Professors: K. Anders, J. Beckstead, M. Bertagnolli, D. Boose, W. Ettinger, H. Lefcort, M. Poxleitner , N. Staub, B. Swanson, P. Pauw (Emeritus), R. Prusch (Emeritus)
Associate Professors: E. Addis, C. Andrade, B. Bancroft, G. Chang, J. Haydock
Assistant Professors: L. Diaz-Martinez, N. D'Souza, J. Hegg, J. Orcutt
Lecturer: M. Howard,K. Measor
The department offers two degrees, one major and one minor:
Bachelor of Science, Biology major (optional Biology Research concentration)
Bachelor of Arts, Biology major (optional Biology Research concentration)
Minor in Biology
Biology is the study of living organisms and the environment in which they live. As such, the Biology Department emphasizes a broad education within the field to help students develop a comprehensive understanding of how life works. To prepare students to pursue biology-oriented careers, in fields such as medicine, dentistry, biotechnology, conservation science, environmental science, sustainability, research and teaching, we offer a selection of courses and experiences that help students understand the unity, diversity and complexity of life using evolutionary principles as the unifying theme. Students in the biology program are first introduced to foundational themes and concepts and then pursue their area of interest through elective courses. In general, our elective courses fall into the main categories of comparative physiology, genetics, cell and molecular biology, and ecology. Students are free to explore their interests in any or all of these areas. Through inquiry-based laboratory experiences and opportunities to participate in research projects, Biology majors also acquire problem solving and critical thinking skills and are therefore well prepared for their next step whether it be graduate or professional programs, specific training in health care fields, work in a lab or field station, or combining their scientific training with another interest such as business, law or even the arts.
Biology majors can choose a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The B.S. in Biology provides excellent preparation for students pursuing continued training in graduate programs in a broad range of sub-disciplines, as well as medical, dental, and veterinary school. The B.A. in Biology allows students to seek a second major or take additional courses in other departments at the university, thus gaining a broader liberal arts education. For example, Biology majors who want to teach biology at the secondary level can participate in the teacher certification program. Many of our majors and students who minor in Biology are interested in opportunities to integrate biological principles with other fields, such as those that focus on the environment and sustainability, law, engineering, business, or scientific journalism. We encourage interdisciplinary studies and work closely with other departments at Gonzaga to develop and promote these kinds of opportunities for our students.
The Research Concentration within the Biology major is designed for students who want to explore graduate level training in science. Biology faculty members are committed to mentoring undergraduate students in their research labs and also support Gonzaga students who are interested in doing summer research at other institutions.
Biology majors from Gonzaga University are well prepared for a variety of careers or post-graduate education. Some go on to medical or dental school; recently our graduates have been accepted to Colorado State University, Creighton University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Oregon Health & Science University, Tulane University, University of Colorado, University of Hawaii, and University of Washington, to name a few. Many of our graduates go on to graduate school and students have been accepted into programs at schools such as the University of California at Berkeley, Yale University, University of California at San Francisco, University of California at Irvine, Oregon State University, University of New Mexico, and University of Wisconsin, Madison, among others. Many of our students choose to participate in the Peace Corps or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps prior to pursing post-graduate education. Others work in biotech or nature conservation fields after graduation, or earn their teaching credentials and work to make the world a more scientifically literate place.
Science impacts everyone in our society. To help promote an understanding of the nature of science and issues that affect us all, the department offers courses that specifically fulfill the Scientific Inquiry requirement of the University Core curriculum: Scientific Inquiry (BIOL 104 and 104L), Biological Systems (BIOL 181 and BIOL 181L), and Field Studies in Biodiversity (BIOL 159L, are taught during the summer in places like Zambia or Ecuador).
*Students must earn a C- grade or better in BIOL 105/105L and CHEM 101/101L in order to take BIOL 106. A C- grade or better in BIOL 106 is required in order to take BIOL 205, 206, or 207. Students must also earn a C- grade or better in BIOL 205/205L, 206/206L, 207/207L and 399 in order to take BIOL 499. For upper division biology electives, a minimum of 10 credits (BS), 6 credits (BA), or 4 credits (Minor) must be biology courses taken from Gonzaga faculty: students participating in study abroad programs should make note. Credits from BIOL 497 Biology Internship, do not satisfy any requirements for the Biology Major or Minor.
All courses should be chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor.
B.S. or B.A. in Biology with Research Concentration
The Research Concentration is designed to make research experiences available to more students, to show students the value of science education outreach through experiential learning, and to provide students with a more solid foundation in biological mathematics and science communication. It consists of a number of courses and experiences designed to prepare students to pursue research in some venue (graduate school, industry, government, medical school, or science education) after graduation. Students can enter the program at any time, although we anticipate most students will enter the program as sophomores or juniors.To complete the Research Concentration, the following requirements are added to the requirements for the B.S. or B.A. degree in biology:
- Participate in a significant research experience. This means working on an independent research project for the equivalent of 4 credits. Most students can fulfill this requirement in one summer of full-time research or four academic semesters of research while enrolled in other classes. Enrolling in the Research Concentration does not guarantee a research experience. It is the student’s responsibility to secure a research position. This requirement can be fulfilled by working with a GU faculty member or, with prior permission, with a faculty member at a different institution.
- Present the results from the independent research (in oral or poster format) to the scientific community at an event organized for that purpose.
- Write up the research results under advisement with your research mentor. Final papers will be turned in to the Research Coordinator the last month of the final semester you are enrolled at Gonzaga. If you did research off campus, see the Research Coordinator to arrange a local writing mentor.
- Participate in science education outreach for 16 hours one semester (BIOL 295/CHEM 295).
- Take BIOL 484 Research Seminar (1 credit) and attend a minimum of 12 biology-related seminars (including those in BIOL 484), and write and submit a seminar reflection for each seminar.
- Take a college calculus course, Survey of Calculus (MATH 148) or Calculus and Analytic Geometry I (MATH 157).
- Complete a statistics course (MATH 121 or MATH 321) or biological mathematics course, Biological Data Analysis (BIOL 305).
Second Language Competency
Competency in a second language (classical or modern) at the intermediate level (courses numbered 201) is required for students continuing in the study of a language. Students beginning study in a language they have not previously studied can fulfill the requirement by completing one year at the beginning level (courses numbered 101-102). Non-native speakers of English who have completed the required English core credits at Gonzaga may petition the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences for a waiver of this requirement.
Additional information on this requirement can be found at
Language Requirement Information
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.