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Philosophy

Chairpersons: Co-Chairs, Jay Ciaffa and Timothy Weidel
Director of the Philosophy Graduate Program: Danielle Layne
Professors: M. Alfino, K. Besmer, D. Bradley, P. Burke, D. Calhoun, J. Ciaffa, B. Clayton (Emeritus), B. Henning, T. Jeannot, D. Kries, D. Layne, W. Pomerleau (Emeritus), E. Schmidt, M. Tkacz, R.M. Volbrecht (Emeritus) 
Associate Professors: T. Clancy, S.J.,  T. Di Maria, M. Kulp, C. Lassiter, Q. Liu, E. Maccarone, T. Tritten, J. Wagner (Emeritus), T. Weidel
Assistant Professors: K. Fisher, D. Spearman, G. Turnbull
Lecturers: A. Arango, J. Braune, A. Fisher, C. Rogers, N. Shoaibi 

The department offers one major and one minor:

Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy major (optional Kossel concentration)
Minor in Philosophy

Philosophy has played a central role in Jesuit education since its inception, a tradition that is reflected by the place of philosophy in the Gonzaga University Core curriculum. Philosophy courses included as part of the University Core curriculum for all undergraduate programs aid students in developing skills of thought and logical analysis (PHIL 101), introduce students to sustained reflection on basic questions of human nature and personhood (PHIL 201), and examine the practical and theoretical considerations relevant to human morality and value (PHIL 301). The department offers 400-level philosophy courses on a wide variety of topics, which serve to integrate work in the University Core curriculum, and to encourage students to reflect on their future roles in the world.

The Philosophy Department also offers courses leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major or minor in philosophy. Beyond the philosophy courses that fulfill the University Core (101, 201, 301, 432), students must complete an additional 9 credits of upper-division course work for a Philosophy Minor, and an additional 24 credits for a Philosophy Major. The major includes a 3-course sequence in the history of philosophy; topical seminars that focus on philosophical research, discussion, and writing; and a broad range of 400-level electives, which allows students to develop a program of studies tailored to their own interests. Each student is required to take at least one course in contemporary philosophy, and one course in ethics or political philosophy. Majors must take at least two philosophy seminars and minors must take at least one. These seminars are identified by their numbers (PHIL 400-430) and they will all carry a Writing Enriched designation, which fulfills a requirement of the University Core curriculum.

Students may also earn a Philosophy Major by completing the department's Kossel Concentration in Philosophical Studies. The Kossel Concentration follows the course of studies established for the training of college seminarians by the Program of Priestly Formation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The goal of the Kossel Concentration, as stated in the Program, is for students (1) to organize and synthesize their study of the liberal arts through the study of philosophy and (2) to prepare for the study of theology in the post-baccalaureate seminary. Although specifically designed for the students of Bishop White Seminary, the Kossel Concentration is open to all Gonzaga students. The curricular requirements for the Kossel Concentration include all of the requirements of the regular Philosophy Major, but students in the Kossel Concentration must devote their elective courses to traditional areas of Catholic philosophy. They must also complete extra courses in Latin. The Kossel Concentration is named after the late Clifford Kossel, S.J., who taught philosophy at Gonzaga for most of his adult life.

An undergraduate Major in Philosophy is useful preparation for a variety of careers. The focus on logic, argumentation, and moral theory is valuable to students with career plans in law. Students with interests in business, public policy, or government service can benefit from the many courses which provide reflective analysis on the ways in which political, moral, and social values are embedded in social institutions. A degree in philosophy can be valuable when applying to a variety of professional schools which actively look for liberal arts majors and to employers who do the same.

B.A. Major in Philosophy: 36 Credits
Lower Division
PHIL 101 Reasoning 3 credits
PHIL 201 Philosophy of Human Nature 3 credits
Upper Division
PHIL 301 Ethics 3 credits
PHIL 305 History of Ancient Philosophy 3 credits
PHIL 310 History of Medieval Philosophy 3 credits
PHIL 320 History of Modern Philosophy 3 credits
PHIL 400-level elective courses *
 12 credits
Two PHIL 400-430 Philosophy Seminars * 6 credits 
PHIL 499 Senior Exit Requirement
 0 credits


* Note: Of the 18 credits in 400 level student selected coursework, students must complete one course in Contemporary Philosophy and one course in Ethics or Political Philosophy from the courses listed below. 
   
Contemporary Philosophy:   
PHIL 406 Philosophy of Mind

PHIL 416 Marxism

PHIL 418 Special Topics: Contemporary Seminar
  
PHIL 421 American Philosophy

PHIL 423 Process Philosophy

PHIL 425 Phenomenology

PHIL 427 Major Figures and Movements

PHIL 428 Philosophical Hermeneutics

PHIL 442 Philosophy of Sex and Gender

PHIL 454 Existentialism

PHIL 492 Special Topics: Contemporary Philosophy
Ethics or Political Philosophy:   
PHIL 414 Ancient Concepts of Justice

PHIL 416 Marxism

PHIL 419 Special Topics: Ethics or Political Seminar
  
PHIL 426 Political Philosophy

PHIL 427 Major Figures and Movements

PHIL 443 Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement
PHIL 453 International Ethics

PHIL 455 Health Care Ethics

PHIL 456 Feminist Ethics

PHIL 458 Environmental Ethics

PHIL 459 Ethics of Eating

PHIL 460 Ethics: Global Climate Change

PHIL 462 Theories Solidarity and Social Justice

PHIL 493 Special Topics: Ethics or Political Philosophy

Kossel Concentration: 44 Credits (major + concentration)
Lower Division
PHIL 101 Reasoning 3 credits
PHIL 201 Philosophy of Human Nature 3 credits
LATN 101 Elementary Latin I
4 credits
LATN 102 Elementary Latin II

4 credits
Upper Division
PHIL 301 Ethics 3 credits
PHIL 305 History of Ancient Philosophy 3 credits
PHIL 310 History of Medieval Philosophy 3 credits
PHIL 320 History of Modern Philosophy 3 credits
PHIL 403 Christian Metaphysics
3 credits
PHIL 400-level elective courses *
 12 credits
One PHIL 400-430 Philosophy Seminars * 3 credits 
PHIL 499 Senior Exit Requirement
 0 credits


* Note: Of the 15 credits in 400 level student selected coursework, students must complete one course in Contemporary Philosophy and one course in Ethics or Political Philosophy from the courses listed above. 
 

Minor in Philosophy: 21 Credits
Lower Division
PHIL 101 Reasoning 3 credits
PHIL 201 Philosophy of Human Nature 3 credits
Upper Division
PHIL 301 Ethics 3 credits
PHIL 400-430 Seminar 3 credits
PHIL 300 and/or 400 level courses 9 credits

 

Master of Arts in Philosophy (PHIL) 4+1 Program:

Majors interested in pursuing a Master of Arts in Philosophy (PHIL) may apply to the graduate program at the end of the academic year immediately preceding their final year of undergraduate study. Those who meet the PHIL admissions standards will be granted provisional acceptance. During their final year of undergraduate study, these students will be able to enroll in up to nine graduate-level PHIL credits in addition to their undergraduate course load, with no additional or separate charge for graduate credits. "4+ 1" students will be limited to a maximum of 18 credits per semester, including graduate credits, in each of the two semesters of their final year of undergraduate study.




Lower Division
PHIL 101 Reasoning
3.00 credits
This course helps students develop the foundational skills of critical reading, thinking, analysis, and writing. Students will analyze and evaluate different approaches to formal and informal arguments, reconstruct arguments from a range of sources, assess the quality of various types of evidence, and demonstrate careful use of statistics.
Equivalent:
PHIL 102H - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 101H Reasoning - Honors
3.00 credits
This course helps students develop the foundational skills of critical reading, thinking, analysis, and writing. Students will analyze and evaluate different approaches to formal and informal arguments, reconstruct arguments from a range of sources, assess the quality of various types of evidence, and demonstrate careful use of statistics.
Equivalent:
PHIL 102H - Successful completion
PHIL 190 Directed Study
1.00- 6.00 credits
Topic to be determined by faculty.
PHIL 193 FYS:
3.00 credits
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces new Gonzaga students to the University, the Core Curriculum, and Gonzaga’s Jesuit mission and heritage. While the seminars will be taught by faculty with expertise in particular disciplines, topics will be addressed in a way that illustrates approaches and methods of different academic disciplines. The seminar format of the course highlights the participatory character of university life, emphasizing that learning is an active, collegial process.
PHIL 201 Philosophy of Human Nature
3.00 credits
Philosophical study of human nature, the human condition, the meaning and value of human life, and the human relationship to ultimate reality, with attention to such issues as the nature and possible existence of the soul, the relation between body and mind, belief and knowledge, freedom vs. determinism, and the possibility of human immortality. Fall and Spring.
Equivalent:
PHIL 201H - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 201H Philosophy of Human Nature Hon
3.00 credits
Philosophical study of human nature, the human condition, the meaning and value of human life, and the human relationship to ultimate reality, with attention to such issues as the nature and possible existence of the soul, the relation between body and mind, belief and knowledge, freedom vs. determinism, and the possibility of human immortality. Fall. For Honors students.
Prerequisite:
HONS 190 Minimum Grade: D and PHIL 101H Minimum Grade: D and PHIL 101 Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
PHIL 201 - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 280 Persons and Conduct
3.00 credits
Two basic dimensions of philosophical investigation are inquiry into the nature and meaning of our being human (the philosophy of human nature) and inquiry into the right life and conduct of a human being (ethics). This course undertakes these closely related investigations from a personalist perspective.
Equivalent:
CATH 240 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 290 Directed Study
1.00- 6.00 credits
Topic to be determined by faculty.
Upper Division
PHIL 301 Ethics
3.00 credits
A general theory of the goals of human life and the norms of moral behavior; the theory will be applied to several specific moral problems. Fall and Spring.
Equivalent:
PHIL 301H - Successful completion
PHIL 301H Ethics-Honors
3.00 credits
A general theory of the goals of human life and the norms of moral behavior; the theory will be applied to several specific moral problems. Spring.
Equivalent:
PHIL 301 - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 305 History of Ancient Philosophy
3.00 credits
A survey of major figures and developments in ancient Greek and Hellenistic philosophy from Thales to Plotinus, using texts in translation. Philosophy major, or minor status, or by permission of Department Chair. Fall.
Equivalent:
PHIL 401 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 310 History of Medieval Philosophy
3.00 credits
A survey of the major philosophical movements in the Latin, Greek, and Arabic traditions from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries. Spring.
Prerequisite:
PHIL 305 Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
CATH 340 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 320 History of Modern Philosophy
3.00 credits
A survey from Descartes through Hegel. Spring.
Prerequisite:
PHIL 305 Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
PHIL 410 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 389 Ethics & Service Learning
1.00 credit
A service learning seminar that may be taken in conjunction with specified sections of PHIL 301. Students discuss and apply ways by which to communicate with Spokane-area youth (primarily middle- and high-school age) what they are learning about ethics and character.
Concurrent:
PHIL 301
PHIL 390 Medical Ethics Internship
3.00 credits
Through the internship, students will become familiar with the kinds of ethical issues that arise in a major medical facility such as Sacred Heart Medical Center and understand how those issues are addressed. Students will be asked to reflect on the difference between abstract, theoretical discussions of health care ethics and their concrete, particular manifestations in the lives of patients, families, and professional staff.
PHIL 391 Directed Study
1.00- 6.00 credits
Topic to be determined by faculty.
PHIL 403 Christian Metaphysics
3.00 credits
A philosophical articulation of the Christian worldview is provided by classical metaphysics as developed in the Thomistic tradition. This seminar will study the hylomorphic principles of nature, the cosmological argument for the existence of God, the real distinction of being and essence, the nature of divine causality, the analogy of being, ontological participation, and the transcendental properties of being. Fall, every year.
Equivalent:
CATH 441 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 406 Philosophy of Mind
3.00 credits
Treatment of the nature and functional capacities of the mind and the philosophical problems raised by analysis of the mind, including mind and body, materialistic reductionism, other minds, freedom, and personality.
Equivalent:
PHIL 448 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 413 Theory of Knowledge
3.00 credits
The concepts of knowledge and belief have been of central philosophical concern since the pre-Socratics. In this course, we will consider historical and contemporary contributions to answer the following questions: (1) What is the value of knowledge? (2) What can I know? (3) What can I learn from others? (4) What can I know of myself? (5) Can I know something without being able to say how I know it? (6) How does society shape what I and others know? Historical sources will include Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Reid, and Hume.
Equivalent:
PHIL 440 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 414 Ancient Concepts of Justice
3.00 credits
Many Modern theories of social justice rest upon models developed in classical antiquity. Similarly, many modern institutions and laws relating to justice have ancient precursors. This course examines major classical texts dealing with justice: selected Pre-Socratic texts; Plato, Republic; Thucydides, History of Peloponnesian war, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book V, selections from Cicero; selections from other Hellenistic and late Roman authors (including Augustine).
Equivalent:
PHIL 481 - Taken before Summer 2016
SOSJ 412 - Successful completion
PHIL 416 Marxism
3.00 credits
Some major writings of Marx, the social and intellectual history of Marxism, the relationship between Marxist theory and revolutionary practice, and contemporary problems in Marxism.
PHIL 418 Spec Top: Contemporary Seminar
3.00 credits
Topics will be determined by the instructor.
PHIL 419 Spec Top: Ethics/Political Sem
3.00 credits
Topics will be determined by the instructor.
PHIL 421 American Philosophy
3.00 credits
A study of major figures in the American philosophical tradition.
PHIL 423 Process Philosophy
3.00 credits
Philosophers such as Bergson and Whitehead, who regard creative process as the essence of the real.
PHIL 425 Phenomenology
3.00 credits
Some proponents of phenomenological philosophy stemming from Husserl.
PHIL 426 Political Philosophy
3.00 credits
An examination of the nature and norms of political life, with attention to major historical themes in the light of contemporary relevance.
Equivalent:
PHIL 451 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 427 Major Figures & Movements
3.00 credits
An in-depth exploration of the work of a single figure or movement in the history of philosophy.
PHIL 428 Philosophical Hermeneutics
3.00 credits
Allied with phenomenology, philosophical hermeneutics struggles not only with interpreting patterns of meaning in classical philosophical texts, but also with interpreting patterns of meaning in human existence, based on the model of the text.
PHIL 429 Special Topics: Philosophy Sem
3.00 credits
Topic will be determined by the instructor.
PHIL 432 CIS:
3.00 credits
The Core Integration Seminar (CIS) engages the Year Four Question: “Imagining the possible: What is our role in the world?” by offering students a culminating seminar experience in which students integrate the principles of Jesuit education, prior components of the Core, and their disciplinary expertise. Each section of the course will focus on a problem or issue raised by the contemporary world that encourages integration, collaboration, and problem solving. The topic for each section of the course will be proposed and developed by each faculty member in a way that clearly connects to the Jesuit Mission, to multiple disciplinary perspectives, and to our students’ future role in the world.
PHIL 434 Chinese Philosophy
3.00 credits
A survey of the history of Chinese philosophy focusing on the Confucian tradition and taking other traditions such as Taoism and Buddhism into account.
Equivalent:
INST 396 - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 435 C.S. Lewis
3.00 credits
This course examines Lewis, the Christian intellectual, as his participation in the Christian theistic tradition and his philosophical training exhibit themselves in his fictional, philosophical and theological works.
Equivalent:
PHIL 417 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 437 Philosophy of Time
3.00 credits
This course looks at answering the question "What is time?" This is done by looking at ancient and modern arguments surrounding the structure, experience and models of time.
PHIL 440 Africana Philosophy
3.00 credits
This philosophy course will address this question through an investigation of slave narratives, decolonial political theory, philosophy of religion and Black aesthetics. We will address questions such as: What does the emergence of the struggle for liberation by Black people around the world mean for the future of our planet? Students who take this course will wrestle with the challenges posed by various thinkers from Africa and the Diaspora to the dehumanizing systems of colonialism as well as the legacy of these traditions of resistance.
Prerequisite:
PHIL 201 Minimum Grade: D or PHIL 201H Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
CATH 440 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 441 Symbolic Logic
3.00 credits
The study of modern symbolic logic (propositional and predicate). Metalogical issues (the syntax and semantics of formal systems) are discussed.
Equivalent:
CATH 441 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 442 Philosophy of Sex & Gender
3.00 credits
Analyzes the concepts of sex, sexuality, and gender by working with authors across traditions and disciplines. We will be particularly concerned with the roles that sex, sexuality and gender have on identity formation/subversion while also questioning whether some or all of these concepts are essential/natural or socially constructed.
Equivalent:
WGST 434 - OK if taken since Fall 2016
PHIL 443 Dorothy Day&the Cath Wkr Mvmt
3.00 credits
This course is a core integration seminar that investigates the life, times, and leading ideas of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Working Movement in a variety of disciplinary contexts, including history, philosophy, and religions, women's, and social justices studies.
Prerequisite:
PHIL 201 Minimum Grade: D or PHIL 201H Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
CATH 443 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 446 Phil Refl Christnty & Science
3.00 credits
Philosophical inquiry into the historical relationship between Christian religious doctrine and the knowledge imparted by the sciences, with focus on particular episodes such as the Galileo affair and the Darwinian revolution.
PHIL 453 International Ethics
3.00 credits
The moral structure of the international community in the context of problems such as war, foreign aid, and transnational migration.
Equivalent:
INST 350 - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 454 Existentialism
3.00 credits
The movement from Kierkegaard to the present.
Equivalent:
PHIL 424 - Taken before Summer 2016
PHIL 455 Health Care Ethics
3.00 credits
Ethical concepts and issues in the medical field: personhood, relationship between health care professional and patient, experimentation, rights to health care, and allocation of health care resources.
Equivalent:
PHIL 352S - Successful completion
PHIL 456 Feminist Ethics
3.00 credits
Explores women's experiences of oppression and some of the ways in which this has marginalized their concerns and their perceptions of the moral dimension. Feminist contributions to rethinking the concept of moral agency, the traditionally sharp distinction between the public and private domains, the relevance of personal relationships to ethics, and the process of moral development and moral decision-making are considered. Spring, odd years.
Equivalent:
WGST 435 - OK if taken since Fall 2009
PHIL 458 Environmental Ethics
3.00 credits
The detailed philosophical study of humanity's understanding of its relationship to the natural environment, concentrating on historically prominent conceptions of that relationship, and the philosophical foundation of the contemporary environmental movement. Fall and Spring.
Equivalent:
ENVS 358 - OK if taken since Fall 2007
PHIL 459 Ethics of Eating
3.00 credits
An examination of ethical issues surrounding the consumption, production and transportation of food. Issues such as organic food, GMOs, vegetarianism, local and slow food movements, and hunger may be covered. Ethical issues surrounding both local and international food issues are treated.
Equivalent:
ENVS 381 - OK if taken since Fall 2013
PHIL 460 Ethics: Global Climate Change
3.00 credits
Many have described global climate change as the defining challenge of the 21st century, noting that unless dramatic changes are made today, future generations will suffer terrible consequences, such as rising seas, wars over fresh water, tens of millions of environmental refugees, and the extinction of species such as the polar bear. This course will investigate the complex technological, historical, economic, scientific, political, and philosophical issues surrounding this issue. Global warming skeptics are especially encouraged to enroll. Spring and Summer.
Equivalent:
ENVS 350 - OK if taken since Spring 2010
PHIL 462 Theories Solidarity & Soc Just
3.00 credits
This course is designed to fulfill one of the requirements of the Solidarity and Social Justice minor. It builds on the background provided by other courses in the SOSJ minor and the University Core by focusing more explicitly on the role public reason plays in the pursuit of solidarity and social justice. The course will ask “What is justice and how is it related to human solidarity? How do we ground claims about solidarity and social justice through an appeal to reason? What role should reason play in shaping our models of justice and what role can it play in the promotion of solidarity and social justice?”
Equivalent:
PHIL 408 - Taken before Summer 2017
SOSJ 410 - OK if taken since Fall 2015
PHIL 465 Philosophy of Religion
3.00 credits
A study of the nature of religious experience and practice, and how religious language and belief relate to science, morality and aesthetics. Included is also a study of what is meant by 'God,' divine attributes and proofs for and against God's existence.
PHIL 466 Phil of Religion & Technology
3.00 credits
In this class we shall be exploring the evolving nature of religions belief and practice in its symbiotic interdependence with humanity's evolving technologies. The course culminates in a month long exploration of the new religious needs of today's digital natives for whom literate institutional religion seems less and less inspiring or even relevant. Throughout the course students will be asked to reflect over and apply insights learned to their own lives and to contemporary society.
Prerequisite:
PHIL 201 Minimum Grade: D or PHIL 201H Minimum Grade: D
PHIL 467 Faith and Reason
3.00 credits
This course will address a cluster of fundamental problems of faith and reason--the nature of knowledge, especially in connection with religious claims, evidence for the existence of God, the relevance of recent advances in cosmology to the Christian world view, the problem of evil and suffering, and the challenge of atheism.
Equivalent:
CATH 447 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
PHIL 472 Philosophy of Art
3.00 credits
An analysis of beauty, creativity, and taste according to the theories of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and selected contemporary philosophers. Several representative works from all areas of the fine arts are examined in the light of the aesthetic principles of classical philosophy.
Equivalent:
VART 466 - OK if taken since Fall 1996
PHIL 478 Philosophy of Technology
3.00 credits
This course in applied philosophy involves reflection and self-understanding of our technology-saturated world. Examinations of well-known philosophers' writings on technology will be covered. Course goals include a deeper, more reflective understanding of the nature of technology, its role in our lives, its ethical implications, its political ramifications and its relation to society.
PHIL 484 Major Figures and Movements
3.00 credits
An in-depth exploration of the work of a single figure or movement in the history of philosophy.
PHIL 485 Philosophy in Film
3.00 credits
Many current films raise first-order philosophical questions or issues, though few films are particularly good at solving those same problems or resolving the conflict underlying the issues. This course seeks to explore many contemporary films (none older than "Blade Runner") and the philosophical issues they raise, both by their explicit content and by their implicit content. Metaphysical issues about the mind and body relationship, the nature and extent of free will, and the nature of personal identity will be included. Some epistemological issues having to do with how well we can expect to have access to reality, and what might be among the impediments to the access will also be included. The course generally avoids treating ethical or moral issues, but also takes an interest in the use of the emotions in films, the treatment of violence and human sexuality in films and the nature of comedy in films. Some attention will also be given to film techniques, especially from the point of view of the audience.
Equivalent:
FILM 470 - OK if taken since Fall 2023
PHIL 489H Honors Seminar
3.00 credits
Topics and credit by arrangement. Spring or Fall.
Prerequisite:
HONS 190 Minimum Grade: D
PHIL 490 Directed Study
.00- 6.00 credits
Topics and credits by arrangement.
PHIL 491 Special Topics
3.00 credits
Topics to be determined by the instructor.
PHIL 492 Special Topics: Contemporary
3.00 credits
Topics will be determined by the instructor.
PHIL 493 SpecialTopics:Ethics/Political
3.00 credits
Topics will be determined by the instructor.
PHIL 495 Study Abroad Special Topics
1.00- 15.00 credits
To be determined by the department.
PHIL 497 Internship
.00- 6.00 credits
Professional work experience in Philosophy-related field. Student is responsible for identifying an agency and faculty supervisor. Does not count towards program electives for the major or minor.
PHIL 498 Research
1.00- 3.00 credits
Course requires permission of instructor and Department Chair.
PHIL 499 Senior Exit Requirement
.00 credits
 

In addition to their major and minor areas of study, all undergraduate students follow a common program designed to complete their education in those areas that the University considers essential for a Catholic, Jesuit, liberal, and humanistic education. The University Core Curriculum consists of forty-five credits of course work, with additional designation requirements that can be met through core, major, or elective courses.

The University Core Curriculum is a four-year program, organized around one overarching question, which is progressively addressed through yearly themes and questions. Hence, core courses are best taken within the year for which they are designated. First year core courses encourage intellectual engagement and provide a broad foundation of fundamental skills. Second and third year courses examine central issues and questions in philosophy and religious studies. The fourth year course, the Core Integration Seminar, offers a culminating core experience. Taken at any time throughout the four years, broadening courses intersect with the core themes and extend students’ appreciation for the humanities, arts, and social and behavioral sciences. Finally, the designation requirements (writing enriched, global studies, and social justice) reflect important values and reinforce students’ knowledge and competencies.

Overarching Core Question: As students of a Catholic, Jesuit, and Humanistic University, how do we educate ourselves to become women and men for a more just and humane global community?
Year 1 Theme and Question: Understanding and Creating: How do we pursue knowledge and cultivate understanding?

  • The First-Year Seminar (DEPT 193, 3 credits): The First-Year Seminar (FYS), taken in the fall or spring of the first year, is designed to promote an intellectual shift in students as they transition to college academic life. Each small seminar is organized around an engaging topic, which students explore from multiple perspectives. The FYS is offered by many departments across the University (click here [PDF] for list of FYS courses).  
  • Writing (ENGL 101, 3 credits) and Reasoning (PHIL 101, 3 credits): The Writing and Reasoning courses are designed to help students develop the foundational skills of critical reading, thinking, analysis, and writing. They may be taken as linked sections. Writing (ENGL 101) carries one of the three required writing-enriched designations (see below).
  • Communication & Speech (COMM 100, 3 credits): This course introduces students to interpersonal and small group communication and requires the application of critical thinking, reasoning, and research skills necessary to organize, write, and present several speeches.
  • Scientific Inquiry (BIOL 104/104L, CHEM 104/104L, or PHYS 104/104L, 3 credits): This course explores the scientific process in the natural world through evidence-based logic and includes significant laboratory experience. Students pursuing majors that require science courses will satisfy this requirement through their major.
  • Mathematics (above Math 100, 3 credits): Mathematics courses promote thinking according to the modes of the discipline—abstractly, symbolically, logically, and computationally. One course in mathematics, above Math 100, including any math course required for a major or minor, will fulfill this requirement. MATH 100 (College Algebra) and courses without the MATH prefix do not fulfill this requirement.

Year 2 Theme and Question: Being and Becoming: Who are we and what does it mean to be human?

  • Philosophy of Human Nature (PHIL 201, 3 credits): This course provides students with a philosophical study of key figures, theories, and intellectual traditions that contribute to understanding the human condition; the meaning and dignity of human life; and the human relationship to ultimate reality.
  • Christianity and Catholic Traditions (RELI, 3 credits). Religious Studies core courses approved for this requirement explore diverse topics including Christian scriptures, history, theology, and practices as well as major contributions from the Catholic intellectual and theological traditions (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses) .

Year 3 Theme and Question: Caring and Doing: What principles characterize a well lived life?

  • Ethics (PHIL 301 or RELI, 3 credits): The Ethics courses are designed to help students develop their moral imagination by exploring and explaining the reasons humans should care about the needs and interests of others. This requirement is satisfied by an approved ethics course in either Philosophy (PHIL 301) or Religious Studies (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).
  • World/Comparative Religion (RELI, 3 credits): Religious Studies courses approved for this core requirement draw attention to the diversity that exists within and among traditions and encourage students to bring critical, analytical thinking to bear on the traditions and questions considered. These courses carries one of the required two global-studies designations (see below) (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).

Year 4 Theme and Question: Imagining the Possible: What is our role in the world?” 

  • Core Integration Seminar (DEPT 432, 3 credits). The Core Integration Seminar (CIS) offers students a culminating core experience in which they integrate the principles of Jesuit education, prior components of the core, and their disciplinary expertise. Some CIS courses may also count toward a student’s major or minor. The CIS is offered by several departments across the University (click here [PDF] for list of CIS courses).

The Broadening Courses

  • Fine Arts & Design (VART, MUSC, THEA, 3 credits): Arts courses explore multiple ways the human experience can be expressed through creativity, including across different cultures and societies. One approved course in fine arts, music, theatre, or dance will fulfill this requirement (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).
  • History (HIST, 3 credits): History courses are intended to develop students’ awareness of the historical context of both the individual and the collective human experience. One course in History (HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 112, HIST 201, HIST 202) will fulfill this requirement.
  • Literature (3 credits): Literature courses foster reflection on how literature engages with a range of human experience. One approved course in Literature (offered by English, Classics, or Modern Languages) will fulfill this requirement (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences (3 credits): Courses in the social and behavioral sciences engage students in studying human behavior, social systems, and social issues. One approved course offered by Criminal Justice, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or Women and Gender Studies will fulfill this requirement (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).

The Designations
Designations are embedded within already existing core, major, minor, and elective courses. Students are encouraged to meet designation requirements within elective courses as their schedule allows; however, with careful planning students should be able to complete most of the designation requirements within other core, major, or minor courses.

  • Writing Enriched (WE; 3 courses meeting this designation): Courses carrying the WE designation are designed to promote the humanistic and Jesuit pedagogical ideal of clear, effective communication. In addition to the required core course, Writing (ENGL 101), which carries one of the WE designations, students must take two other WE-designated courses (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).
  • Global-Studies (GS; 2 courses meeting this designation): Courses carrying the GS designation are designed to challenge students to perceive and understand human diversity by exploring diversity within a context of constantly changing global systems. In addition to the required core course, World/Comparative Religion (RELI 300-level), which carries one of the GS designations, students must take one other GS-designated course (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).
  • Social-Justice (SJ; 1 course meeting this designation): Courses carrying the SJ designation are designed to introduce students to one or more social justice concerns. Students must take one course that meets the SJ designation (click here [PDF] for a list of approved courses).

Major-specific adaptations to the University Core Curriculum

All Gonzaga students, regardless of their major, will complete the University Core Curriculum requirements. However some Gonzaga students will satisfy certain core requirements through major-specific programs or courses. Any major-specific adaptations to the core are described with the requirements for the majors to which they apply.