General Information

Trinity Overview

Trinity is a comprehensive university in Washington, D.C., offering a full range of courses and degree programs for students of all ages, with a special emphasis on women’s education in the College of Arts and Sciences and professional development in the coeducational School of Professional Studies, School of Business and Graduate Studies, School of Education, and School of Nursing and Health Professions.

Founded in 1897 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Trinity is one of the nation’s first Catholic undergraduate colleges for women. More than one hundred years later, Trinity continues the founders’ commitment to offer students of all faiths a quality academic program, a value-centered education, and a focus on the intellectual development of individuals.

Trinity is empowered by charter to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees. Academic programs are divided into three areas: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Business and Graduate Studies, the School of Education, and the School of Nursing and Health Professions. Undergraduates may earn an Associate of Arts, an Associate of Applied Science, a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Graduate students may choose from programs leading to the Master of Arts, the Master of Arts in Teaching, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Education, or the Master of Science in Administration degrees.

Trinity’s undergraduate program offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees to students in the College of Arts and Sciences through a weekday format. The School of Professional Studies offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees through evening and weekend formats. Students benefit from an interdisciplinary liberal arts program that prepares them for a lifetime of career opportunities and a learning environment committed to developing the leadership skills of women and men. Trinity’s undergraduate curriculum combines a foundation of knowledge with practical experiences and professional focus. Trinity offers students many resources, including a faculty dedicated to teaching; individual academic advisors; Trinity’s Academic Services Center, which houses the Library and Career Services and Writing Centers in addition to Disability Student Services; a wide choice of internships for academic credit; and the many opportunities available in the nation’s capital.

Trinity’s graduate program offers master’s degrees to women and men in the areas of business administration, international security studies, counseling, communication, curriculum and instruction, educational administration, organizational management, and teaching. The graduate programs integrate theory and knowledge with skills and practical applications. Trinity also offers professional development workshops to area educators and continuing education classes for lifelong learners.

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Founding and Accreditation

At the time of Trinity’s founding in 1897, Catholic colleges only educated men. Trinity College was established to offer equivalent educational opportunities to women of all faiths. Many women and men worked together to achieve this goal, but the principal driving force was Sister Julia McGroarty, Provincial Superior of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a religious community founded by Sister Julie Billiart in early 19th-century France. Their congregation currently consists of about 3,000 sisters in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and South America. In addition to pursuing a variety of other works, they help support colleges in the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States.

Incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia in 1897, Trinity College was empowered by an act of Congress to confer degrees. Its legal title is “Trinity College, Washington D.C.” In 2004, Trinity became a university.

Trinity is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Trinity’s programs in teacher education are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Trinity’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and has conditional approval from the District of Columbia Board of Nursing (DCBON).  Trinity’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program has been granted developing program status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

Trinity is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the District of Columbia, which also consists of the following universities: American University, The Catholic University of America, Corcoran College of Art+Design, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Marymount University, National Intelligence University, National Defense University, University of the District of Columbia, and University of Maryland.

Trinity is among the 10% of the nation’s colleges and universities to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the country’s oldest academic honor society. Trinity’s chapter was established in 1971. Trinity also has chapters of Alpha Sigma Lamda, the national honor society for adult learners; Beta Kappa Chi, the national honor society for science; Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for communications; Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honor society for political science; Alpha Phi Signma, the national honor society for criminal justice; Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society for history; Sigma Iota Rho, the national honor society for international security studies; and Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology.

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Trinity’s Campus

Trinity’s 26-acre wooded campus, located on Michigan Avenue at Franklin Street in Northeast Washington, is in a residential neighborhood just two-and-one-half miles north of the United States Capitol, and is easily accessible. Trains to Washington, D.C., arrive at Union Station, which is just minutes from Trinity, and National Airport is only 20 minutes away. By car, Trinity can be reached by all major routes into Washington, D.C. In addition, Trinity operates a free shuttle to the nearby Brookland/CUA Metrorail station, and Metrobuses stop directly in front of the campus.

Trinity’s facilities are housed in eight buildings. Main Hall, begun in 1899 and completed in 1909, houses all administrative offices, most classrooms and faculty offices, the computer center, the post office, the campus bookstore, and meeting rooms. The Science Building houses classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices for Trinity’s science programs. The Sister Helen Sheehan Library houses a collection of approximately 200,000 volumes on open shelves as well as the Academic Support Center. In addition to Main Hall, there are two residence halls: Cuvilly and Kerby. Residence space is also available in Alumnae Hall, which houses the campus dining facilities. Notre Dame Chapel, dedicated in 1924, won the 1925 Gold Medal for ecclesiastical architecture. The Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports houses a variety of athletic and other facilities.

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Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports

The Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports is a $20 million state-of-the-art athletic, recreational and educational complex located in the heart of Trinity’s campus in Northeast Washington. Proudly the nation’s largest facility dedicated to women and girls in sports, the Trinity Center is home to Trinity’s NCAA Division III athletic programs and the Trinity community.

Recreational, sports, and wellness programs conducted by partner organizations such as DC Scores, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, the Washington Tennis Association, the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, and D.C. Public and Charter Schools also are hosted at the Trinity Center.

The Trinity Center offers memberships for individuals and families. To meet the needs of area schools, community organizations and local businesses, the Trinity Center has facility rentals for organized sports and special events. For more information, please see the Trinity Center website.

Opened in February 2003, the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports complex includes:

  • Basketball Arena: For basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, and events. Bleacher seating for 1,600; bleacher and floor seating with a stage for 2,500.
  • Walking Track: On the upper level, around the basketball arena.
  • Swimming Pool and Spa: Indoor pool, 25-yards, six-lanes, starting blocks, seating for 75. Large spa.
  • Fitness Center: Includes weight and exercise room, and dance/aerobics studio.
  • Women’s and Men’s Locker Rooms: Lockers, showers, and changing areas. Also, separate team room with lockers and officials’ locker room.
  • Tennis Courts: Six new outdoor tennis courts.
  • Athletic Field: State-of-the art athletic field for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. Built-in sprinklers and irrigation system, bleachers, scoreboard, and adjacent parking.

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Access for Individuals With Disabilities

Trinity is committed to making the facilities and services of the campus accessible to those with disabilities through reasonable accommodations. Specific requests regarding access should be directed to the Office of Admissions (for prospective students) or the Dean of Student Services (for enrolled students and visitors). Trinity’s compliance officer for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act is the Director of Human Resources.

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Disclaimer

Trinity reserves the right to change, without prior notice, any policy or procedure, tuition or fee, curricular requirements, or any other information found on this web site or in its printed materials.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@trinitydc.edu.

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