“The education of priests, as a work of the highest value, is to be considered one of the chief ministries of the Society. Therefore, seminarians who attend our universities are to be cared for with special attention, and directors and teachers chosen from among our best men are to be assigned to those clerical seminaries the Society has accepted…”
Part VII #290, Constitutions and Complementary Norms, Society of Jesus
All seminarians at Bishop White Seminary must graduate from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts, completing the Kossel Track of the Philosophy Major. The Kossel Track follows the program of study established for the training of college seminarians by the Program of Priestly Formation (5th ed.) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The goal of the Kossel Track, as stated in the PPF, 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 (theologate).[/su_column][/su_row]
Although specifically designed for the students of Bishop White Seminary, the program is open to all Gonzaga students. The curricular requirements for the Kossel Track include all of the requirements of the regular philosophy major, but students in the program must devote their elective courses to traditional areas of Catholic philosophy. They must also complete extra courses in Latin. The Track is named after the late Clifford Kossel, SJ, who taught philosophy at Gonzaga for most of his adult life.
For information on how to apply for Gonzaga University, click here.
For more information on the Kossel Track in Philosophy at Gonzaga University, click here