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Through the Gustavus African/African Diaspora Studies minor, students explore African cultures, histories, and global connections through diverse courses and immersive experiences.

Gustavus Communication Studies majors and minors become strong, ethical communicators who go on to careers in media, law, and advocacy.

The Gustavus English Department leads students to explore literature, film, and creative writing through inclusive global perspectives, strong writing skills, internships, and community engagement.

Through the Gustavus Health and Exercise Science Department, students study human health, fitness, and wellness with hands-on labs, internships, and research to prepare for careers in health fields. Home to Exercise Physiology and Health and Physical Education majors/minors.

Gustavus Nursing Department is home to an accredited clinical nursing education experience grounded in the liberal arts. Graduates are eligible for the National Council Licensure Examination and meet the requirements for certification as a public health nurse in Minnesota.

The Gustavus Physics Department offers a major/minor that blends liberal‑arts problem‑solving, faculty‑mentored research, lab experience, and career prep.

Through the Gustavus Sociology & Anthropology Department, students explore cultures, institutions, and inequality via interdisciplinary research, fieldwork, internships, and global learning.

The Theatre and Dance Department produces four main stage plays, two dance concerts, and a variable number of student-directed plays and senior projects each year. For most productions, roughly half of the student participants are majors or minors. Dance students may audition for the Gustavus Dance Company and the Apprentice Company as well as for the two dance concerts. Main stage shows represent a variety of styles and time periods and are intended to entertain and challenge. In alternating years, the Department produces a major musical.

Living on campus is at the heart of the Gustavus experience—close community, vibrant events, and a variety of dorms and apartments make campus feel like home from day one to graduation.

Daniel C. Moos (PhD) is a professor of Education where he teaches courses in developmental and educational psychology, educational technology, and the supervision of student teachers. His work centers on understanding how students learn, particularly through the lenses of motivation, metacognition, and self-regulated learning, and how these processes can be intentionally supported through instruction and assessment.

Dr. Moos’s scholarship focuses on self-regulated learning in classroom and technology-rich environments. His research examines how learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their thinking, and how instructional design, feedback, and classroom technology can foster deeper learning. He has published extensively in leading journals and edited volumes in educational psychology, learning sciences, and educational technology, and he has collaborated frequently with undergraduate students as research co-authors. His work is nationally and internationally recognized, including invited keynote and symposium presentations and service in leadership roles within professional organizations focused on self-regulated learning.

At Gustavus, he is deeply committed to teacher preparation and evidence-based teaching. He works closely with pre-service teachers as they learn to design instruction, integrate technology meaningfully, and use assessment to support student learning. His teaching philosophy emphasizes helping future educators become reflective practitioners who understand how students learn and who can adapt instruction to meet diverse learner needs. He is particularly interested in bridging theory and practice, ensuring that research on learning, motivation, and assessment is accessible and useful for teachers in real classrooms.

In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Moos has held several institution-wide leadership and service roles at Gustavus. These include serving as department chair, college assessment director, faculty associate for teaching excellence, and assessment coordinator for the Education Department. Through this work, he has supported faculty development, program assessment, accreditation efforts, and conversations about effective teaching and learning across the college.

Dr. Moos also contributes extensively to the broader field of education through editorial board service, grant advisory work, external reviews, and mentoring early-career scholars. He is regularly involved in reviewing research for major journals and supporting national initiatives related to self-regulated learning and teacher education. Before entering higher education, Dr. Moos was an elementary and middle school teacher, an experience that continues to shape his teaching, research, and commitment to teacher education. Outside of Gustavus, he enjoys staying active, following youth and collegiate athletics, and spending time with his family. He values the close-knit academic community at Gustavus and especially enjoys working with students as they develop into thoughtful educators and lifelong learners.
 

Gustavus Art and Art History blends studio practice and art history with global study, exhibitions, and career prep for artists, educators, and curators.

Through the Biology Department, students study living systems from molecules to ecosystems with hands‑on labs, year‑round research, faculty mentorship, and career prep in top facilities.