Skip to main content
Back to LUC.edu
Sustainability at Loyola
Request Info Visit Apply

Integration into Teaching and Research

Sustainability is part of how Loyola teaches, learns, and discovers.

Preparing students to address today's sustainability challenges requires more than understanding the environment alone. Sustainability connects questions of climate and natural resources with human health, equity, economics, ethics, policy, and community well-being.

At Loyola University Chicago, sustainability is integrated across disciplines and learning experiences. Through academic programs, coursework, research, and hands-on opportunities, students and faculty explore complex sustainability challenges and develop the knowledge and skills to create meaningful change.

Teaching & Learning

Sustainability is incorporated into courses and academic programs across Loyola—from environmental science and public health to business, law, communication, and the humanities. Students have opportunities to examine sustainability through multiple disciplinary perspectives and connect what they learn in the classroom to challenges facing communities and the world.

Research & Discovery

Loyola faculty and students advance sustainability through research spanning climate change, biodiversity, public health, environmental justice, food systems, energy, business, policy, and more. Interdisciplinary research brings together different perspectives to better understand sustainability challenges and develop solutions.

Campus as Lab

Loyola's campuses serve as living laboratories for sustainability. Students and faculty can apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges through research, courses, internships, and partnerships with university operations. From energy and waste to biodiversity and transportation, campus systems provide opportunities for learning, experimentation, and problem-solving.

Explore Sustainability Academics

 

Sustainability Degrees & Programs

Students can pursue sustainability through academic programs across Loyola. Sustainability-focused and sustainability-related degrees, minors, certificates, and concentrations span multiple schools and disciplines.

For the most current information about individual degrees, requirements, and courses, visit Loyola's Academic Catalog.

College of Arts & Sciences

Biology with Ecology Emphasis (BS) – Department of Biology

Bioethics Minor – Department of Biology

Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies Minor – Department of Theology

Urban Studies with Sustainability Emphasis Minor – Center for Urban Research and Learning

Accelerated Bachelors'/Master's with master of public policy and BA/BS in environmental policy, studies or science (SES)

The Graduate School and Other Academic Programs

Master of Urban Affairs and Policy 

MA in Social Justice – Social Enterprise Concentration

Sustainability Across the Curriculum

Sustainability education extends beyond programs specifically focused on the environment. Courses throughout Loyola help students explore connections among environmental, social, and economic systems and consider sustainability through the perspectives of their own disciplines.

Sustainability Courses

Sustainability is explored across a wide range of courses at Loyola, reflecting its connections to environmental, social, and economic challenges. From the natural sciences and public health to business, the humanities, and social sciences, students can engage with sustainability through different disciplinary perspectives. These courses encourage students to think critically about complex challenges, examine the relationships between people and the environment, and consider opportunities for meaningful change.

Explore some Sustainability-Related Courses by Academic Department

Sustainability Learning Outcomes

Loyola's sustainability learning outcomes reflect the knowledge, values, and skills students need to understand complex sustainability challenges and contribute to meaningful change. Grounded in the university's Jesuit mission, these outcomes emphasize interdisciplinary understanding, social responsibility, and the ability to apply sustainability principles in academic, personal, and community settings.

Knowledge

  • Explain how biophysical and social systems are interdependent and interact to prevent or foster sustainability.
  • Describe how sustainability relates to environmental issues, social justice and economic development.
  • Reflect and provide examples how sustainability relates to one’s area of study / discipline.

Values

  • Articulate and demonstrate a personal philosophy or commitment to address sustainability in one’s personal life, community involvement and civic engagement.
  • Articulate and demonstrate a commitment to promote a more just and humane society within a sustainable global environment.

Skills

  • Articulate a long-term vision for individual, societal and ecological well-being.
  • Develop and demonstrate skills as a strategic change agent in the context of sustainability.
  • Demonstrate ability to apply sustainability through engaged learning on campus or in their community.
  • Ability to understand, describe and take part in reflective or contemplative practice

University Core Curriculum

Loyola's Core Curriculum provides a shared foundation for undergraduate learning and encourages students to examine complex questions through multiple ways of knowing. Core courses provide important foundations for sustainability learning, including scientific literacy, ethical reasoning, social and cultural understanding, and responsible citizenship. As part of this curriculum, all undergraduate students are required to complete a foundational Scientific Literacy course, The Scientific Basis of Environmental Issues, which introduces students to the scientific principles underlying environmental challenges and their connections to society.

Explore Loyola's Core Curriculum

Curriculum Resources

Loyola has a long history of working to strengthen sustainability across the curriculum. Reports, inventories, and other resources developed through these efforts are available for faculty and others interested in sustainability education.

Integrating Sustainability Resources for Faculty - Virtual Lunch & Learn

Explore strategies and resources for incorporating sustainability into teaching and coursework at Loyola through this virtual Lunch & Learn session, designed to help faculty connect sustainability concepts with their disciplines and enhance student learning.

September 29, 2022 Webinar recording: Integrating Sustainability Resources for Faculty

Other Academic Resources

Loyola's centers and institutes provide additional opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, research, and community engagement related to sustainability.

Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy

Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship

Center for Urban Research and Learning

Office of Research Services

Supply Chain and Sustainability Center (QSoB)

Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility (QSoB)

Center for the Human Rights of Children (School of Law)

Civitas ChildLaw Center (School of Law)

Rodin Center for Social Justice (School of Law)

Rule of Law for Development – PROLAW (School of Law)

Sustainability Across the Curriculum Committee

From 2015 – 2017, a group of faculty and staff convened to identify the strengths and challenges to expand sustainability across the curriculum of Loyola. This Report (SAC Working Group Report) summarizes their work identifying sustainability curriculum in the Core, Engaged Learning, Ignatian Pedagogy, Research, and Teaching. It also lists a series of recommendations that can be considered to expand this work even further. Thank you to members of the committee for their efforts and to Academic Affairs for your support of this important value at Loyola.

Sustainability Research

Research helps Loyola better understand environmental and social challenges and contribute to solutions in Chicago and beyond. Faculty and students conduct sustainability-related research across disciplines, often connecting academic expertise with community needs and real-world challenges.

m-t-0 container-100

Share Your Sustainability Research

Are you conducting sustainability-related research at Loyola? The Office of Sustainability wants to hear about it. Sharing research helps us better understand sustainability work happening across the university and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Contact the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@luc.edu

Campus as Lab

Loyola's campuses are more than places to study—they are opportunities to put sustainability into practice. Through the Campus as Lab approach, students and faculty can use university buildings, landscapes, infrastructure, and operations as subjects for applied research and experiential learning.

Campus as Lab projects connect academic learning with operational challenges while helping Loyola explore new approaches to sustainability.

Examples of Campus as Lab projects include:

Biodiesel & Clean Energy

What began as a student class project has grown into Loyola's Searle Biodiesel Lab, where students gain hands-on experience transforming used cooking oil into renewable fuel and other useful products. The program demonstrates how student innovation can contribute to lasting campus sustainability solutions.

Read the Story: How a Class Project Became a Dream Job in the Searle Biodiesel Lab

Waste & Materials

Students and staff have contributed to campus waste audits and research examining how materials are discarded, recycled, and composted. These projects generate valuable data to identify opportunities for waste reduction and improve campus materials management.

Explore Loyola's Campus Waste Audit

Energy & Buildings

Loyola students have supported campus energy-efficiency efforts by conducting building audits, collecting data, and identifying opportunities for conservation. Their findings help inform energy planning and improvements across university facilities.

Learn About Student Energy Audits

Biodiversity & Resilience

Loyola's campus landscapes provide opportunities for biodiversity monitoring, ecological research, and habitat restoration. At the Retreat & Ecology Campus, students and faculty can study native ecosystems, document biodiversity, and participate in hands-on restoration activities.

Explore Biodiversity at Loyola's Retreat & Ecology Campus

Transportation & Behavior

Campus transportation provides opportunities for students to study commuting patterns, mobility challenges, and sustainable travel choices. Student research has examined transportation between Loyola's campuses, using surveys and stakeholder input to recommend improvements to campus mobility.

Explore Student Research on Campus Transportation

Interested in using Loyola's campuses as a living laboratory? The Office of Sustainability welcomes opportunities to collaborate with students and faculty on research, coursework, and projects that address real campus sustainability challenges. Looking for a place to start? Consider these questions:

  • Sustainability Reporting: Interested in measuring Loyola's sustainability progress? Help collect and analyze data for our triennial Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) submission.
  • Campus Energy Use: Curious about how Loyola uses energy? Explore building-level energy consumption and opportunities to reduce energy use through behavior change and improved scheduling.
  • Sustainable Transportation: Interested in making campus transportation more sustainable? Research ways to encourage biking, carpooling, and car sharing, improve shuttle options, or expand electric vehicle infrastructure.
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Want to help reduce Loyola's climate impact? Investigate emissions associated with travel, commuting, construction, and materials, or analyze historical emissions trends.
  • Other Sustainability Challenges: Passionate about waste reduction, indoor air quality, sustainable purchasing, biodiversity, or sustainable investing? There are many opportunities to explore new solutions across campus.

Have another idea? We welcome student and faculty projects that connect academic learning with campus sustainability goals. Contact the Office of Sustainability to discuss research opportunities, available data, and potential partnerships.

Contact the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@luc.edu