BS in Environmental Science: Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture
Our environmental science degree program in food systems and sustainable agriculture answers the growing call to evaluate and redesign our food and farming systems. This program prepares students to develop innovative, sustainable food production and distribution approaches that protect the environment and improve access to healthy food. Students learn in the classroom and through hands-on projects in the community, developing the skills to make a difference for people and the natural world.
Students gain hands-on experience with environmentally sustainable food production.
Program Highlights
- Faculty members deeply invested in your future success.
- State-of-the-art facilities, including an on-campus farm, greenhouse aquaponic system
- Our very own farmer's market located near campus
- A city unmatched in urban agricultural activity
- An opportunity to pursue your individual interests and career paths though undergraduate research, internships, and/or study-abroad
- Real-world learning through a wide variety of internship and volunteer opportunities
- Student leadership invested in making their community a better place
- A teaching environment with the flexibility to say it's OK to be wrong sometimes. It's often the best way to learn!
What You'll Learn
Engage in work with local food systems through:
- Hands-on courses in Loyola’s greenhouses, market gardens, and laboratories
- Service learning with community partners
- Experience in designing and managing agricultural ecosystems
- Quantitative skills in evaluating ecosystem processes and services
- You'll practice making management and policy recommendations based on available data
Careers
The BS in Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture prepares students for careers in:
- Government agencies
- Urban food production
- Education
- Food tech - product research and development
- Non-profit organizations, outreach and extension
And pursue advanced study in:
- Environmental science and policy
- Agricultural ecology
- Natural resource management
- Law or urban/regional planning
Curriculum
Students studying Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture build upon a solid foundation of environmental science, gain experience in designing and managing agricultural ecosystems, develop quantitative skills in evaluating ecosystem processes and services, and practice making management and policy recommendations based on available data.
Core Curriculum
The BS in Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture 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 207 Plants & Civilization
- ENVS 223 Soil Ecology
- ENVS 325 Sustainable Agriculture
- ENVS 320 -or- ENVS 326 -or- ENVS 327 -or- ENVS 350f
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 Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture has electives (21 credit hours) in the following categories:
Society, Ethics, and Justice
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 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 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
- COMM 322 Guerilla Media
- ENGL 288 Nature in Literature
- PHIL 287 Environmental Ethics
- 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
Policy, Economics, and Resource Management
Choose one:
- ENVS 298 Special Topics (with SES approval)
- ENVS 310 Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy
- 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 Circular Economy
- ENVS 335 Ecological Economics
- ENVS 336 Biomimicry Design Inspired by Nature
- ENVS 338 Environmental Health Policy
- ENVS 351 Introduction to Sustainability Concepts & Impacts
- ENVS 363 Sustainable Business Management
- ENVS 364 Sustainability Management in the Global Context
- ENVS 383 Human Dimensions in Conservation
- ENVS 384 Conservation Economics
- ENVS 389 Ecological Risk Assessment
- ENVS 391 Independent Environmental Research
- ENVS 395 Independent Environmental Internship
- ENVS 398 Special Topics (with SES approval)
- ENVS 399 Directed Readings
- ECON 328 Environmental Economics
- GLST 305 Globalization and Environmental Sustainability
- MGMT 201 Intro to Business Management
- PLSC 354 Global Environmental Politics
Environmental Electives
Choose one:
- 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.
Our environmental science degree program in food systems and sustainable agriculture answers the growing call to evaluate and redesign our food and farming systems. This program prepares students to develop innovative, sustainable food production and distribution approaches that protect the environment and improve access to healthy food. Students learn in the classroom and through hands-on projects in the community, developing the skills to make a difference for people and the natural world.
Curriculum
Students studying Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture build upon a solid foundation of environmental science, gain experience in designing and managing agricultural ecosystems, develop quantitative skills in evaluating ecosystem processes and services, and practice making management and policy recommendations based on available data.
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.