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BS in Environmental Science: Environmental Health

Environmental degradation significantly impacts human health, damaging people's health through pesticide exposure, poor air quality, water contamination, and extreme heat events linked to climate change. Our environmental health program prepares students to address these interconnected issues and improve the well-being of people and the planet. 

Student installing an air quality monitoring device

Students in the environmental health program are helping to monitor air quality in Chicago neighborhoods. 

Program Highlights

  • A solutions-focused approach to environmental science, economics, and policy
  • An approach that combines philosophy and methodology
  • Designed for students with a passion for advocacy
  • A commitment to making science less intimidating and more based in its positive global effects
  • Building awareness of human industry's impact on our whole ecosystem
  • Incorporates course work for Loyola's Parkinson School of Health Sciences

What You'll Learn

  • The factors contributing to the global burden of environmental health concerns and health disparities
  • Community-engaged "place-based" learning through hands-on experience
  • Seeking out scientific evidence of contamination
  • Working effectively within local and global communities
  • Knowledge in core areas of public health: environmental health, epidemiology, and policy and administration
  • Ecotoxicology, which studies the effects of toxic chemical or biological agents on biological organisms at the population, community or ecosystem level.

Careers

Field research and interaction in front-line communities will afford you a clear advantage in your job prospects. Opportunities to make a difference include:

  • Government regulatory agencies
  • Consulting laboratories
  • Environmental studies in developing countries
  • Pharmaceutical companies
  • Adjunct fields such the law and public policy

Curriculum

Students studying Environmental Health develop a solid foundation in environmental science, environmental economics and policy, and the societal issues associated with environmental degradation.

Core Curriculum

The BS in Environmental Health has the following core requirements:  

  • ENVS 137 Foundations of Environmental Science I
  • BIOL 101 General Biology I
  • BIOL 111 General Biology I Lab
  • CHEM 101 General Chemistry
  • CHEM 111 General Chemistry Lab
  • BIOL 102 General Biology II
  • BIOL 112 General Biology II Lab
  • CHEM 102 General Chemistry
  • CHEM 112 General Chemistry II Lab
  • ENVS 200 Environmental Careers and Professional Skills
  • ENVS 203 Environmental Statistics
  • ENVS 274 Chemistry of the Environment
  • ENVS 275 Chemistry of the Environment Lab
  • ENVS 280 Principles of Ecology
  • ENVS 286s Principles of Ecology Lab
  • PLSC 392 Environmental Politics
  • ENVS 301 Environmental Health
  • ENVS 300 Introduction to Public Health
  • ENVS 303 Introduction to Epidemiology

Justice and Ethics Choice

Choose one:

  • ENVS 284 Environmental Justice
  • PHIL 287 Environmental Ethics
  • THEO 204 Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis

Economics Choice

Choose one:

  • ENVS 335 Ecological Economics
  • ECON 328 Environmental Economics

Engaged Learning Choice

Choose one:

  • ENVS 226 Science & 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

Capstone Choice

Choose one:  

  • ENVS 390 Integrative Environmental Seminar 
  • ENVS 391C Independent Environmental Capstone Research
  • ENVS 395C Environmental Capstone Internship

Electives

The BS in Environmental Health has electives (15 credit hours) in the following categories: 

Environmental Health and Society

Choose one:

  • ENVS 204 Gender, Health & Environment
  • ENVS 260W Environmental Journalism (COMM 260W)
  • ENVS 279W Climate and History (HIST 279E)
  • ENVS 284 Environmental Justice
  • ENVS 297W N American Environmental History (HIST 297E)
  • ENVS 298 Special Topics (with SES approval)
  • ENVS 310 Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy
  • ENVS 327 Food Systems Analysis
  • ENVS 335 Ecological Economics
  • ENVS 338 Climate Change and Human Health
  • ENVS 350a STEP  Water
  • ENVS 350b STEP  Biogas
  • ENVS 350c STEP  Climate Action
  • ENVS 350f STEP  Food Systems
  • ENVS 383 Human Dimensions in Conservation
  • ENVS 389 Ecological Risk Assessment
  • ENVS 391 Independent Environmental Research
  • ENVS 395 Environmental Internship
  • ENVS 398 Special Topics (with SES approval)
  • ENVS 399 Directed Readings
  • COMM 101 Public Speaking & Critical Thinking
  • COMM 277 Organizational Communication
  • COMM 306 Environmental Advocacy
  • ECON 328 Environmental Economics
  • ENGL 288 Nature in Literature
  • MGMT 201 Intro to Business Management
  • PHIL 287 Environmental Ethics
  • PLSC 354 Global Environmental Politics
  • PSYC 277 Environmental Psychology
  • SOCL 226 Science, Technology, and Society
  • SOCL 252 Global Inequities
  • SOCL 272 Environmental Sociology
  • SOCL 276 Sociology/ Politics of Food
  • SOCL 278 Global Health
  • THEO 204 Religious Ethics and the Ecological Crisis
  • THEO 344 Theology and Ecology

Environmental Science Electives

Choose four:

  • ENVS 204 Gender, Health, and Environment
  • ENVS 218 Biodiversity & Biogeography
  • ENVS 224 Climate & Climate Change
  • ENVS 226 Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems
  • ENVS 267 Bird Conservation & Ecology
  • ENVS 273 Energy & the Environment
  • ENVS 283 Environmental Sustainability
  • ENVS 298 Special Topics (with SES approval)
  • ENVS 301 Environmental Health
  • ENVS 302 Principles of Public Health
  • ENVS 303 Introduction to Epidemiology
  • ENVS 319 Winter Ecology
  • ENVS 320 Conservation Biology (if not used above)
  • ENVS 322 Invasive Species
  • ENVS 326 Agroecosystems (if not used above)
  • ENVS 327 Food Systems Analysis (if not used above)
  • ENVS 330 Restoration Ecology
  • 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 369 Field Ornithology
  • ENVS 380 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • ENVS 381 Advanced GIS Applications
  • ENVS 382 Remote Sensing
  • ENVS 383 Human Dimensions of Conservation
  • ENVS 384 Conservation Economics
  • ENVS 385 Introduction to Global Health
  • ENVS 387 Principles of Ecotoxicology
  • ENVS 388 Applied Environmental Statistics
  • ENVS 389 Ecological Risk Assessment
  • ENVS 391 Independent Environmental Research
  • ENVS 395 Environmental Internship
  • ENVS 398 Special Topics (with SES approval)
  • ENVS 399 Directed Readings
  • ANTH 104 The Human Ecological Footprint
  • ANTH 303 People & Conservation
  • BIOL, CHEM, PHYS 300-level courses (with SES approval)

Admission

To apply for admission and scholarship consideration, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission and indicate your interest in this program on your application. For more information, see the following resources:

Tuition and Financial Aid

The School of Environmental Sustainability strives to help students secure the necessary financial resources to make their graduate education at Loyola more affordable. Partial scholarships, limited external research grants, and work opportunities are offered to SES graduate students. Students are encouraged to seek external funding. Students who wish to be considered for internal partial tuition scholarships must complete applications by March 1. Scholarship decisions will be based on the student’s full file, including statements of research/interest, GPA, and letters of recommendation.

Environmental degradation significantly impacts human health, damaging people's health through pesticide exposure, poor air quality, water contamination, and extreme heat events linked to climate change. Our environmental health program prepares students to address these interconnected issues and improve the well-being of people and the planet. 

Curriculum

Students studying Environmental Health develop a solid foundation in environmental science, environmental economics and policy, and the societal issues associated with environmental degradation.

Admission

To apply for admission and scholarship consideration, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission and indicate your interest in this program on your application. For more information, see the following resources:

Tuition and Financial Aid

The School of Environmental Sustainability strives to help students secure the necessary financial resources to make their graduate education at Loyola more affordable. Partial scholarships, limited external research grants, and work opportunities are offered to SES graduate students. Students are encouraged to seek external funding. Students who wish to be considered for internal partial tuition scholarships must complete applications by March 1. Scholarship decisions will be based on the student’s full file, including statements of research/interest, GPA, and letters of recommendation.