About the College
Rosary College of Arts and Sciences (RCAS) strives to embody a community of learners seeking truth through free and open inquiry and dialogue with a diverse array of persons, places, texts, objects, ideas, and events, past and present, supportive of each learner’s development and committed to using our talents to make a positive contribution to the world. We strive to produce graduates of a liberal arts and sciences program who can think critically, communicate ideas well, orally and in writing, and achieve both breadth of understanding across fields and depth of knowledge in one field.
Three overlapping elements make up the curriculum:
- Core. A sequence of courses that provide the student with secure foundations, breadth of intellectual vision and integration of the undergraduate academic experience,
- Major. An opportunity to pursue one area of knowledge or discipline in greater depth and
- Electives. Special forays into that zone of freedom that characterizes liberal learning.
College-Wide Learning Goals
Knowledge: Depth and Breadth
Students will develop a significant level of mastery within a major field of study and develop an appropriate degree of literacy in other disciplines.
Operational definition: “significant level of mastery” is defined as possessing a requisite set of content knowledge, an understanding of the key concepts and principles, and the requisite skill set (e.g., psycho-motor, intellectual, etc.) commonly associated with the discipline. “Literacy” is defined as having some basic knowledge and skills so as to be functional within a particular area (e.g., scientific literacy, computer literacy, information literacy, etc.).
Critical Thinking
Students will develop the necessary skills to think critically.
Operational definition: “to think critically” is defined as the intellectual process of analyzing, applying, synthesizing and/or evaluating information collected and/or generated through observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication so as to reach an answer, make a prediction, or draw a conclusion.
Communication
Students will be able to communicate effectively.
Operational definition: “communicate effectively” is defined as the ability to convey meaning (either verbally or in writing) to a particular audience.
Contact Us
Your undergraduate education can prepare you for a world of possibilities for your personal and professional future and for a future with you participating in the creation of a more just and humane world. The liberal arts and sciences can contribute strongly to this mission and thus are central to our core curriculum. If you want more information about majors and programs or if you just want to talk about how Rosary College of Arts and Sciences can fit into your plans and enhance your future, contact us.
Rosary College of Arts and Sciences
Crown 100
Dominican University
7900 W. Division Street
River Forest, IL 60305
Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Phone: (708) 524-6814
Fax: (708) 488-5056
rcas@dom.edu