In trying to keep up with changes in the environment, Loyola will offer a new degree program with three different majors called “The Program in the Environment” starting this fall.

Spearheaded by Paul Barnes, director of Loyola’s environmental studies program and a biology professor, the program will offer a Bachelor of Science in environmental science with a concentration in the biological sciences, a Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies with a concentration in the humanities, and a Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies with a concentration in the social sciences. The nearly 20-year-old environmental studies minor will continue to be offered.

The program has been in the works for over five years and culminated with the approval of the new majors this past spring, Barnes said.

The program will be interdisciplinary so students can take relevant classes in different fields of study that each focus on some aspect of environmental issues. Though they are all interdisciplinary, each individual major will have a different focus.

“The BS in Environmental Science will focus more on the sciences: biology, chemistry and natural sciences. The BA in Environmental Studies will be broader, including sociology and other social sciences into the curriculum,” said Luis Miron, dean of the College of Social Sciences.

Margaret Sands, environmental studies senior, has been working on an environmental studies major for the past four years, creating her own curriculum with the classes offered for the minor.

“Environmental studies at Loyola offers students a unique opportunity to learn about current issues while living in an environmental hot spot,” Sands said in an email. “New Orleans is one of the best real-world environmental case studies available, and we are lucky to have the chance to work and study here for a greener future.”

Sands said she also thinks that, because the program is interdisciplinary, it allows students to apply what they learn academically to different areas of need through different approaches.

Environmental change has become a critical issue for the survival of New Orleans and the nation due to recent natural disasters, including last year’sDeepwater Horizon oil spill, the destruction of coastal wetlands, the changes in the global climate, the rise in global sea levels and the challenges posed by fisheries management, according to Barnes.

“There is a growing awareness that environmental change and degradation represents one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century,” Barnes said. “This program will help meet the needs of this region by developing students who understand these issues and can work to solve these problems.”

Kristen Himmelberg can be reached at [email protected]