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Programs

The College's two Minors complement one another. Each is concerned with one of the major global issues of our time that needs to be understood from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Sustainable food festival
blueprints for change gala

While Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability aims to maintain a high level of academic activity in the classroom, we prefer to stress performance requirements rather than admission requirements. For new Concordia students, admission to the College is therefore open. However, students must get at least a B in every class that counts towards the Minor in Diversity and the Contemporary World to graduate with this program and must average a B in the courses they take towards the Minor in Sustainability Studies to graduate with this program. With this in mind, current Concordia students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to add either one of these two programs. The Sustainabiltiy Studies Elective Group  has no GPA requirement and is open to all.

Interested students have a number of options. They can indicate their interest in the College by selecting one of the two minors that we offer as an option on their application to Concordia. The Admission Application Centre will inform us of their interest as soon as they have been admitted to the University. Already admitted students can simply contact us directly and inform us of their interest. We then forward the students the appropriate materials to help them navigate through the registration process.

What we offer

About the Minor in Diversity and the Contemporary World
Minor, Diversity & Contemporary World

Our interdisciplinary Minor emphasizes the need for communication across all disciplines in the Arts and Sciences. This flexible programme is designed to complement a student's Specialization, Major, or Honours. The programme consists of 24 credits.

During its first nine years of existence, the College offered a single program known as the Minor in Diversity and the Contemporary World.  Currently the College offers several interdisciplinary courses taught on the Loyola campus as part of the original Minor.  The scholarly content of these courses is concerned with the advantages and problems raised by variability in fundamental aspects of nature, human functioning and human experience.  These courses deal with variations in basic processes such as communication and human development across cultural contexts as well as with the importance of understanding the intersection between biodiversity and human behavior.  The Minor recognizes the increasing global importance of inter-cultural contact in multiple aspects of life and the need for an appreciation for complex associations between diversity in nature and human life.   The Minor has been increasingly popular.  It currently has as many students as other comparable College-based programs in the Faculty and it attracts students from all of the university’s Faculties. 

 

For a complete llist and description of the courses that can be taken towards this program this year, refer to the Courses page.

Talk to someone

For an advising appointment, please contact Dr. Rebecca Tittler by email at loyolacollege.fas@concordia.ca.

About the Minor in Sustainability Studies
Sustainability audit

The Minor in Sustainability Studies is designed to foster a deep understanding of how humans interact with the natural world, while recognizing the need for humans to live on the income from nature’s capital rather than on the capital itself.  While the natural sciences provide advice, targets, critiques and technological solutions to achieve sustainability, the social sciences and humanities contribute to the development of effective policy and ethical options to achieve these goals.  Building on the teaching and research expertise within the Faculty of Arts and Science, Faculty of Fine Arts, and John Molson School of Business, the Minor integrates the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities to develop innovative understandings of sustainability through the in-depth exploration of science, policy, and value systems. Students who registered for the Minor before January 2019 must complete 30 credits in the program. Students beginning beginning in or after January 2019 must complete 27 credits for this program.

Program Content

The Minor in Sustainability Studies is designed to complement a specialization, major or honours program, enhance opportunities within the students’ major of study, and support future graduate and professional studies. The main goals of the Minor are to develop sustainability literacy from a broadly interdisciplinary perspective and situate the knowledge students gain from their focal disciplines within the context of complex local and global sustainability issues. The secondary goals of the Minor are to support the development of globally responsible citizens and promote sustainability engagement on campus, in the local community, and globally. The Minor supports its vision through (1) broad, flexible, interdisciplinary course offerings from across the university, allowing students to tailor their curriculum to their individual needs and interests while seeking expertise and insight from outside of their major discipline and (2) experiential, hands-on learning in the classroom and through applied research and internship opportunities, which gives students an advantage in their future careers and in graduate and professional studies. 

 

For a complete llist and description of the courses that can be taken towards this program this year, refer to the Courses page.

Talk to someone

For an advising appointment, please contact Dr. Rebecca Tittler by email at loyolacollege.fas@concordia.ca.

About the Elective Group in Sustainability Studies
Sustainability audit

Many of the most pressing issues of the day have to do with the way humans interact with the environment. In fact, it can be argued that our very survival depends on our ability to interact in a sustainable way with the non-human components of the Earth. The issue of sustainability therefore cuts across disciplines, as does this elective group. Sustainability studies are therefore a good complement to any degree. With this in mind, this elective group is open to BA, BSc, and BComm students. This is a 15-credit program.

Program Content

The Elective Group in Sustainability Studies is designed to complement a specialization, major or honours program, enhance opportunities within the students’ major of study, and support future graduate and professional studies. This program is specifically designed for students who do not have space for the Minor in Sustainability Studies but are still interested in the field. The main goals of the Elective Group are to develop sustainability literacy from a broadly interdisciplinary perspective and situate the knowledge students gain from their focal disciplines within the context of complex local and global sustainability issues. The secondary goals of the Elective Group are to support the development of globally responsible citizens and promote sustainability engagement on campus, in the local community, and globally. The Elective Group supports its vision through (1) broad, flexible, interdisciplinary course offerings from across the university, allowing students to tailor their curriculum to their individual needs and interests while seeking expertise and insight from outside of their major discipline and (2) experiential, hands-on learning in the classroom and through applied research and internship opportunities, which gives students an advantage in their future careers and in graduate and professional studies.  

For a complete llist and description of the courses that can be taken towards this program this year, refer to the Courses page.

Talk to someone

For an advising appointment, please contact Dr. Rebecca Tittler by email at loyolacollege.fas@concordia.ca.

Become a member of the College

* The "Member of Loyola International College" will appear on the student's transcript and diploma for those who started their programs before the college's name changed.

After taking 9 credits (3 LOYC courses) at Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability (previously known as Loyola International College), or just by enrolling in the Minor in Diversity and the Contemporary World or the Minor or Elective Group in Sustainability Studies, you automatically become a Member of Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability. Membership in our College grants you the following benefits:

  • Eligibility for the Loyola College Adopt-A-Student Bursary.
  • Full access to Loyola College's facilities (Computer/Conference room, Lounge)
  • Updates on Loyola College's different events.
  • The " Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability" status in your transcript and diploma. *

After successfully completing three LOYC courses*, please email us at loyolacollege.fas@concordia.ca requesting that this be added to your transcript.

For a complete llist and description of the courses that can be taken towards this program this year, refer to the Courses page.

*Note that student wishing only to add the Membership without completing a Minor in Elective Group must earn at least a B in three LOYC courses to do so. 

Concordia greenhouse
Take elective courses

 

The interdisciplinary nature of Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability provides the perfect complement for your education at Concordia University, and we encourage students from all faculties to take LOYC courses as electives.

Grading Norms: Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability follows the same norms as the Department of History. You can see the norms here: grading-norms

 

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