Department Chair: Jon Isacoff
Professors: B. Bancroft , G. Gordon, B. Henning, K. Henrickson, J. Isacoff, E. Johnson,
Associate Professors:
Assistant Professors: N. D'Souza, M. Mathews
Lecturer: S. Munson
The department offers two majors and one minor:
Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Studies major
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science major
Minor in Environmental Studies
The Environmental Studies major offers students an interdisciplinary approach toward understanding the human interaction with the environment. Drawing upon courses in the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities, the Environmental Studies major offers a diverse, integrated curriculum that explores the scientific, ethical, social, economic, and political aspects of our current environmental crisis.
Likewise, the Environmental Science major offers a broad scientific knowledge base and skill set integrated with coursework focused on human culture. Environmental Science integrates three fundamental scientific disciplines: biology, chemistry, and earth science. Unification of these three disciplines positions students to use scientific inquiry to understand and care for our planet.
With our proximity to state and national parks, national forests, and open space, Gonzaga is a special place to pursue environmental studies and sciences, where students can engage both their intellectual and experiential pursuits. Students in both majors have abundant opportunities for field studies and research, outdoor service learning projects, environmental internships, and leadership positions with on-campus environmental organizations, Majors are also encouraged to pursue field courses and study abroad opportunities in places like Zambia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Australia.
B.S. Major in Environmental Science: 63-64 credits
| Lower Division (33-34 credits) | |
| ENVS 101 Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3 credits |
| ENVS 102 Environmental Politics and Policy | 3 credits |
| ENVS 103 / ENVS 103L Environmental Biology + Lab OR | 4 credits |
| BIOL 206 / BIOL 206L Ecology and Lab | |
| CHEM 101 General Chemistry | 3 credits |
| CHEM 101L General Chemistry Lab | 1 credit |
| ENVS 202 Applied Environmental Chemistry | 3 credits |
| ENVS 202L Applied Environmental Chemistry Lab | 1 credit |
| ENVS 110 Earth Systems | 3 credits |
| ENVS 110L Earth Systems Lab | 1 credit |
| MATH 221 Applied Stats | 3 credits |
| One of the following combinations: |
5 credits |
|
PHYS 121/PHYS 121L Physics I + Lab
|
|
|
PHYS 111/PHYS 111L General Physics I + Lab
|
|
| One of the following courses: |
|
| MATH 157 Calculus | 4 credits |
| MATH 158 Survey of Calculus | 3 credits |
| Upper Division (31 credits) | |
| ENVS 320 Economics of Environmental Protection | 3 credits |
| ENVS 358 Environmental Ethics | 3 credits |
| ENVS 341 Environmental Science Seminar | 1 credit |
| ENVS 384 + ENVS 384L GIS and Ecology Techniques + Lab | 4 credits |
| ENVS 497 Internship | 1 credit |
| ENVS 499A Symposium in Environmental Studies I | 1 credit |
| ENVS 499B Symposium in Environmental Studies II | 2 credits |
| Technical Electives: (ENVS 400-440, 490) | 12 credits |
| General Electives: (ENVS 300-440, 490) |
3 credits |
|
*One (1) credit of ENVS 497 Internship may be counted toward the major. Students may take up to 4 credits of ENVS 497. Any remaining credits may be applied to student's total degree requirement of 128 credits. |
|
B.A. Major in Environmental Studies: 39-41 credits
Lower Division
An introduction to the field of Environmental Studies. The course provides an overview of the connections between science, politics, philosophy, history, and ethics regarding nature and the environment. The course urges students to think critically about the relationships between knowledge and judgment, humans and nature, justice and ethics, and natural and human history. Fall and Spring.
This course examines the politics and policymaking process of environmental issues. The course focuses primarily on American national policy, but also on state and local and international/global policy. The course is designed to evoke and encourage thinking about environmental issues on these various levels. Fall and Spring.
A study of the principles of ecology (including population dynamics, diversity, and energy flow) and the impact humans have on the environment. Lab is required. Fall.
Concurrent:
ENVS 103L
See course description for ENVS 103. Fall.
Fulfills the following degree requirement(s): Core: Science Inquiry.
Concurrent:
ENVS 103
This course covers the fundamental principles of chemistry necessary to understand the source and fate of chemical substances in the environment. Additional topics are dependent on the instructor but may include the environmental implications of energy utilization; the chemistry of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; climate change; and pollution and treatment of water sources. Spring.
Concurrent:
ENVS 104L
Equivalent:
CHEM 123 - OK if taken since Fall 2009
See course description for ENVS 104. Spring.
Concurrent:
ENVS 104
Equivalent:
CHEM 123L - OK if taken since Summer 1 2009
This course is an introduction to the basics of earth science. It will cover the origin and evolution of the planet, geologic time scales, an overview of geological processes, marine and freshwater systems, the ice caps and the cryosphere, and atmospheric systems. It also introduces concepts in how life co-evolved with these different systems, and how humans are restructuring these systems. The course includes an introduction to the scientific method as well as the application of the earth sciences to questions of environmental sustainability and climate change.
Concurrent:
ENVS 110L
See course description for ENVS 110L.
Concurrent:
ENVS 110
Topic to be determined by faculty.
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.
This course is designed to introduce students to scientific issues and concepts related to environmental problems. The course consists of investigations of a number of specific cases of environmental impacts by humans, such as: chemical contamination of soils, air, or water; overexploitation of fisheries or other living resources; freshwater availability and quality; habitat conversion, fragmentation, and loss of biodiversity; invasive species; renewable and non-renewable energy sources; and the production and management of waste. Specific cases vary from semester to semester, and include examples of current local, regional and global relevance. Laboratory exercises allow students to investigate the scientific principles important for understanding the cases, and help students develop an appreciation for the strength and limitations of scientific knowledge in addressing environmental issues. Fall and Spring.
Prerequisite:
BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 123 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 104 Minimum Grade: C-
To understand the impact of human activities on the natural environment, environmental science majors must be familiar with the chemical, physical, and biological processes that occur in soil, water, and air. These processes determine the reactions, transport, and fates of chemicals introduced into the environment by human activities. Students will apply and build on foundational concepts introduced in General Chemistry/Lab (CHEM 101/101L) to understand the chemical and physical processes that occur in natural systems. Chemical processes include acid-base reactions, oxidation-reduction reactions, and photochemical reactions. Physical processes include dissolution-precipitation and adsorption processes.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 101L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
ENVS 202L
See course description for ENVS 202.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101 Minimum Grade: C-
and CHEM 101L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
ENVS 202
Course content determined by instructor.
Topic to be determined by faculty.
Upper Division
Explores the economic dimensions of environmental topics such as air and water pollution, deforestation, non-renewable resource depletion, recycling, global warming. The course studies the extent of environmental problems and alternative solutions. Spring.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 101 Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
ECON 324 - Successful completion
This Service Learning course focuses on the writings of seminal figures in American ecological thought, such as John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and Aldo Leopold. Examine the history and politics of land use and wilderness planning. Field trips in partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and local environmental groups to learn first-hand about the politics of local land use. Upon sufficient demand.
Equivalent:
POLS 317 - OK if taken since Spring 2008
This course is an in-depth examination of climate change science and politics. It examines the science behind climate models, current and predicted environmental effects of a changing climate, policies, as well as the basic definitions and concepts citizens need to understand climate change and its related political issues. In the course we will examine how scientific and political thinking on climate change has evolved.
Equivalent:
POLS 378 - OK if taken since Fall 2019
This course examines human relationships with the natural environment. It explores how power structures, social norms, ideologies and politics affect our relationship and treatment of the environment. Upon sufficient demand.
Equivalent:
HEAL 383 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
SOCI 383 - OK if taken since Fall 2007
SOCI 383 - OK if taken since Fall 2007
This course examines issues of environmental quality and social justice. It seeks to develop students' understanding of myriad causes of environmental inequality, apply those understandings to critique existing solutions to environmental inequality, as well as to propose new solutions. Service-learning will be integrated throughout as a mechanism to deepen understanding and appreciation of the course content and themes.
Everyday encounters with physical surroundings guide our orientations to the world. As we wander city streets, shopping malls, stadiums, nature preserves, sacred sites, restaurants, monuments, museums, and classrooms, we examine how we move in, and are moved by the material arenas we share. Spatial organization and built environments inform our habits of perception, determine the meaning of a particular place, accent what is worth attention and what might be overlooked, and reaffirm dominant norms and power relationships in public culture. Charts, maps, apps, and other navigational tools dictate where and how we move, and how we understand our roles within a given space. Featuring the experiential dimensions of rhetoric and communication, this course presses us to consider how material spaces and places construct everyday geographies.
Equivalent:
COMM 330 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
INST 332 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
INST 332 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
Explores the past, present, and future of public lands. Focusing primarily on national and state parks, national forests, and wildlife, this course traces the development and application of the U.S. conservation model, both domestically and abroad. Fall.
The course examines how the jungle/rainforest (“selva”) space is defined in Latin America and how it is represented in literature, film, and photography. The course will not focus on the Brazilian Amazon, but instead will examine the representation of Spanish-American jungle spaces including those found in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and the Central American isthmus, from the Encounter until present day.
Prerequisite:
SPAN 320 Minimum Grade: C
Equivalent:
SPAN 332 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
In this course, we will study the way in which Spanish America's natural resources have been imagined, described, and narrated textually throughout the history of Spanish America. Through a survey of literary and visual texts, we will explore the history of extractivism, environmentalism, and economic engagement in Spanish America. Short stories, poetry, and film will be analyzed from within the framework of Latin American critical responses to this history.
Prerequisite:
SPAN 320 Minimum Grade: C
Equivalent:
SPAN 333 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
Introduces students to various careers in Environmental Science and to the environmental issues facing our local, regional, and global community. The format of the class includes seminars by visiting professionals and class meetings. Spring annually.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: C-
and ENVS 101 Minimum Grade: D
This course explores the long-term history of Africans' dynamic interactions with their environments by interrogating how African environmental realities and Africans' conceptions of the environment shaped broader political, social and economic histories. Beginning in the precolonial period, we will trace how climatic variation, political and economic changes in the colonial period, and post-independence priorities transformed Africans' relationships with their environments.
Equivalent:
HIST 345 - OK if taken since Fall 2021
INST 341 - OK if taken since Fall 2021
INST 341 - OK if taken since Fall 2021
This course examines how capitalism structures human relationships and impacts the nonhuman world, creating uneven social and environmental benefits and burdens. Students will draw upon a range of critical perspectives, including political economy, political ecology, feminist theory, critical race theory, indigenous and post-colonial epistemology, critical geography, science studies, environmental justice, and other approaches. Resistance and social movement responses is emphasized.
Equivalent:
SOCI 349 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
SOSJ 349 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
SOSJ 349 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
This course provides students with an overview of the substance and procedures relating to environmental regulation and protection in the United States. Some technical understanding of the laws governing the use of resources and the control of pollution discharges. The course addresses, among other topics: the consumption of natural resources that resulted in environmental pollution; the political and policy context in which environmental policies have been formulated, and the administrative or regulatory procedures required by statutory law or judicial decisions to deal with various environmental issues.
In examining the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment over time, this course explores how nature affects cultural responses and how humans, in turn, have shaped the world around them. Employing a multidisciplinary approach this course draws upon ecological, historical, economic, or political analysis to illuminate the varied relationships between people and place. Spring.
Equivalent:
HIST 365 - OK if taken since Fall 2018
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 environment movement. Fall and Spring.
Equivalent:
PHIL 458 - OK if taken since Summer 1 2012
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. Upon sufficient demand.
Equivalent:
PHIL 459 - OK if taken since Fall 2013
This course introduces students to geographic information systems (GIS) and focuses on how GIS can be used to address research and management questions in ecology. Students use existing GIS databases from resource agencies and learn how to create and analyze new GIS databases. Field techniques vary but include mapping exercises using compass and global position systems (GPS). Spring, even years.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
Equivalent:
BIOL 344 - OK if taken since Spring 2019
Taken concurrently with ENVS 384.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
or BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: B-
Equivalent:
BIOL 344L - OK if taken since Spring 2019
Topic to be determined by faculty.
Topic to be determined by instructor.
Topic to be determined by instructor.
Topic to be determined by instructor.
An in-depth look at the interactions that control the distribution and abundance of organisms at the population level. Topics such as life-history strategies, population dynamics, competition, predation, parasitism, and mutualism will be explored through the research literature, and quantitative approaches. Fall, even years.
Prerequisite:
BIOL 103 Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 207 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
or ENVS 206 Minimum Grade: B-
or ENVS 207 Minimum Grade: B-
Concurrent:
ENVS 401L
Equivalent:
BIOL 303 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
Taken concurrently with ENVS 401.
Concurrent:
ENVS 401
Equivalent:
BIOL 303L - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This course covers the biological concepts important for the conservation of natural populations, communities, and ecosystems. Both theoretical and empirical studies will be applied to such topics as: the genetics and ecology of small populations, consequences of habitat degradation and fragmentation, the impact of introduced species, and the ecological value of biological diversity. Students who do not have a major in the sciences are encouraged to talk to the instructor about their preparations for this course at the time of registration. Spring.
Prerequisite:
BIOL 103 Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 207 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
or ENVS 206 Minimum Grade: B-
or ENVS 207 Minimum Grade: B-
Equivalent:
BIOL 323 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This lab includes field trips. Taken concurrently with ENVS 402.
Concurrent:
ENVS 402
Students will explore the biology of marine systems. Topics will include atmospheric and climate modeling, fluid dynamics, physiology, evolution of diversity, ecology, molecular biology, economics, and environmental science. Upon demand.
Concurrent:
ENVS 403L
Equivalent:
BIOL 403 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
Taken concurrently with ENVS 403, when laboratory is offered.
Concurrent:
ENVS 403
Equivalent:
BIOL 403L - OK if taken since Fall 2022
The ecology, theory, methods, and philosophy of wildlife management emphasizing game, nongame, and endangered species. Students gain an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of various government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Fall, even years.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
ENVS 404L
Equivalent:
BIOL 357 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
Taken concurrently with ENVS 404. This lab includes field trips. Fall, even years.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103L Minimum Grade: C-
or BIOL 206L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
ENVS 404
Equivalent:
BIOL 357L - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This course is a continuation of ENVS 406L Field Studies in Biodiversity. Research projects initiated in the field in ENVS 406L will be concluded with further library research, completion of a scientific article, and presentation of the research at a local or regional meeting. Fall.
Equivalent:
BIOL 359 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This course uses a field experience as a backdrop to learn about evolutionary, ecological and biogeographical processes that determine the ranges and biodiversity of organisms. The course begins with class work on the Gonzaga campus and is followed by 3-4 weeks in the field, where Gonzaga faculty and local experts mentor students. Field locations vary by year and include Ecuador, Belize, Zambia, Costa Rica, or domestic locations. This course is designed for students majoring or minoring in biology. The class meets together with students enrolled in BIOL 159L for non-science majors. Students are required to enroll in ENVS 405 Studies in Biodiversity, the semester after enrolling in ENVS 405L. Summer.
Equivalent:
BIOL 359L - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This course introduces students to the scientific study of insects. Topics will include insect identification, diversity, behavior, anatomy, ecology, and applied entomology. Fall, odd years.
Concurrent:
ENVS 406L
Equivalent:
BIOL 367 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This laboratory includes field trips. Taken concurrently with ENVS 406.
Concurrent:
ENVS 406
Equivalent:
BIOL 367L - OK if taken since Fall 2022
Community ecology seeks to explain the underlying mechanisms that create, maintain, and determine the fate of biological communities. Typically, patterns are documented by observation, and used to generate hypotheses about processes, which are tested. Integrating theory with real
world observations is fundamental to community ecology and will be a focus of this class.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
Equivalent:
BIOL 333 - OK if taken since Fall 2023
An introduction the physical, chemical, geological, and human factors which influence freshwater
organisms and their communities. After completion of the course students will be competent in
application of ecological concepts to freshwater systems and to understand the impacts of human
activities on freshwater ecosystems.
Equivalent: BIOL 404
Co-requisite: ENVS 404L
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: C-
and ENVS 103L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
ENVS 408L
Equivalent:
BIOL 404 - OK if taken since Fall 2023
An introduction the physical, chemical, geological, and human factors which influence freshwater
organisms and their communities. After completion of the course students will be competent in
application of ecological concepts to freshwater systems and to understand the impacts of human
activities on freshwater ecosystems.
Equivalent: BIOL 404
Co-requisite: ENVS 408L
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: C-
and ENVS 103L Minimum Grade: C-
Concurrent:
ENVS 408
Equivalent:
BIOL 404L - OK if taken since Fall 2023
This course provides an overview of pollutants in different environments, their movement through these environments, and the effects these pollutants have on organisms at the molecular, cellular, individual, population, and ecosystem levels. Numerous case studies on specific aspects of environmental toxicology in the US will be examined throughout the course. Students will also be introduced to how toxicology is linked to environmental policies, climate change, and environmental justice.
Concurrent:
ENVS 409L
Equivalent:
BIOL 425 - OK if taken since Fall 2023
Concurrent:
ENVS 409
Equivalent:
BIOL 425L - OK if taken since Fall 2023
Course includes systematics of flowering plants, plant communities of the Inland Northwest, sight identification of major plant families and selected topics in plant ecology. A plant collection is required as well as a field project in the area of plant systematics or plant ecology. This course counts towards the required 9 plant-related credits for Wildlife Biology positions with federal agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service that utilize Wildlife Biology Series GS-0486.
Concurrent:
ENVS 410L
Equivalent:
BIOL 340 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
Taken concurrently with ENVS 410.
Pre-requisite: (BIOL 205, minimum grade: C- and BIOL 206, minimum grade: C-) and ENVS 103 minimum grade B-.
Concurrent:
ENVS 410
Equivalent:
BIOL 340L - OK if taken since Fall 2024
This class meets with and covers the same topics as BIOL 303 (Population Ecology) but takes a more plant-focused approach. Through class illustrations and independent projects, students will investigate the theories and empirical evidence in population ecology that directly influence plant populations. This course counts towards the required 9 plant-related credits for Wildlife Biology positions with federal agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service that utilize Wildlife Biology Series GS-0486.
Equivalent:
BIOL 342 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
: This class meets with and covers the same topics as BIOL 333 (Community Ecology), but takes a more plant-focused approach. Students will explore the theories and experimental evidence of community ecology and conduct ecology projects with a specific focus on plant processes. This course counts towards the required 9 plant-related credits for Wildlife Biology positions with federal agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service that utilize Wildlife Biology Series GS-0486.
Prerequisite:
BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
Equivalent:
BIOL 343 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
This course acquaints students with the evolution, structure, development and functions of plant cells, tissues and organs. Plant identification and classification are emphasized, along with the importance of environment and ethical considerations of the applied plant sciences. This course counts towards the required 9 plant-related credits for Wildlife Biology positions with federal agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service that utilize Wildlife Biology Series GS-0486.
Concurrent:
ENVS 413L
Equivalent:
BIOL 360 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
This laboratory includes field trips. Taken concurrently with BIOL 413L.
Concurrent:
ENVS 413
Equivalent:
BIOL 360L - OK if taken since Fall 2024
This course will address plant propagation, plant identification, and general plant care that are foundational skills for restoration projects. Field trips are included. This course counts towards the required 9 plant-related credits for Wildlife Biology positions with federal agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, etc.; Wildlife Biology Series GS-0486.
Prerequisite:
BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
Concurrent:
ENVS 414L
Equivalent:
BIOL 363 - OK if taken since Fall 2024
This course will address plant propagation, plant identification, and general plant care that are foundational skills for restoration projects. Field trips are included. This course counts towards the required 9 plant-related credits for Wildlife Biology positions with federal agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, etc.; Wildlife Biology Series GS-0486.
Prerequisite:
BIOL 206 Minimum Grade: C-
or ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: B-
Concurrent:
ENVS 414
Equivalent:
BIOL 363L - OK if taken since Fall 2024
An overview of the principles of environmental engineering. Topics include material balance, environmental chemistry, risk assessment, air quality, water quality, and water and wastewater treatment. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101 Minimum Grade: D
Concurrent:
ENVS 421L
Equivalent:
CENG 303 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This course emphasizes fundamental environmental chemistry principles and analytical techniques used to study air and water quality and treatment process performance. The course also emphasizes statistical analysis, date interpretation, and reporting requirements associated with environmental engineering. Spring.
Prerequisite:
CHEM 101L Minimum Grade: D
Concurrent:
ENVS 421
Equivalent:
CENG 303L - OK if taken since Fall 2022
This course explores the characteristics of sustainable systems and how design practices may encourage sustainability. Topics covered in the course will be selected for applicability to specific regions of the world and may change each year. Basic concepts include: building thermal performance, indoor and outdoor environmental quality, passive and active energy systems, water reclamation strategies, life cycle analysis and current sustainable building rating systems. Sustainable design concepts and methods are also applied to building design site development and infrastructure use. Fall.
Equivalent:
CENG 404 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
An overview of solid, hazardous, and industrial waste management. Topics include regulations, contaminant transport, waste sources, waste minimization, recycling, treatment and remediation technologies, landfill design and risk assessment. Spring.
Equivalent:
CENG 314 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
The theory and design of water treatment processes. Develops contaminant fate and transport theory in engineered and natural systems focusing on reactor hydraulics and reaction kinetics. Granular and membrane filtration, coagulation, disinfection, ion exchange, adsorption, and gas transfer processes are designed for water and wastewater treatment systems. Additional topics include water reuse and water treatment for low-income, remote communities. Spring.
Equivalent:
CENG 424 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
Course presents fundamentals of stream restoration: Hydrologic, sediment transport, geomorphic, and ecological principles applicable to (1) assessment of stream channel condition, (2) developing approaches to stream management and restoration, and (3) evaluating project performance. Approach emphasizes the inter-related nature of hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, geomorphology, fisheries, and aquatic and riparian ecology. Provides students opportunities to literally get their feet wet while making various observations and measurements in field exercises to evaluate physical and ecological stream characteristics assess stream stability. Fall.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 103 Minimum Grade: D
Equivalent:
CENG 426 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
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.
Topic to be determined by faculty.
Topic to be determined by instructor.
Professional experience in environmental studies-related field. Students must take the initiative to contact an agency and a faculty member willing to supervise the internship.
This course provides the motivated student with the opportunity to conduct an independent research project under the direction of a science department faculty member (e.g., ENVS, BIOL, CHEM, PHYS).
This first portion of the capstone experience is designed to help Environmental Studies students lay the foundation for the project they will complete in 499B. Together, the courses help students integrate their experience and perspectives and apply them to a specific environmental issue. Students will be expected to produce a major written analysis of a current complex environmental issue facing the Inland Northwest. Fall and Spring.
This capstone experience is designed to help Environmental Studies students integrate their experience and perspectives and apply them to specific environmental issue. Students will be expected to produce a major written analysis of a current complex environmental issue facing the Inland Northwest. Spring.
Prerequisite:
ENVS 499A Minimum Grade: D
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.