Share
Loyola University Chicago has rolled out a group of new programs this year, including two undergraduate majors, two minors, and two graduate degrees. A notable addition is the Master of Nursing (MN) program offering an accelerated path into the field for career changers. Other offerings stem from some of today’s fastest-growing fields from health science and sports media to artificial intelligence.
New undergraduate majors
Health Science (BS)
With the health science workforce ranked among the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S. economy, Loyola’s new Health Science major within Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health prepares students to work across the full spectrum of human health: from direct patient treatment to population health research, and from clinical settings to community wellness initiatives. The curriculum is built on a foundation of biology, chemistry, anatomy, nutrition, exercise science, public health, healthcare administration, and the behavioral sciences.
Sports Media (BA)
With eight major league sports teams, four primary world-class venues, and multiple sports and media organizations, Chicago is an ideal launching pad for a career in sports media. The BA in Sports Media in the School of Communication trains students to produce content across television, radio, digital, and social platforms, while examining the cultural and societal role sports play. The program blends media and communication studies with specialized coursework in sports broadcasting and business to graduate ethical, industry-ready storytellers, producers, and strategists.
Students get hands-on experience working with Loyola Athletics on media and marketing, and can gain further practical training through the Rambler Sports Locker, a student-run broadcast operation.
New undergraduate minors
Artificial Intelligence and Human Flourishing Interdisciplinary Minor
This interdisciplinary minor sits at the intersection of philosophy and computer science within the College of Arts and Sciences, drawing on coursework from other departments as well. While philosophy is its academic home on paper, the program is designed so that technical and ethical questions about AI are taught together rather than in separate silos. Open to undergraduates in any school or major, the minor requires no prior programming experience.
Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture Minor
Responding to a growing call to evaluate and redesign our food and farming systems, this minor housed within the School of Environmental Sustainability prepares students to design more sustainable and equitable food production and distribution approaches. 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.
New graduate programs
Special Education (MEd)
This graduate program prepares students to become licensed special education teachers in Illinois, whether their goals point toward inclusive classrooms, resource settings, or specialized programs. Drawing on its long-standing partnerships with Chicago-area and Illinois school districts, Loyola built the program around a practice-based curriculum grounded in real classroom experience. Through a “learn-and-earn” apprenticeship model, candidates stay embedded in their school community while completing coursework and clinical experiences under the mentorship of experienced special educators.
The pathway includes the Special Education Endorsement Certificate (Learning Behavior Specialist I) and the option to complete a full Master of Education.
Master of Nursing (MN)
Housed in the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, one of the most significant additions to Loyola’s graduate offerings is the Master of Nursing program. The MN is designed for career changers: students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and want an accelerated, graduate-level pathway into the field.
Built on more than 90 years of nursing education at Loyola, the program is the first and only MN program in Illinois and is grounded in the university’s Jesuit values, emphasizing evidence-based practice, compassionate and patient-centered care, and a commitment to social justice and health equity.
The program equips students with the clinical knowledge, leadership foundation, and systems-level perspective needed to succeed as registered nurses in today’s evolving healthcare environment.
Notably, the MN program emerged from Loyola’s Program Incubator, an initiative run out of the Office of the Provost to help faculty rapidly develop new graduate and professional programs that are market-informed, mission-aligned, and positioned for strong enrollment. Incubator programs receive proposal development support, access to a strategic investment fund that covers startup costs until a program becomes self-sustaining through tuition, and, for programs that hit financial targets, a share of operating surplus for their department, school, or college. The MN program’s launch reflects that model in action: identifying a high-demand field, building a program to meet it, and giving it the resources to get off the ground quickly.
