Undergraduate Degrees
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability offers six bachelor’s degree programs, all of which equip students with the multidisciplinary knowledge base needed to understand environmental problems and formulate solutions that contribute to creating a more just and sustainable future.
These programs provide opportunities to build experience and develop transferrable skills. Students can participate in internships within SES and through partner organizations, engage in faculty-mentored research, and learn through hands-on coursework designed to convey knowledge through a practical lens. Students work with a diverse group of SES faculty and staff members who represent expertise in a broad array of disciplines and are deeply invested in promoting future student success and facilitating the completion of one of the following majors.
Curriculum overview
Environmental problems are multifaceted and cannot be adequately understood and addressed through a monochromatic lens. As such, all SES majors share ten common environmental courses totaling 26 to 27 credits. These standard courses cover an introduction to environmental science, statistics, ecology with a lab, economics, politics, justice and ethics, environmental careers, an engaged learning experience, and a capstone experience.
Additional core courses in biology (8 credits) and chemistry (12 credits) are required for each of the BS majors. In addition, all majors require either specialty courses (0 to 14 credits), free electives (3 to 15 credits), or electives in the categories of Society, Ethics and Justice (3 to 6 credits), Policy, Economics and Resource Management (0 to 6 credits) and Methods and Analysis (0 to 3 credits). The BS majors require a total of 67 to 70 credits to complete. The BA majors require a total of 51 to 54 credits to complete. A student who wishes to double major within SES must complete at least 15 credit hours of coursework that is unique to each major.
Students wishing to add an SES minor can share 9 of 21 credits needed for either the Environmental Action and Leadership minor or the Environmental Science minor with their SES major. For those choosing the Environmental Economics and Sustainability minor, 6 of the 18 credits required for the minor can be shared with the major. Students minoring in either Sustainable Management, administered by the Quinlan School of Business, or Environmental Communication, administered by the School of Communication, can share 6 of the 18 credits required for either of those minors with their SES major.
Core Courses
- ENVS 137 Foundations of Environmental Science
- IENVS 200 Environmental Careers and Professional Skills
- ENVS 203 Environmental Statistics
- ENVS 280 Principles of Ecology
- ENVS 286/286s Principles of Ecology Lab
Justice and Ethics Choice (choose one):
- ENVS 284 Environmental Justice
- PHIL 287 Environmental Ethics
- THEO 204 Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis
- PLSC 392 Environmental Politics
Economics Choice (choose one):
- ENVS 335 Ecological Economics
- ECON 328 Environmental Economics
Engaged Learning Choice (choose one):
- ENVS 226 Science and Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems
- ENVS 227r Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea
- ENVS 267 Bird Conservation and Ecology
- ENVS 273 Energy & the Environment
- ENVS 281v Humans and the Environment in Contemporary Vietnam
- ENVS 283 Environmental Sustainability
- ENVS 340 Natural History of Belize
- ENVS 345 Conservation & Sustainability in Neotropical Ecosystems
- ENVS 350a STEP: Water
- ENVS 350b STEP: Biogas
- ENVS 350c STEP: Climate Action
- ENVS 350f STEP: Food Systems
- ENVS 391 Independent Environmental Research
- ENVS 395 Environmental Internship
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability offers six bachelor’s degree programs, all of which equip students with the multidisciplinary knowledge base needed to understand environmental problems and formulate solutions that contribute to creating a more just and sustainable future.
These programs provide opportunities to build experience and develop transferrable skills. Students can participate in internships within SES and through partner organizations, engage in faculty-mentored research, and learn through hands-on coursework designed to convey knowledge through a practical lens. Students work with a diverse group of SES faculty and staff members who represent expertise in a broad array of disciplines and are deeply invested in promoting future student success and facilitating the completion of one of the following majors.
Curriculum overview
Environmental problems are multifaceted and cannot be adequately understood and addressed through a monochromatic lens. As such, all SES majors share ten common environmental courses totaling 26 to 27 credits. These standard courses cover an introduction to environmental science, statistics, ecology with a lab, economics, politics, justice and ethics, environmental careers, an engaged learning experience, and a capstone experience.
Additional core courses in biology (8 credits) and chemistry (12 credits) are required for each of the BS majors. In addition, all majors require either specialty courses (0 to 14 credits), free electives (3 to 15 credits), or electives in the categories of Society, Ethics and Justice (3 to 6 credits), Policy, Economics and Resource Management (0 to 6 credits) and Methods and Analysis (0 to 3 credits). The BS majors require a total of 67 to 70 credits to complete. The BA majors require a total of 51 to 54 credits to complete. A student who wishes to double major within SES must complete at least 15 credit hours of coursework that is unique to each major.
Students wishing to add an SES minor can share 9 of 21 credits needed for either the Environmental Action and Leadership minor or the Environmental Science minor with their SES major. For those choosing the Environmental Economics and Sustainability minor, 6 of the 18 credits required for the minor can be shared with the major. Students minoring in either Sustainable Management, administered by the Quinlan School of Business, or Environmental Communication, administered by the School of Communication, can share 6 of the 18 credits required for either of those minors with their SES major.