A Guide to Academics at Loyola University Chicago
This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Emily Pacheco in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.
What’s Covered:
In this article, we discuss Loyola University Chicago’s academic offerings, including its many majors and programs.
Academics at Loyola University Chicago
With over 17,000 total students and 12,000 undergraduate students, Loyola University Chicago has multiple academic programs, including over 80 different majors. Additionally, students at Loyola enjoy small classes and low student-faculty ratios, with average class sizes of 26 and a 14:1 student-faculty ratio.
For the most part, students don’t have to choose their major before beginning their studies at Loyola, and many students do come in undecided. There is a great deal of flexibility in terms of choosing a major, with the one exception being Loyola’s nursing program, as it’s a direct-admit program, meaning students have to apply to that program directly and begin the program during their first semester.
Undergraduate Schools at Loyola University Chicago
Students at Loyola University Chicago can choose to study within eight different colleges and schools, from a school of business to a school of health sciences. Each offers various courses, majors, and programs to students.
College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences houses programs in humanities, fine arts, and STEM. Loyola’s school of engineering is located within this college, where students can study environmental, biomedical, and computer engineering.
One notable thing about Loyola is that 48.5% of graduates from its STEM programs are female, which is much higher than the national average of 34%. Loyola prides itself in being a great school for women to study STEM.
Quinlan School of Business
Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business is the top-ranked business program in Chicago, which is noteworthy given the many other undergraduate business programs available in the area.
In this program, students have the option to come in as undecided business majors, which is ideal for students who are unsure which of the nine concentrations offered they want to specialize in. This is possible because all business students at Loyola, regardless of their concentration, take a standard set of required courses that provides them with a solid foundation for their studies.
School of Communication
The School of Communication is where students can study multimedia and journalism. Loyola is a great place to study communication because Chicago is a communication and journalism hub.
One of the cool spaces within Loyola’s School of Communication is the Convergence Lab, which is a space that looks like The Today Show. It is a fully functioning broadcast studio where students can record all kinds of shows. Loyola also recently built a podcast studio in response to a surge in student interest.
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing
Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is a four-year program. Loyola has a great success rate for nursing students taking the NCLAT, with about a 94% success rate in 2021.
Students do need to apply to this program when applying to the university and begin the program during their freshman year. Due to this timeline and selection process, it is not possible to transfer into the program.
Within the nursing school, students have access to a simulation lab, where they will practice medical techniques on manikins before moving into an actual medical setting. Loyola nursing students must also complete a specific number of clinical hours before they graduate.
School of Education
Loyola University Chicago’s School of Education is where students can access programs in preparation to become teachers or enter the education field. They will start completing classroom observations during their freshman year. The school also works closely with the Chicago Public School District, and many Loyola students work in that district.
School of Social Work
The School of Social Work at Loyola is the oldest program of social work in the state of Illinois. It is a four-year program, with an option for completing a fifth year as part of a dual bachelor’s and master’s degree program.
Loyola actually offers more than 55 different five-year dual-degree programs, meaning that students can walk away with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Programs like this can save students time and money because the traditional method takes six years to complete.
School of Environmental Sustainability
Loyola University Chicago’s School for Environmental Sustainability is home to programs in environmental policy and environmental sciences. This school leads the way for the university’s sustainability efforts, with Loyola consistently ranked as a very sustainable campus. The school implements many different initiatives in urban food planning, such as a student-run weekend farmers market on campus hosted by the school.
Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health
The final school within Loyola University Chicago is Parkinson’s School of Health Sciences and Public Health, offering programs in both.
Loyola has a medical school, and many undergraduate students are involved in the pre-med track. Similarly, students interested in law can participate in the pre-law track in preparation for law school, which Loyola also has.
Students interested in these pre-professional pathways can meet with Loyola advisors who can help them navigate their intended track.
