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Course Catalog

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Health Equity

Director: Andrea Bertotti Metoyer

The program offers one minor:

Minor in Health Equity

The minor in Health Equity employs a multidisciplinary academic approach to explore social determinants of health, healthcare inequities, and the social construction of scientific knowledge. Attracting students who plan to enter health science careers, as well as those primarily interested in social justice/social change, the Health Equity minor will provide a strong foundation for understanding how cultural and structural forces impact the health and health care of communities, influence individuals’ choices and relationship to information, and shape the processes and implications of health science. With a heavy emphasis on social sciences, humanities, and experiential learning, the Health Equity minor cultivates an understanding of the inextricable relationship between human health, social justice, and ethics in research and treatment. 

Minor in Health Equity: 18 Credits
REQUIRED:   

One of the following intro to Social Structures & Inequalities courses:

 3 credits
SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOSJ 101 Introduction to Solidarity and Social Justice
HEAL 201/SOCI 283/SOSJ 221 Sociology of Health and Medicine 3 credits
One of a combination of the following Experiential Learning courses: 3 credits
HEAL 497 Internship (1-3 credits) *
HEAL 475 Community Organizing for Health Equity (1 credit)
  
SOSJ 499 Social Justice Praxis (HEAL/SOSJ double minors) (3 credits)
Electives:  9 credits
BIOL 104L/HEAL 104L Indigenous Science Lab
  
         HEAL 105 Disability in Literature   
         HEAL 193 Religion and Medical Science  
HEAL 195 Special Topics
  
HEAL 196 Special Topics 
  
HEAL 295 Special Topics 
  
HEAL 296 Special Topics
  
HEAL 304 Feminism and Science
  
HEAL 318 Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency
  
HEAL 332 Urban and Community Sociology
  
HEAL 333 Health Economics 
  
HEAL 343 Sociology of Reproduction
  
HEAL 376 Christian Sexual Ethics
  
HEAL 383 Environmental Sociology
  
HEAL 395 Special Topics
  
HEAL 396 Special Topics
  
HEAL 455 Health Care Ethics
  
HEAL 459 Ethics of Eating
  
HEAL 495Special Topics
HEAL 496Special Topics 
 
*Student will locate internship opportunities independently, with the assistance
Career & Professional Development/Health Professions Pathways Program 

Lower Division
HEAL 104 Indigenous Science
2.00 credits
This lecture and laboratory course content will be determined by the instructor to meet the learning objectives of the Scientific Inquiry requirement of the University Core. Fall and Spring.
Concurrent:
HEAL 104L
HEAL 104L Indigenous Science Lab
1.00 credit
Concurrent:
HEAL 104
HEAL 193 FYS: Religion and Medicine
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.
HEAL 195 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 196 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 201 Sociology of Health & Medicine
3.00 credits
This course examines the social context of health, illness and health care. Particular attention will be paid to the effects of culture and social inequality on health, the interaction of various health care professionals, and political debates about the health care system.
Equivalent:
SOSJ 221 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
WGST 207 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 295 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 296 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
Upper Division
HEAL 304 Feminism and Science
3.00 credits
This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Feminist Science and Technology Studies. Students will learn what the field of FSTS has to say about various social justice issues, such as equity for women in science, the history of the science of human difference, how human values shape science in action for better or for worse, and what feminism has to offer the scientific endeavor.
HEAL 318 MedicalSpan&CulturalCompetency
3.00 credits
This course is designed for students planning to work in the health care field and who want to acquire more skills in medical Spanish. We will develop new critical perspectives on health care for Hispanics in the US. Specifically, we will develop medical language skills and cultural competency for health care situations.
Prerequisite:
SPAN 301 Minimum Grade: C
Equivalent:
SPAN 318 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 332 Urban and Community Sociology
3.00 credits
This course investigates the way that urbanization- the increasing density and diversity of human settlements - creates challenges to and opportunities for the flourishing of communal life. We study the political economy of urban land use, the formation of segregated ghettos and ethnic enclaves, and gentrification. We also examine the potential for public spaces, community centers, parks and libraries to provide vital sources of social support and communal life. Spring, odd years.
Equivalent:
SOCI 332 - OK if taken since Fall 2023
HEAL 333 Health Economics
3.00 credits
This course uses microeconomic theory to explain aspects of the health care market. We discuss what makes health care distinctive as an economic good, demand for health and health care, insurance, and economic aspects of physicians, nurses, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, public health, and different types of health care systems. We will look at cost?effectiveness and costbenefit analysis as tools to be used in health care.
Equivalent:
ECON 333 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 343 Sociology of Reproduction
3.00 credits
This course investigates the history and sociology of reproduction primarily within the US context. It examines how reproduction is simultaneously biological and social, focusing on a wide range of topics, including intention, pregnancy, abortion, contraception, infertility, and breastfeeding. It distinguishes reproductive rights from reproductive justice and pays particular attention to how social institutions and intersecting inequalities influence reproductive practices and policies. Every other Spring.
Equivalent:
SOCI 343 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 364 Drugs and Society
3.00 credits
This course will examine the effect that drugs, both legal and illegal, have on the legal justice system. Critical analysis, select lectures, in-class discussion, and writing will be the formats used to address issues such as the effect of the "war on drugs," the relationship between drugs and violence, how drugs relate to law enforcement, sentencing, and corrections within the U.S. legal justice system, and the impact of drugs on individual users.
Equivalent:
CRIM 364 - OK if taken since Spring 2023
SOCI 364 - OK if taken since Spring 2023
HEAL 376 Christian Sexual Ethics
3.00 credits
This course explores Christian perspectives on the ethical dimensions of human sexuality and issues of gender.
Equivalent:
RELI 379 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 383 Environmental Sociology
3.00 credits
This course examines humans’ relationship with the natural environment. It explores how power structures, social norms, ideologies and politics affect our understanding and treatment of the environment. It also examines how relationships among social groups are played out through the process of defining nature, and through the control of animals, land, water, air, food and other natural resources.
Equivalent:
ENVS 326 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
SOCI 383 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 395 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 396 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 432 CIS:
3.00 credits
Topics determined by instructor
HEAL 455 Health Care Ethics
3.00 credits
This course will survey a range of ethical issues pertaining to the health care professions. After examining some introductory material concerning philosophical ethics, we will proceed into three main sections of material. Section 1 will examine professional obligations, the doctorpatient relationship, and the role of nurses. Core issues here include paternalism and patient autonomy, beneficence and medical altruism, informed consent, and confidentiality. Section 2 will examine end of life care and will include discussion of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, surrogate decision-making, medical futility, and advance directives. Section 3 will focus on ethical issues concerning human reproduction, including abortion, artificial procreation, surrogacy, and genetic manipulation.
Equivalent:
PHIL 455 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 459 Ethics of Eating
3.00 credits
In this course we will cover a variety of different ethical issues concerning food. We will look at the consumption, production and transportation of food as well as organic food, GMOs, vegetarianism and veganism. We will also consider several different food movements, including the local and slow food movements as well as the food justice and food sovereignty movements. We will also include in our study reflection on our own food choices and some experiential learning.
Equivalent:
PHIL 459 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 475 Organizing for Health Equity
1.00 credit
The Community Organizing for Health Equity course facilitates learning of community organizing skills through participatory exercises, discussion, and short lectures. The course provides a foundation from which to understand the world through a different lens needed to work on “upstream” issues. The course will equip student leaders with the tools they need to organize themselves and others to more effectively address the social justice issues that matter most to them.
Equivalent:
SOSJ 475 - OK if taken since Fall 2022
HEAL 485 Science and Society
3.00 credits
Science and Society is a class devoted to answering just one question: How can we use scientific knowledge responsibly?
HEAL 491 Independent Study
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic determined by instructor.
HEAL 492 Independent Study
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic determined by instructor.
HEAL 495 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 496 Special Topics
1.00- 3.00 credits
Topic to be determined by instructor.
HEAL 497 Health Equity Internship
1.00- 3.00 credits
Students will locate internship opportunities independently, with the assistance of Career & Professional Development/Health Professions Pathways Program. The HEAL director or any preferred faculty member may supervise students enrolling in HEAL 497. Students may crosslist HEAL 497 with the 497- internship course in their major department, with approval of HEAL Director. Students will submit a final reflection paper.
Prerequisite:
HEAL 201 Minimum Grade: D or SOCI 283 Minimum Grade: D or SOSJ 221 Minimum Grade: D or WGST 261 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.