Dordt College
498 4th Avenue, NE
Sioux Center, IA 51250
712-722-6000
800-34-DORDT (toll-free)
COSTS:
Tuition(non-resident):
$21,400
Room and Board:
$7,600
Fees, books, misc.:
$1,200
Sioux Center, Iowa
Overview
Dordt College was founded in 1955 as the Midwest Christian Junior College, with 35 students and 5 faculty members. The name of the institution was changed to Dordt College in 1956, and in 1961, the two-year college expanded to a full four-year college. Today, Dordt enrolls approximately 1,250 students and occupies a well-equipped, 115-acre campus. Founded primarily as a teaching college, Dordt now offers more than forty programs at the associate, baccalaureate, and master’s levels taught by more than 75 faculty members.
Dordt College owes its existence to a community whose faith commitment demands obedience to biblical principles in all of life. This religious commitment, historically known as the Reformed faith, has always been the basis of education at Dordt College. Following the traditions of the Reformed faith, Dordt College is committed to the Reformed, Christian perspective. Its mission is to equip students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.
Dordt’s students come from more than twenty-five states, six Canadian provinces, and fifteen other countries. Eighty-five percent of the students live on campus. Ninety-eight percent of Dordt’s graduates find employment or enter graduate school within six months of graduating.
The Iowa Department of Education has approved Dordt’s program of teacher education, and graduates of the program are recommended for the first level of licensure granted by the state. The Dordt College social work program has been accredited since 1986 by the Council on Social Work Education. The engineering major is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET). The engineering science major has not been examined or accredited by ABET.
Dordt College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools as a four-year, bachelor's-degree-granting institution. Dordt’s HLC accreditation dates from 1971, with the most recent renewal in 2001. The College also gained HLC approval in 1994 to offer a graduate program leading to the Master of Education degree.
Location and Community
Dordt College is located in Sioux Center, a small community with a population of 6,300 in northwest Iowa. Sioux Center is 45 miles north of Sioux City, Iowa, and 55 miles southeast of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The campus is surrounded by beautiful farmlands, parks, golf courses, and other recreation areas. A nearby fully developed, 80-acre industrial park offers numerous internship and job opportunities.
Academic Life
Dordt College has 78 full-time faculty members and a student-faculty ratio of 15:1.
A core curriculum of general education courses, drawn from various academic disciplines such as language, natural science, and social science, make up the foundation of every student’s education at Dordt. This core curriculum plays a crucial role in the integration of subject matter through which Dordt College seeks to reflect the wholeness of God’s creation. In these courses, students are introduced to the character and scope of Christian perspective, and they learn to think more critically about choices and decisions affecting their lifestyle. Courses in the core curriculum provide insight into the nature and demands of contemporary Christian living and help students understand how various aspects of contemporary life are interrelated and how the global culture has developed. These general education courses also supply students with the basic quantitative, analytic, lingual, and physical skills that are essential to the program overall and to their tasks as citizens of God’s Kingdom.
For a bachelor’s degree, students must earn a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in a minimum of 124 credits, while fulfilling the general education requirements, completing a major, and, in many cases, taking elective or professional courses.
Associate degree programs require a minimum of 60 credits, which include general education courses, an area of concentration, and elective courses. Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and earn at least 30 credits while attending Dordt.
Dordt operates on a two-semester academic calendar and offers graduate courses in the summer.
In addition to the numerous majors offered on campus, Dordt College offers more than twenty-five off-campus study opportunities in countries around the world through affiliation with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Countries include Australia, China, France, Ghana, Great Britain, Honduras, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and Uganda. Juniors and seniors also have the opportunity to participate in the Chicago Semester, a semester of living, learning, and working in a major urban center.
Majors Offered:
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), and Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.) degrees are offered. Students in bachelor’s degree programs may major in accounting; agriculture; art; biology; business administration; business education; chemistry; communication; computer science; Dutch; elementary education; engineering; engineering science; English; environmental studies; general science; health, physical education, and recreation; health science; history; individual studies; mathematics; medical technology; music; philosophy; physical science; physics; political studies; psychology; secondary education; social science; social studies; social work; Spanish; theater arts; and theology. Concentrations are available in many of these majors.
Students majoring in health science may earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) through a joint program with Briar Cliff University, also in Sioux City.
Dordt offers programs in prearchitecture, predental, prelegal, premedical, prenursing, pre–occupational therapy, preoptometry, prepharmacy, pre–physical therapy, preseminary, and pre-veterinary studies. These preprofessional programs prepare the student for further advanced studies.
Two-year Associate of Arts degree programs are available in administrative assistant studies, agriculture, computer networking, general studies, and special education aide/teacher aide studies. These two-year programs offer a wide range of educational options through professionally and occupationally designed programs or through a flexibly designed two-year sequence of relevant courses and educational experiences.
Facilities and Resources
The College’s John and Louise Hulst Library houses a collection of 303,000 volumes, featuring 124,000 book volumes, 16,000 print journal volumes, and 163,000 microtext units. The library subscribes to more than 600 journals, magazines, and newspapers and has electronic access to another 10,000 titles. In addition to providing print and electronic resources, the library serves the campus media needs by acquiring and circulating audiotapes and videotapes, DVDs, projectors, laptops, recorders, camcorders, cameras, GPS units, VCRs, DVD players, CD players, and other media equipment. The library has a significant collection of curriculum and children’s literature materials housed in the Learning Resource Center. Other specialized collections include the Dordt College Archives and the Dutch Memorial Collection.
The B. J. Haan Auditorium/Music Building, completed in 1979, houses rehearsal rooms and studios for all of the musical organizations on campus, as well as vocal and instrumental practice rooms and music faculty offices. The auditorium, which is used for chapel services, concerts, organ recitals, and other events, seats approximately 1,500 people and contains a large, beautiful Casavant pipe organ. The building’s mezzanine accommodates the offices of the Studies Institute.
The natural sciences building incorporates a greenhouse, eighty- and 180-seat lecture halls, general-use classrooms, faculty offices, and special facilities for the physical science, agriculture, engineering, biology, and environmental studies departments. The natural science facilities have more than doubled since the original building was constructed in 1968, with additions in 1978, 1982, and 1990.
Large and small laboratories for organic and physical chemistry and two physics laboratories are available to students in the physical sciences. Agriculture facilities include animal science and agronomy labs, a surgery room, and a live-animal room. The engineering wing includes labs for mechanical engineering, electronics, electrical engineering, and computer-aided design.
Campus Life
Almost 90 percent of Dordt College students live in campus residence halls or off-campus apartments. Dozens of clubs and activities, from choir, band and student government to drama, academic and social clubs.
Sports / Varsity Athletics
Being an athlete is one way students can use the physical talents God has given them, and we offer many opportunities for students to put them to use. A member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), Dordt College fields intercollegiate teams in MEN'S baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track, and outdoor track; and in WOMEN'S basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track, and volleyball. A variety of intramural sports are offered as well.
Expenses
Full-time tuiton for the academic year is $10,500 per semester; part-time students pay $825 per credit. The overload fee is $200. Summer tuition is $200 per credit. The cost of a residence hall room is $1290 per semester, while an apartment-style residence costs $1590 per semester. Students pay $1160 per semester for the College meal plan. The student activity fee is $120 per semester, and other fees may apply, depending on the student’s course of study. All fees are subject to change.
Financial Aid / Scholarships
In addition to the extensive scholarship program, which is based on superior academic potential and performance, Dordt College has a complete program of financial assistance for students demonstrating financial need. Types of financial assistance available include grants, loans, work-study, and other special programs.
At Dordt, 95 percent of the student body receives some type of financial aid. All students are encouraged to apply, regardless of income. The average financial aid package is $12,000 per year. Financial aid applications may be obtained by contacting the financial aid office.
All U.S. citizens who wish to apply for financial aid must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as the Dordt College Supplemental Data Form. Other supplementary information may be requested. All Canadian citizens who wish to apply for financial aid must submit the Canadian Financial Aid Form from Dordt College. All necessary forms may be obtained by writing or calling the financial aid office at Dordt College. Scholarship forms must be completed by January 15.
Admission Requirements / Application
Dordt College seeks applicants who want to attend a Christian college and who have demonstrated the desire to learn; all students exhibiting these characteristics are considered for admission. Previous academic experience is a large, but not singular, factor in evaluating applications.
Dordt College recommends that applicants have taken 4 years of English/language arts, 3 year of mathematics, 2 years of science, 2 years of social science, 2 years of foreign language, and 4 years of electives chosen from the preceding areas. Applicants must have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.25. Students taking the ACT should have minimum scores of English, 18; math, 18; and composite, 19. Students who take the SAT should have minimum scores of 460 verbal, 460 math, and 920 combined.
Applicants with incomplete admissions records or applicants with high school records or test scores that do not meet all regular admission standards may be granted admission with special provision.
Students who have attended another accredited institution of collegiate rank may be considered for admission with advanced standing. Students who plan to transfer to Dordt College are encouraged to contact the registrar as soon as possible so that course planning makes optimal use of courses and credits. A maximum of 30 semester hours (two semesters) of credit may be granted for CLEP, AP, or other college-level courses earned prior to receiving a high school diploma. A maximum of 61 semester hours (four semesters) of academic credit is granted to graduates of community colleges.
For international students, an official TOEFL score of at least 500 (paper-based) or 173 (computer-based) is required for admission of all nonnative-English-speaking applicants. With the exception of Canadians, all international and ESL students are required to take the Entrance Interview for International and ESL Students during freshman orientation. International and ESL students meet the foreign language requirement if they receive a passing score on the Entrance Interview.
The application process is free for full-time freshman applicants if their applications are submitted before December 31; for all others, a $25 application fee is required. The Executive Director of Admissions determines admission for all freshman students upon receipt of a complete set of application materials, which consists of a Dordt College application form, the application fee (nonrefundable after December 31), a final high school transcript, and ACT or SAT test results.
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