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Our Transitions Program is designed to help first-year students start strong by offering three, free academic credits during the summer before their first year at Dominican. This unique opportunity allows participants to get a head start on their coursework, explore campus resources, and build connections with peers and faculty. Join us to begin your college journey with confidence and support.

Is the Transitions Program for you?

The Transitions Program is ideal for strongly motivated students who have the ability to succeed in college but do not meet all of the university’s traditional admission requirements. The program has an outstanding record of success. Students who participate in Transitions complete their first year of study at an even higher rate than the entering class as a whole. Transitions Program students make the Dean’s List and even enter the Honors Program. After graduating from Dominican, many Transitions students return to campus to serve as peer mentors to entering first-years. As a Transitions student, you will become part of a supportive community that nurtures your talents and empowers you to excel in college.

Start with SOAR

Alongside your fellow first-year students, you’ll participate in Summer Orientation Advising and Registration (SOAR). At SOAR, you will register for classes, be introduced to services and resources available on campus, discover opportunities for involvement, and be welcomed into the �������� community. You’ll be able to meet fellow students are participating in the Transitions program, as well as your faculty and staff advisors. 

Summer Bridge Program in August

The Transitions Program begins with a two-week academic experience before the start of your Fall term. During bridge you’ll: 

1. Earn three free college credits: Our Transitions program gives students a head start on their first year of college while helping them fulfill graduation requirements. Our two-week intensive academic bridge experience includes enrollment in three key fall 2025 courses: Critical Reading, Writing, and Speaking, First Year Seminar, and a Math course. Taken together, these courses are equivalent to one full 16-week college course—saving you and your family both time and money. 
2. Start strong: Begin your college experience in a smaller, supportive setting before our larger campus community returns on August 25. 
3. Family involvement: Parents/legal guardians are invited to campus to kick-off the Transitions summer program and learn more about their child’s first-year. Then, we strongly encourage caretakers to participate in Family Academy. Attend five free, monthly sessions, throughout the academic year, and your student will receive a free class in summer 2026. 
4. Learn and navigate new resources: While the campus is quieter, students learn how to independently navigate where and who our campus partners are: Financial Aid, Academic Support Center, Career Programs, University Ministry and more. 
5. Begin to build essential academic and leadership skills: Students learn and practice organization, communication, and time management strategies that are essential for success here in college, and beyond.   

First-Year Seminar in Fall

All first-year students participate in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) during their first semester. As the initial course in our Core Curriculum, FYS fosters personal growth by helping students develop foundational skills essential for a purposeful, economically secure, and fulfilling life. These seminars encourage thoughtful reflection and exploration, centered around key questions:

• What is the self?
• Who am I? How did I become who I am? Who will I be in the world?
• What does it mean to live mindfully and reflectively? What helps or hinders that process?

Students also engage in workshops hosted by Financial Aid, the Wellness Center, and our popular Major/Minor Fair, where they explore academic programs and learn how their skills can shape future career paths. The benefit for Transitions students, they will stay together as a cohort, continuing to build friendships and support networks formed during the bridge program.