Environmental Studies/Environmental Science and Sustainability (BA/MS)
Loyola's BA in Environmental Studies combines a solid base of courses in the natural sciences with course work in the social sciences to prepare students for careers in government, business, education, non-profit organizations or the media.
With our Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program, Loyola SES students can boost their professional credentials and save time and money by completing an undergraduate degree along with a master of science in environmental science and sustainability degree in as little as five years. The economic and academic benefits are substantial.
CURRICULUM
Environmental Studies BA students complete coursework spanning a variety of disciplines pertinent to the understanding of environmental issues.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| PLSC 392 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| Justice and Ethics Choice | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis | ||
| Economics Choice | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Ecological Economics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Engaged Learning Choice | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems | ||
| Bird Conservation and Ecology | ||
| Energy and The Environment | ||
| Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Natural History of Belize | ||
| Conservation and Sustainability of Neotropical Ecosystems | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Water | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Biogas | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Climate Action | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems | ||
| Environmental Research | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Capstone Choice | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Integrative Seminar | ||
| Independent Environmental Research (Capstone) | ||
| Environmental Internship (Capstone) | ||
| Electives | 21 | |
| See designated elective categories below | ||
| Total Hours | 51 | |
BA Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Society, Ethics, and Justice | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Environmental Journalism | ||
| Gender, Health & Environment | ||
| Climate and History | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| North American Environmental History | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy | ||
| Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy | ||
| Water Law & Policy | ||
| Energy Law & Policy | ||
| Climate Change and Human Health | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Water | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Biogas | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Climate Action | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems | ||
| Human Dimensions of Conservation | ||
| Environmental Research | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Directed Readings | ||
| Public Speaking & Critical Thinking | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Environmental Advocacy | ||
| Guerilla Media | ||
| Nature in Literature | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Environmental Psychology | ||
| Science, Technology, & Society | ||
| Global Inequalities | ||
| Environmental Sociology | ||
| The Sociology and Politics of Food | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis | ||
| Theology and Ecology | ||
| Policy, Economics, and Resource Management | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy | ||
| Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy | ||
| Water Law & Policy | ||
| Energy Law & Policy | ||
| Industrial Ecology | ||
| Introduction to the Circular Economy | ||
| Ecological Economics | ||
| Design for Circular & Sustainable Business | ||
| Climate Change and Human Health | ||
| Introduction to Sustainability Concepts & Impacts | ||
| Sustainable Business Management | ||
| Sustainability Management in the Global Context | ||
| Human Dimensions of Conservation | ||
| Conservation Economics | ||
| Ecological Risk Assessment | ||
| Environmental Research | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Directed Readings | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Globalization and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Managing People and Organizations | ||
| Global Environmental Politics | ||
| Methods and Analysis | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Environmental Journalism | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Food Systems Analysis | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting I | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting II | ||
| Sustainability Plan Development & Reporting | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Advanced GIS Applications | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
| Conservation Economics | ||
| Applied Environmental Statistics | ||
| Ecological Risk Assessment | ||
| Environmental Research | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Directed Readings | ||
| Ethnographic Methods | ||
| Intro to Biostatistics | ||
| Conflict Management and Communication | ||
| Interviewing for Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Research Methods in Advertising/Public Relations | ||
| Marketing for Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Principles of Social Research | ||
| Statistics for Social Research | ||
| Qualitative Research | ||
| Introduction to Probability & Statistics | ||
| SAS Programming & Applied Statistics | ||
| Environmental Electives | ||
| Choose three, at least one of which must be from List A and at least one of which must be at the 300 level): | 9 | |
List A | ||
| Gender, Health & Environment | ||
| Plants and Civilization | ||
| Biodiversity & Biogeography | ||
| Soil Ecology | ||
| Climate & Climate Change | ||
| Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems | ||
| Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea | ||
| Bird Conservation and Ecology | ||
| Energy and The Environment | ||
| Chemistry of the Environment | ||
| Hydrology | ||
| Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Introduction to Epidemiology | ||
| Winter Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Invasive Species | ||
| Sustainable Agriculture | ||
| Agroecosystems | ||
| Food Systems Analysis | ||
| Restoration Ecology | ||
| Climate Change and Human Health | ||
| Natural History of Belize | ||
| Conservation and Sustainability of Neotropical Ecosystems | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Water | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Biogas | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Climate Action | ||
| Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting I | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting II | ||
| Field Ornithology | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Advanced GIS Applications | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
| Principles of Ecotoxicology | ||
| Applied Environmental Statistics | ||
| Ecological Risk Assessment | ||
| Environmental Research | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Directed Readings | ||
| The Human Ecological Footprint | ||
| People and Conservation | ||
List B | ||
| Environmental Journalism | ||
| Climate and History | ||
| North American Environmental History | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy | ||
| Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy | ||
| Water Law & Policy | ||
| Energy Law & Policy | ||
| Industrial Ecology | ||
| Introduction to the Circular Economy | ||
| Ecological Economics | ||
| Design for Circular & Sustainable Business | ||
| Sustainability Plan Development & Reporting | ||
| Sustainable Business Management | ||
| Sustainability Management in the Global Context | ||
| Human Dimensions of Conservation | ||
| Conservation Economics | ||
| Applied Environmental Statistics | ||
| Environmental Research | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Special Topics (with SES approval) | ||
| Directed Readings | ||
| Ethnographic Methods | ||
| Conflict Management and Communication | ||
| Interviewing for Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication | ||
| Research Methods in Advertising/Public Relations | ||
| Marketing for Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Principles of Social Research | ||
| Qualitative Research | ||
BIOL, CHEM, PHYS 300-level courses (with SES approval) | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Year 5
The Environmental Science and Sustainability MS has the following requirements:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 6 | |
| Sustainable Systems - Natural Science Perspectives | ||
| Sustainable Systems - Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Completion of One of Four Concentrations: | 9-12 | |
| Environmental Law & Policy | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy | ||
| Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy | ||
| Water Law & Policy | ||
| Energy Law & Policy | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Advanced GIS Applications | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
| Sustainable Assessment and Planning | ||
| Introduction to Sustainability Concepts & Impacts | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting I | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting II | ||
| Sustainability Plan Development & Reporting | ||
| Sustainable Business | ||
| Introduction to the Circular Economy | ||
| Ecological Economics | ||
| Design for Circular & Sustainable Business | ||
| Sustainable Business Management | ||
| Electives (for a total of 30 credit hours with required courses) | 12-15 | |
| Natural Science and Quantitative Courses | 6 | |
| Students will take at least two courses from the following list of electives. | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Invasive Species | ||
| Sustainable Agriculture | ||
| Agroecosystems | ||
| Food Systems Analysis | ||
| Restoration Ecology | ||
| Ecological Economics | ||
| Climate Change and Human Health | ||
| Introduction to Sustainability Concepts & Impacts | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting I | ||
| Sustainability Assessment & Reporting II | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Advanced GIS Applications | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
| Conservation Economics | ||
| Principles of Ecotoxicology | ||
| Applied Environmental Statistics | ||
| Ecological Risk Assessment | ||
| Independent Environmental Research (upon approval) | ||
| Special Topics (upon approval) | ||
| Special Topics with Lab (upon approval) | ||
| Directed Readings (upon approval) | ||
| Special Topics (Topic: Metagenomics) | ||
| Limnology Lec/Lab | ||
| Aquatic Insects Lecture & Laboratory | ||
| Biostats & Exp Design Lec/Lab | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Public Health Practice and Management | ||
| Introduction to Epidemiology | ||
| Biostatistics for Health and Biological Science | ||
| Public Health Policy: Concepts and Practice | ||
| Biostatistics I | ||
| Intro to Statistical Computing for Public Health | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
| Biostatistics II | ||
| Intermediate Epidemiology | ||
| Analytical Tools in Public Policy | ||
| Cost Benefit Analysis | ||
| Public Budget and Finance | ||
| Statistical Methods & Analysis for Public Policy I | ||
| Statistical Methods & Analysis Public Policy II | ||
| Political Feasibility Analysis | ||
| Statistical Methods Analysis I | ||
| Statistical Methods of Analysis II | ||
| SAS Program & Applied Statistics | ||
| Statistical Design | ||
| Topics in Biostatistics | ||
| Sustainable Society and Business Courses | ||
| Student may choose from courses focused on society’s interaction with the environment: environmental law and policy, sustainable business management, and fostering sustainable societies. | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy | ||
| Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy | ||
| Water Law & Policy | ||
| Energy Law & Policy | ||
| Industrial Ecology | ||
| Introduction to the Circular Economy | ||
| Design for Circular & Sustainable Business | ||
| Sustainability Plan Development & Reporting | ||
| Sustainable Business Management | ||
| Sustainability Management in the Global Context | ||
| Human Dimensions of Conservation | ||
| Independent Environmental Research (upon approval) | ||
| Special Topics (upon approval) | ||
| Directed Readings (upon approval) | ||
| Public Health Policy: Concepts and Practice | ||
| Policy Design and Analysis | ||
| Public Policy Process | ||
| Social Psychological Theory | ||
| Attitude and Attitude Change | ||
| Methods of Program Evaluation | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Social Research | ||
| Knowledge, Power & Expertise | ||
| Sociology & Natural Environment | ||
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).
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 4.
- 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.
SES Shared Learning Outcomes
All SES majors share the following Program Learning Objectives, in addition to their unique major-specific Program Learning Objectives:
- Articulate the foundational principles of natural and social sciences and humanities essential to solving environmental problems.
- Critically evaluate the accuracy and credibility of information relating to environmental topics.
- Employ knowledge and skills to design and implement solutions that contribute to a just and sustainable world.
- Exemplify the values of environmental and social justice through actions to care for our common home and one another.