Special Programs

Independent Research

Dominican science students may pursue independent research projects either on the Dominican campus or at neighboring research institutions. Recent research topics have included yeast and bacterial genetics, behavior genetics, kinetics of chelation reactions, electron microscopy and computer simulations of mutation. Dominican students have also worked on research projects in laboratories at Argonne National Laboratory, Hines V.A. Hospital, Iowa State University, Lincoln Park Zoo, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Rush University School of Medicine, South African White Shark Research Institute, University of California Davis, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Wake Forest University and Wayne State University Medical School. Science students have also done ecological surveys and studies of British science education while participating in the Dominican-in-London program. Students who begin independent research work in the second semester of their junior year may be eligible for Dominican's Degree with Distinction program.

Pre-Medical Program

Dominican's department of Natural Sciences offers all of the science courses required for medical school admittance. Recent graduates have been accepted into the medical schools at Loyola University of Chicago, Rush University and the University of Illinois at Chicago . Most pre-medical students elect one of the science majors offered at Dominican, but the science courses necessary for a pre-med program are open to any student. Students desiring a career in medicine or any of the allied health professions should contact the health career advisor. Medical schools encourage potential physicians to develop not only their scientific interests and skills, but also their knowledge and understanding of themselves, other people and their society. As a result, students trained in the liberal arts are good candidates for medical school.

Science Education

Dominican students with a major in one of the fields of science can also complete the education courses required for certification by the State of Illinois . Dominican's Education department offers all courses for certification and supervises the necessary practice teaching placements.

Joint Engineering Programs with Illinois Institute of Technology

Dominican's department of natural science offers all of the chemistry and physics courses required for the joint engineering programs offered in cooperation with Illinois Institute of Technology.

The Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA)

As part of its participation in the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA), Dominican University offers credit for cooperative courses given in selected scientific topics at Argonne National Laboratory and the Morton Arboretum. Guest lecturers, who are experts in the particular subject, teach these courses. ACCA also holds an annual symposium for students to present the results of their research.

Science Club

The Science Club organizes and sponsors field trips and lectures on scientific topics or career planning. The club also sponsors social functions throughout the school year.

Internship Program

The internship program at Dominican has successfully placed students in a number of organizations. Students apply concepts learned in the classroom to the “real world” setting while working for professionals in a variety of laboratory settings. In some cases, these experiences also permit students to earn a stipend while gaining experience in the field and earning college credit.

Recent internships were completed with:

Argonne National Laboratories Park District of River Forest
American Citrus Products Resurrection Hospital
Brookfield Zoo Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's
Cook County Forest Preserve Medical Center
Loyola University of Chicago Waste Management
Lutheran General Hospital
Wild Rose Nature Center , Park Ridge
Orthosport

Career Opportunities

The biology, chemistry, biology-chemistry and environmental science majors provide students with flexible career options, while some recent Dominican graduates have pursued graduate studies at Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Florida , University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Texas .

Some positions held by Dominican graduates have been:
Physical Science Teacher, Lemont High School
Physician, Rush Hospital
Physician, Loyola Hospital
Analytical Chemist, GD Searle Company
Research Scientist, Abbott Laboratories
Biology Teacher, Immaculate Conception High School
Toxicologist, Cook County E.P.A.
Medical Technologist, Lutheran General Hospital
Nuclear Hygienist, Siemens AG
Microbiologist, Castrol Industrial NA Inc.
Forensic Scientist, Illinois State Police
Pharmaceutical Representative, Abbott Laboratories
Biological Research Technician, Hines V.A. Hospital
Research Specialist, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biochemistry and Physics