The large freshman class isn’t the only new change on campus this fall — this year, Loyola is introducing five new degree programs, including computer programming (with a game programming concentration), food studies, interaction design, translation and interpreting and visual communication.
The new degree programs are part of Project Magis and the attempt to make Loyola a more financially stable and efficient university.
“We are living in a world that is constantly changing, and the reason these majors were added is because they are becoming more and more relevant,” Abigail Justice, public relations senior, said.
In June of 2017, the College of Business launched a 10-week summer coding program that focused on coding fundamentals. According to the Loyola Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, the program’s implementation is a response to a lack of qualified employees in emerging technology fields.
Ralph Tucci, professor of mathematics and computer science, said the degree will allow interested students to refine core computer science knowledge and skills, as well as explore what it means to be a computer scientist in this day and age.
“The computer science program prepares students for an increasingly digitally-focused world while also encouraging students to lead ‘meaningful lives with and for others’ while working to ‘benefit the larger community,'” Tucci said.
According to Tucci, the game programming concentration will further focus attention on expertise and will be applicable to the ever-growing gaming industry.
Interactive design is another new major that is meant to aid students in an increasingly digital world.
Daniela Marx, director of interactive design, said the program will feature cutting-edge computer design techniques while preparing students for design careers.
“Students who wish to get jobs like creating a new app for a game company or building a touch screen interface for a bank teller need more computer design education. Interactive design builds on graphic design instruction and principles but also adds an abundancy of technology components,” Marx said.
Marx emphasized that the major will create designers who are critical thinkers and who are able to use their work to aid social and political change while also developing conceptual skills to benefit a larger community.
The School of Mass Communication is also expanding its reach with a new visual communications major. This program is focused on creating relatable, consistent and engaging content in a visually-centered society.
Another recent addition, the new food studies program, is the first to offer Loyola’s campus a centralized home for food-related courses, according to Daniel Mintz, director of food studies. The program has developed new courses covering the culture of food, food policy from farms to retail to health codes and the interrelated systems that bring food from the field to the plate.
“Food justice is at the core of what we teach, and we’re beyond excited at the partnerships we’re developing with organizations working for a more just and equitable food system in our community and in the world at large,” Mintz said.
In addition to bridging the gap in food-consciousness and knowledge, Loyola is also striving to bridge linguistic gaps. The Certificate in Translation & Interpreting (TRIN) is a non-credit certificate program offered jointly by the Office of Professional and Continuing Studies and the Department of Languages and Cultures. It is designed for fully bilingual students who are interested in learning techniques and practice in Spanish/English and English/Spanish translation and interpreting in legal or healthcare settings.
