The new Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's (ABM) program allows SES students to earn their undergraduate degree in their declared major, while also earning a master’s degree from the SOC in either the Digital Media and Storytelling or Global Strategic Communication graduate programs.

The program trains environmental scientists to be better communicators. While environmental scientists are trained to investigate, analyze data, and interpret results, they are not taught how to communicate their results and conclusions in ways that are readily accessible to the general public, CEOs, or legislators. For students in the School of Environmental Sustainability, the ABM program will help them with writing, public speaking, conference presentations, television and radio interviews, and social media messaging.

CURRICULUM

Environmental Policy students complete coursework spanning a variety of disciplines pertinent to the understanding of environmental issues.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BA Requirements
Core Curriculum
ENVS 137	Foundations of Environmental Science I	3
ENVS 237	Foundations of Environmental Science II	3
ENVS 238	Foundations of Environmental Science Lab	1
ENVS 200	Environmental Careers and Professional Skills	1
ENVS 203	Environmental Statistics	3
ENVS 280	Principles of Ecology	3
ENVS 286	Principles of Ecology Lab	1
ENVS 310	Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy	3
PLSC 101	American Politics	3
PLSC 392	Environmental Politics	3
Justice and Ethics Choice
Select one of the following:		3
ENVS 284	Environmental Justice
PHIL 287	Environmental Ethics
THEO 204	Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis
Economics Choice
ENVS 335	Ecological Economics	3
or ECON 328	Environmental Economics
Engaged Learning Choice
Select one of the following:		3
ENVS 226	Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems
ENVS 267	Bird Conservation and Ecology
ENVS 369	Field Ornithology
ENVS 273	Energy and The Environment
ENVS 283	Environmental Sustainability
ENVS 340	Natural History of Belize
ENVS 345	Conservation and Sustainability of Neotropical Ecosystems
ENVS 350A	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Water
ENVS 350B	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Biogas
ENVS 350C	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Climate Action
ENVS 350F	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems
ENVS 391	Environmental Research
ENVS 395	Environmental Internship
Capstone Choice
Select one of the following:		3
ENVS 390	Integrative Seminar
ENVS 391C	Independent Environmental Research (Capstone)
ENVS 395C	Environmental Internship (Capstone)
Electives		18
See designated elective categories below
MS Requirements
COMM 401	Foundations of Global Strategic Communication	3
COMM 402	Organizational Leadership and Change Management	3
COMM 403	Strategic Communication Research Methods	3
COMM 411	Strategic Communication Ethics and Law	3
COMM 413	Writing for Strategic Communication	3
COMM 421	Topics in Global Strategic Communication	3
COMM 431	Campaign Development	3
COMM 441	Global Strategic Communication Capstone	3
Four (4) Electives from List of Electives for GSC		12
Total Hours		90

BA Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Society, Ethics, and Justice
Select one of the following:		3
ENVS 204	Gender, Health & Environment
ENVS 279	Climate and History
ENVS 284	Environmental Justice
ENVS 297	North American Environmental History
ENVS 298	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 338	Climate Change and Human Health
ENVS 350A	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Water
ENVS 350B	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Biogas
ENVS 350C	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Climate Action
ENVS 350F	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems
ENVS 383	Human Dimensions of Conservation
ENVS 391	Environmental Research (with SES approval)
ENVS 395	Environmental Internship (with SES approval)
ENVS 398	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 399	Directed Readings (with SES approval)
COMM 101	Public Speaking & Critical Thinking
COMM 260	Environmental Journalism
COMM 277	Organizational Communication
COMM 306	Environmental Advocacy
COMM 322	Guerilla Media
COMM 379	Digital Sustainability
ENGL 288	Nature in Literature
PHIL 287	Environmental Ethics
PSYC 277	Environmental Psychology
SOCL 226	Science, Technology, & Society
SOCL 252	Global Inequalities
SOCL 272	Environmental Sociology
SOCL 276	The Sociology and Politics of Food
SOCL 278	Global Health
THEO 204	Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis
THEO 344	Theology and Ecology
Policy, Economics, and Resource Management
Select two of the following:		6
ENVS 298	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 300	Introduction to Public Health
ENVS 311	Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy
ENVS 312	Water Law & Policy
ENVS 313	Energy Law & Policy
ENVS 327	Food Systems Analysis
ENVS 332	Industrial Ecology
ENVS 333	Introduction to the Circular Economy
ENVS 335	Ecological Economics
ENVS 336	Design for Circular & Sustainable Business
ENVS 338	Climate Change and Human Health
ENVS 363	Sustainable Business Management
ENVS 364	Sustainability Management in the Global Context
ENVS 383	Human Dimensions of Conservation
ENVS 384	Conservation Economics
ENVS 389	Ecological Risk Assessment
ENVS 391	Environmental Research (with SES approval)
ENVS 395	Environmental Internship (with SES approval)
ENVS 398	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 399	Directed Readings (with SES approval)
ECON 328	Environmental Economics
GLST 305	Globalization and Environmental Sustainability
MGMT 201	Managing People and Organizations
PLSC 354	Global Environmental Politics
Methods and Analysis
Select one of the following:		3
COMM 260	Environmental Journalism
ENVS 298	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 327	Food Systems Analysis
ENVS 352	Sustainability Assessment & Reporting I
ENVS 353	Sustainability Assessment & Reporting II
ENVS 354	Sustainability Plan Development & Reporting
ENVS 380	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
ENVS 381	Advanced GIS Applications
ENVS 382	Remote Sensing
ENVS 384	Conservation Economics
ENVS 388	Applied Environmental Statistics
ENVS 389	Ecological Risk Assessment
ENVS 391	Environmental Research
ENVS 395	Environmental Internship
ENVS 398	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 399	Directed Readings
ANTH 317	Ethnographic Methods
BIOL 335	Intro to Biostatistics
COMM 231	Conflict Management and Communication
COMM 234	Interviewing for Communication
COMM 277	Organizational Communication
COMM 363	Research Methods in Advertising/Public Relations
MARK 320	Marketing for Environmental Sustainability
SOCL 206	Principles of Social Research
SOCL 301	Statistics for Social Research
SOCL 302	Qualitative Research
STAT 203	Introduction to Probability & Statistics
STAT 303	SAS Programming & Applied Statistics
Environmental Electives
Select two of the following:		6
COMM 260	Environmental Journalism
ENVS 204	Gender, Health & Environment
ENVS 207	Plants and Civilization
ENVS 215 / BIOL 215	Ornithology
ENVS 218	Biodiversity & Biogeography
ENVS 223	Soil Ecology
ENVS 224	Climate & Climate Change
ENVS 226	Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems
ENVS 227R	Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea
ENVS 267	Bird Conservation and Ecology
ENVS 273	Energy and The Environment
ENVS 274	Chemistry of the Natural Environment
ENVS 278	Hydrology
ENVS 279	Climate and History
ENVS 283	Environmental Sustainability
ENVS 297	North American Environmental History
ENVS 298	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 300	Introduction to Public Health
ENVS 301	Environmental Health
ENVS 303	Introduction to Epidemiology
ENVS 311	Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy
ENVS 312	Water Law & Policy
ENVS 313	Energy Law & Policy
ENVS 319	Winter Ecology
ENVS 320	Conservation Biology
ENVS 322	Invasive Species
ENVS 323	Environmental Microbiology
ENVS 325	Sustainable Agriculture
ENVS 326	Agroecosystems
ENVS 327	Food Systems Analysis
ENVS 330	Restoration Ecology
ENVS 338	Climate Change and Human Health
ENVS 340	Natural History of Belize
ENVS 345	Conservation and Sustainability of Neotropical Ecosystems
ENVS 350A	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Water
ENVS 350B	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Biogas
ENVS 350C	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Climate Action
ENVS 350F	Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems
ENVS 351	Introduction to Sustainability Concepts & Impacts
ENVS 352	Sustainability Assessment & Reporting I
ENVS 353	Sustainability Assessment & Reporting II
ENVS 354	Sustainability Plan Development & Reporting
ENVS 369	Field Ornithology
ENVS 380	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
ENVS 381	Advanced GIS Applications
ENVS 385	Introduction to Global Health
ENVS 387	Principles of Ecotoxicology
ENVS 388	Applied Environmental Statistics
ENVS 389	Ecological Risk Assessment
ENVS 391	Environmental Research (with SES approval)
ENVS 395	Environmental Internship (with SES approval)
ENVS 398	Special Topics (with SES approval)
ENVS 399	Directed Readings (with SES approval)
ANTH 104	The Human Ecological Footprint
ANTH 303	People and Conservation
BIOL, CHEM, PHYS 300-level courses (with SES approval)
Total Hours		18

MS Electives 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
COMM 416	Special Topics in Digital Media & Storytelling	3
COMM 417	Media Planning	3
COMM 421	Topics in Global Strategic Communication 1	3
COMM 422	Global and Multicultural Audiences and Stakeholders	3
COMM 425	Digital Marketing and Analytics 2	3
COMM 429	Advertising and Public Relations Design	3
COMM 430	2D Design for Print and the Web 2	3
COMM 432	Nonprofit Communication	3
COMM 433	Corporate Communication	3
COMM 436	Crisis and Risk Communication	3
COMM 437	Advertising/PR Multimedia Commercial Production	3
COMM 444	Social Media Advertising	3
COMM 461	Health Communication	3
COMM 463	Intermediate Advertising Design	3
COMM 464	Mobile Advertising	3
COMM 470	Special Topics in Advertising & Public Relations	3
COMM 491	Advertising/Public Relations Internship	3
COMM 498	Directed Study for Graduate Students	1-3

¹

May be repeated in a different city

²

Only after all DMST students have enrolled

Suggested Sequence of Courses

The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework.  An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study.  Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.

Plan of Study Grid

Year One
Fall		Hours
ENVS 137	Foundations of Environmental Science I	3
PLSC 101	American Politics	3
	Hours	6
Spring
ENVS 203	Environmental Statistics	3
ENVS 237	Foundations of Environmental Science II	3
ENVS 238	Foundations of Environmental Science Lab	1
Justice & Ethics Choice		3
	Hours	10
Year Two
Fall
ENVS 200	Environmental Careers and Professional Skills	1
ENVS 280	Principles of Ecology	3
ENVS 286	Principles of Ecology Lab	1
	Hours	5
Spring
ENVS 310 or PLSC 392	Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy or Environmental Politics	3
Environmental Science Elective		3
	Hours	6
Year Three
Fall
ENVS 310 or PLSC 392	Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy or Environmental Politics	3
Policy, Economic, & Resource Management Elective		3
	Hours	6
Spring
ENVS 335 or ECON 328	Ecological Economics or Environmental Economics	3
Methods & Analysis Elective		3
	Hours	6
Year Four
Fall
Engaged Learning Choice		3
Policy, Economics, & Resource Management Elective		3
COMM 401	Foundations of Global Strategic Communication	3
COMM 413	Writing for Strategic Communication	3
COMM 306 or COMM 379	Environmental Advocacy 1, 2 or Digital Sustainability	3
	Hours	15
Spring
Capstone Choice		3
COMM 403	Strategic Communication Research Methods	3
COMM 411	Strategic Communication Ethics and Law	3
COMM 306 or COMM 379	Environmental Advocacy 1, 2 or Digital Sustainability	3
	Hours	12
Year Five
Fall
COMM 402	Organizational Leadership and Change Management	3
COMM 431	Campaign Development	3
400 Level COMM Elective		3
400 Level COMM Elective		3
	Hours	12
Spring
COMM 421	Topics in Global Strategic Communication	3
COMM 441	Global Strategic Communication Capstone	3
400 Level COMM Elective		3
400 Level COMM Elective		3
	Hours	12
	Total Hours	90

Guidelines for Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Terms

• Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs: In this type of program, students share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees.  
• Shared credits: Graduate level credit hours taken during the undergraduate program and then applied towards graduate program requirements will be referred to as shared credits.

Admission Requirements

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s undergraduates. Admission to these programs must be competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the program’s admissions committee. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a bachelor’s degree. That is, programs may choose to have more stringent admissions requirements in addition to those minimal requirements below.

Requirements:

• Declared appropriate undergraduate major,
• By the time students begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate, the student has completed approximately 90 credit hours, or the credit hours required in a program that is accredited by a specialty organization,¹
• A minimum cumulative GPA for coursework at Loyola that is at or above the program-specific requirements, a minimum major GPA that is at or above the program-specific requirements, and/or appropriate designated coursework for evaluation of student readiness in their discipline.²

Students not eligible for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program (e.g., students who have not declared the appropriate undergraduate major) may apply to the master’s program through the regular admissions process. Students enrolled in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program who choose not to continue to the master’s degree program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.³

Ideally, a student will apply for admission (or confirm interest in proceeding towards the graduate degree in opt-out programs) as they approach 90 credit hours. Programs are encouraged to begin advising students early in their major so that they are aware of the program and, if interested, can complete their bachelor’s degree requirements in a way that facilitates completion of the program. Once admitted as an undergraduate, Program Directors should ensure that students are enrolled using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program will ensure that students may be easily identified as they move through the program. Students will not officially matriculate into the master’s degree program and be labeled as a graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.

¹

Programs that have specialized accreditation will adhere to the admissions criteria provided by, or approved by, their specialized accreditors.

²

The program will identify appropriate indicators of student readiness for graduate coursework (e.g., high-level performance in 300 level courses). Recognizing differences between how majors are designed, we do not specify a blanket requirement.

³

If students choose not to enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, they still must complete all of the standard requirements associated with the undergraduate degree (e.g., a capstone).

For more information on Admissions requirements, visit here.

Curriculum

Level and progression of courses. The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to be competitive and attractive to our most capable students. Students admitted to Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs should be capable of meeting graduate level learning outcomes. Following guidance from the Higher Learning Commission, only courses taken at the 400 level or higher (including 300/400 level courses taken at the 400 level) will count toward the graduate program.^1,2  Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may come from 300/400 level courses where the student is enrolled in the 400 level of the course. Further, at least 50% of the credit hours for the graduate program must come from courses that are designed for and restricted to graduate students who have been admitted to a graduate program at Loyola (e.g., enrolled in plan code that indicates the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, typically ending with the letter “D”).³

In general, graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Director, students may take one of their graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Bachelors/Master’s program if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.⁴ Undergraduate degree requirements outside of the major are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program.⁵

Shared credits. Undergraduate courses (i.e., courses offered at the 300 level or below) cannot be counted as shared credits nor count towards the master’s degree. Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may be counted in meeting both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Of those shared credits, students in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program should begin their graduate program with the standard introductory course(s) for the program whenever possible. So that students may progress through the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program in a timely manner, undergraduate programs are encouraged to design their curriculum such that a student can complete some required graduate credit hours while completing the undergraduate degree. For instance, some of the graduate curriculum should also satisfy electives for the undergraduate major.

The program’s Graduate Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and master’s degree conferral review process. Shared credit hours will not be marked on the undergraduate record as having a special status in the undergraduate program. They will be included in the student’s undergraduate earned hours and GPA. Graduate credit hours taken during the undergraduate program will not be included in the graduate GPA calculation.

¹

If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate director will review the relevant syllabus(es) to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400 level course or higher.

²

Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer graduate curriculum to undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.

³

In rare cases, the Graduate Director may authorize enrollment in a 400-level course for a highly qualified and highly motivated undergraduate, ensuring that the undergraduate's exceptional participation in the graduate class will not diminish in any way the experience of the graduate students regularly enrolled.

⁴

For example, if a particular course is only offered once every 2-3 years, and a student has demonstrated the necessary ability to be successful, the Graduate Director may allow a student to take a graduate level course to be shared prior to the student being formally admitted to the graduate program. See, also, footnote 3.

⁵

Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a graduate program.

Graduation

Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once in the graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from undergraduate to graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their graduate studies after earning the undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional master’s degree program. Any application of graduate credit earned while in the undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the graduate degree granting school.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Describe the need for government intervention and the policy process. [BA]
• Explain the major US federal environmental laws and international agreements. [BA]
• Recognize the role of state and local innovation in environmental policy. [BA]
• Engage in environmental policy advocacy, development, and implementation. [BA]
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the policy toward environmental sustainability.​ [BA]
• Create and implement strategic communication campaigns that combine advertising, public relations and integrated marketing communication, and are responsive to community needs and organizational goals in local and global contexts. [MS]
• Write copy and design messages to reach diverse publics and for distribution through multiple channels, including both traditional and digital media. [MS]
• Understand the implications and applications of integrated strategies for digital media in marketing, advertising and public relations practices. [MS]
• Apply appropriate research methods to plan, monitor and evaluate public relations, advertising and other communication campaigns and activities. [MS]
• Practice ethical communication in professional practices that are socially responsible and in the mutual interests of the organization and the community. [MS]
• Demonstrate the competencies to work as a professional in advertising or public relations. [MS]

SES Shared Learning Outcomes

All SES majors share the following Program Learning Objectives, in addition to their unique major-specific Program Learning Objectives:

1. Articulate the foundational principles of natural and social sciences and humanities essential to solving environmental problems.

2. Critically evaluate the accuracy and credibility of information relating to environmental topics.

3. Employ knowledge and skills to design and implement solutions that contribute to a just and sustainable world.

4. Exemplify the values of environmental and social justice through actions to care for our common home and one another.