a menu list of courses each semester, including Summer Session, and enroll either part-time or full-time. Students enrolled in one of the ADC majors are permitted to take some of their required elective units during the day, on a space available basis.

Getting Started

In the first semester of coursework at Dominican, students enroll in the required courses that assist them to strengthen the academic skills they will need to complete their degree programs. All first semester students will enroll in HCS 3160 Foundations: American Pluralism and may enroll in additional General Education, elective, or major core courses.

Elective Units

Elective units may be taken in any discipline in the Adult Degree Completion curriculum. Elective units may also be earned through Prior Learning Assessment options, see below. A limited number of elective units may be taken in any discipline in the day division curriculum as well.

Adult Degree Completion Program Students–Declaring a Major

ADC students must declare an intended major when they apply for admission. To change a major, students submit a Declaration of Major form, with all required signatures, to the Registrar’s Office.

Prior Learning Assessment

Through Prior Learning Assessment, students can identify and validate their lifelong learning endeavors. Prior Learning Assessment coordinates the University’s options for the demonstration of learning that has occurred outside the college classroom. These options include learning accomplished outside the traditional academic setting and demonstrated through the Experiential Learning Portfolio process, standardized examinations including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Excelsior College Examination Program (formerly Regents PEP), DSST (formerly known as Dantes), and ACE/PONSI recommended courses.

Eligibility for the course ENGL 3442 Critical Inquiry and Reflective Writing and to the Experiential Learning Portfolio program requires that students have a minimum of 6 years life experience since completing high school.

See the Experiential Learning Portfolio section and Credit Policies in the Credit for Prior Learning section of this catalog for additional information.