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Undergraduate Research

For a course to be designated as “Undergraduate Research“, satisfying the University Engaged Learning requirement, it must meet all the following criteria.  Criteria for undergraduate research courses are based on research, best practices, and the CAS Standards for Undergraduate Research (2009).

  1. The field research course engages students on an original research project (not a simulation), either contributing to a faculty research project or engaging in an independent research project with a mentor
  2. Students conduct research on an ongoing basis, working an average of 5 – 10 hours/week.
  3. Students gain knowledge of or experience in discipline-specific language, research ethics, skills in research methodologies, and important scholarship.
  4. The learning objectives related to the research experience are clearly articulated related to their field of study, educational goals and/or career and vocational aspirations.
  5. There is supervision and feedback by a mentor who has expertise related to their field of study, educational goals and/or career and vocational aspirations.
  6. The syllabus assignments include reflection assignments and a final synthesis project integrated into the course.
  7. There is an outlet to disseminate the original research (e.g., symposium, conference, scholarly article) integrated into the course.

In addition to classes approved for EL credit in the area of Undergraduate Research, research projects students pursue under an Independent Study or Directed Readings course-number may be approved for EL credit if they meet the criteria. Students should follow the process to request EL credit on the "Requesting EL Credit" page.

All courses that have been approved to satisfy the Engaged Learning University Requirement are designated with an "E" appended to their section number, e.g. ANTH 301-01E.  Comprehensive listings of ALL approved Engaged Learning classes offered each semester can be found in LOCUS.

College of Arts and Sciences

ANTH 314: Practicing Anthropology (3)
The applications of anthropological data, methods, and theory in the analysis and understanding of contemporary human problems.  Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of cross-cultural differences in the experience of illness, curing and health; cultural meanings and practices involved in substance abuse; the role of culture in educational practice and learning; and the influence of culture in business and workplace settings.

ANTH 317:  Ethnographic Methods (3)
This course is designed to offer an introduction to qualitative methods in anthropology. Students will learn methodologies such as participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis, and we will also address ethical issues in field research. Students will design and carry out an ethnographic research project.  Outcomes:  Students will: demonstrate in-depth knowledge of qualitative research techniques; critically discuss ethical implications of ethnographic research; undertake original ethnographic fieldwork; prepare a comprehensive, theoretically informed, and clearly written report based on original ethnographic data.

ANTH 348: Museum & Material Culture Research (3)
This course is designed to offer an introduction to qualitative methods in anthropology. Students will learn methodologies such as participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis, and we will also address ethical issues in field research. Students will design and carry out an ethnographic research project.  Outcomes:  Students will: demonstrate in-depth knowledge of qualitative research techniques; critically discuss ethical implications of ethnographic research; undertake original ethnographic fieldwork; prepare a comprehensive, theoretically informed, and clearly written report based on original ethnographic data.
Outcomes: Students gain knowledge of research techniques for working with museum-held objects while contributing to the permanent documentation and interpretation of the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection through object research.

ANTH 361-002 (Section-Only): Issues in Cultural Anthropology: Language and Place (3)
This course offers direct experience with anthropological research methods and analysis using material culture and archival holdings from the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection. Grounded in object-based studies and using examples from the collection, this course will examine collecting contexts, formal and technical analyses, operational sequences, cultural contexts, and interpretation.

BIOI 397E/BIOL 395E: Bioinformatics Survey (3) - (Section Only)  
This course trains students in conducting collaborative bioinformatics research as well reading and presenting scientific research. Outcomes: Provides an alternative to individual research; reflects trends in the field for collaborative, group research. Prerequisites: BIOL 101 and Instructor consent

BIOI 399:  Bioinformatics Research (1-4)
An independent research experience involving laboratory experiments, computer program development, or statistical analysis or any combination of these performed under the mentorship of one or more Bioinformatics faculty members.  Outcomes:  All students will acquire skills to perform and report on independent research and to be intellectually responsible for evaluating their own and related work.  Other outcomes will include at least one of the following:  Experimental expertise, statistical evaluation of data sets, design and use of computational tools.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

BIOL  296: Introduction to Research (1) (Effective Spring 2015)
Prerequisites: BIOL 102, 112; Permission of the instructor; Biology Core highly recommended. Students will begin reading the literature in the field of their mentor, conduct experiments designed by the mentor, and give a presentation on their work or studies, in preparation for upper level undergraduate research.  Outcomes: Students will develop critical reading skills and become familiar with basic lab techniques in the area of their mentor.

BIOL 366L: Cell Physiology and Biochemistry Lab (2)
Introduction to modern techniques and instrumentation with an emphasis on cellular metabolism and protein biochemistry including purification and quantitation methods and enzyme kinetics. 

BIOL 373E: Neuroscience Lab I (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details. 
As a senior level neuroscience class, Biol 373 provides a unique training opportunity to students to learn various techniques in the field of neurobiology. Students will gain hands-on experience in basic electronic design, signal processing, micro dissection of central nervous system, extracellular and intracellular recording from nerves, axons, and single neurons. Students will be trained to simulate neural activity using the computational neuroscience platform Neurons in Actions (NIA). To appreciate the complexity of neural control of animal behavior, the model system in neurobiology, Aplysia californica, will be studied. Scientific publications regarding Aplysia’s feeding behavior and its neural, biomechanics control will be introduced. Students will work in groups to acquire data and generate final research papers.
 
BIOL 390: Molecular Biology Laboratory (4)
This course is an intensive laboratory course in the basic principles and techniques of molecular biology, including bacterial cloning, polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing.  Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate basic molecular biology skills including manipulation of bacterial cultures and DNA, plasmid minipreps, gel electrophoresis, cloning, polymerase chain reaction, and other molecular techniques that may be specific to their chosen independent projects.

BIOL 392/COMP 392: Metagenomics (3)
Exploration of next-generation sequencing technologies for assessing microbial diversity in ecological niches. Prerequisite: BIOL 282.  Outcomes: Students will gain hands-on experience with metagenomic methodologies while working in an interdisciplinary, collaborative setting.

BIOL 395L: Special Topics Laboratory (3) - (Section Only)
Laboratory. Special areas of study outside the usual curriculum, that vary each time the course is offered.
Outcome: Students will master a unique topic in biology. 

BIOL 396: Research (3)
Laboratory or field research under faculty guidance emphasizing hypothesis testing, literature searches, experimental design, and use of appropriate techniques.  Outcomes: Students will learn the full set of research skills required in doing an independent project and reporting the results.

BIOL 397H: Senior Honors Thesis (3)
For students in the Honors Program.  Laboratory or field research under faculty guidance emphasizing hypothesis testing, literature searches, experimental design, and use of appropriate techniques.  Written thesis and research presentation required.  Outcomes: Students will learn the full set of research skills required in doing an independent project and reporting the results.

CHEM 300:  Undergraduate Research (1-6)
This course gives undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in research in a selected area.  Outcomes:  Students will accomplish the research task defined in the contractual arrangement between the student and the instructor.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

CJC 391: Capstone Experience Research (3) 
The course will allow students to be actively engaged in a faculty member's research project, providing the student with an opportunity to apply the research skills that they already have and to acquire additional skills and knowledge about research design, statistical analysis, and writing research presentations, briefs, or papers. 
Instructor Approval Required; major in criminal justice; junior or senior standing; Students must complete CJC 205: Research Methods (or equivalent) and four additional CJC courses. 

CLST  380 - Research in Classical Studies (3) 
Students complete a semester-long research project on a topic in Classical Studies.  Outcomes: Students will improve research methods and produce a research paper that engages with both primary sources and secondary scholarship.

COMP 312: Open Source Computing  (3)
This course will cover the fundamentals of Free and Open Source software development. Topics to be addressed include licensing, Linux, typical software development tools, applications, and techniques for managing remote servers.  Outcomes: Students will learn to implement projects involving Free and Open Source software and learn how to participate in open-source projects effectively.

COMP 398: Computer Science Independent Study
The student and a sponsoring faculty member will determine an advanced topic for the student to work on.  Outcomes:  Knowledge of an advanced topic.

DANC  398 - Research in Dance (1-3)
Faculty serve as mentors for dance students pursuing research opportunities. Platforms cross various domains in cognitive, psychomotor, and artistic development. Students and faculty work together to generate qualitative and quantitative data documented in multiple modalities including: dancemaking, regression analyses, interviews, correlational and case studies. This course satisfies the Engaged Learning-Undergraduate Research requirement.  Must be a declared dance major or minor to enroll.
Outcomes: Students will learn discipline-specific language skills, research ethics and methodologies. Students will gain valuable skills disseminating research through performances, scholarly articles, conference presentations and research symposia.

ENGL 283: Transwomen in Literature (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course is a study in narrative focused on fiction and memoirs by and about trans* subjects. Such writings disrupt narrative conventions by defying pronominal stability, temporal continuity, and natural progression, all elements of more conventional novels and memoirs that trace the course of a subject’s life. As such, trans* narratives can be read as a distinct genre, what I have called a “transgenre.” But they also require us to rethink the conventions of any life writing, raising the question, What are the consequences for living of telling a different kind of story? That is, these life writings do not just give us an account of a life lived, but also deliberately shape a narrative of a life that might be lived, and livable.
 
ENGL 299: Topics in Advance Writing (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This is a course in writing clear and effective prose in whatever form/genre is being studied; the subtitle will define the form/genre more precisely.
Prerequisite: UCWR 110.
Outcomes: Students will gain an understanding of the principles involved in writing clear and effective prose in whatever form/genre is under study, and be able to apply these principles to their own writing in this form/genre.
 
FNAR 391: Senior Thesis in Art History (3)
Student develop an in-depth scholarly research paper while engaging new theoretical frames or topics to expand upon the writing and research of a paper of their choice from a previous art history class.  In addition, they will share their research in a final, formal oral presentation.
Outcomes:  Students produce a polished in-depth research paper; They demonstrate the ability to synthesize and apply ideas from scholarly sources; formulate, develop, and articulate in verbal and written form relevant issues. Senior Status, ARTH major required

FNAR 392: Senior Thesis II:  FNAR Art History Capstone (3)
The second half of the capstone experience for art history majors. In Senior Thesis II, students write an in-depth scholarly research paper.  Outcomes: Students produce a polished in-depth research paper.  They demonstrate the ability to synthesize and apply ideas from scholarly sources; formulate, develop, and defend a thesis; and critically analyze and articulate in verbal and written form the issues and ideas relevant to their topic.

FNAR 394B: Special Topics in Art History: Traditional Chinese Architecture (3)
Students will master topics in areas of art history not offered elsewhere in the curriculum.

FRSC 394: Forensic Science Research (1-3)
This course allows students to obtain course credit in forensic science while gaining experience in scientific research with a forensic science faculty member. Though projects vary, the intent is for the student to develop their own original research component within the faculty member’s topic area and emphasis (i.e. forensic chemistry,forensic toxicology, forensic biology and DNA, etc.). Ultimately, the goal of this course is to have students apply forensic science content knowledge in original research project areas as an avenue for preparing their skills for ongoing work as a graduate student or practitioner in the forensic science community.

HIST 300A: History of Psychiatry Research Seminar on Eating Disorders 1970-2000 (3) - (Section Only)
Special topics or new approaches of current interest to the instructor. This course counts as a 300-level histroy elective. Students may repeat the course for credit when the topic changes. 
Outcome: Student will gain familiarity with the topic; the ability to make connections between secondary and primary sources; and the capacity to think critically about the way that historians have approached major issues. 
 
HIST 300D: Ramonat Seminar (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
The Ramonat Seminar is an interdisciplinary, two-semester course that provides Loyola undergraduates with the unique opportunity to explore changing topics within American Catholic history, literature, and culture through hands-on research. Taught by a Loyola faculty member, the seminar is limited to 12 participants who pursue common readings in the fall semester and individual research projects in the spring semester. Unlike standard undergraduate courses, the Ramonat Seminar provides promising students, who will be named Ramonat Scholars, with resources for research, travel, and even publication in digital and print formats, all aimed at their general professional development.
 
HIST 375: Digital History: The History of Food (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
Digital resources make primary source material available while database, mapping, and text-mining applications allow us to ask new types of research questions. Digital history is more than just gaining familiarity with digital resources, applications, and platforms; it is about understanding how using these tools has changed the way we study history.
 
HIST 375: Digital History (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
Digital resources make primary source material available while database, mapping, and text-mining applications allow us to ask new types of research questions. Digital history is more than just gaining familiarity with digital resources, applications, and platforms; it is about understanding how using these tools has changed the way we study history.
Outcomes: Gain an introductory technical knowledge of digital tools or methods; Learn to apply technical knowledge about digital history tools to historical questions; Acquire experience managing and creating a team-based digital humanities.
 
INDS 380: Break the Chains: Revolt, Rebellion, and Resistance in the World of Atlantic Slavery
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
From the early 1500s until the abolition of slavery in the US in 1865, the Western hemisphere witnessed hundreds of slave revolts. Drawing on the Newberry’s significant collections in Atlantic materials, as well as the most recent scholarship in history, archaeology, and literary studies, “Break the Chains” will explore the many varieties of slave resistance in the Atlantic world. In weekly class meetings that will discuss a common set of readings, the course will explore the many significant sites of resistance in the Atlantic world, from slave ships and plantation fields to print shops and parliaments. In the second part of the course, each student will develop an independent research project, guided by the instructors and by the Newberry librarians, who will assist the students in exploring the library’s extensive holdings.

MSTU 300-301:  Integrative Experience I and II (3)
These two courses constitute a two semester sequence of designed to provide students with a synoptic view of the field of Medieval Studies and train them to do cross-disciplinary work within that field.  Outcomes: Students will be able to produce original research on some topic pertaining to the Middle Ages that utilizes and integrates no less than two methodologies drawn from diverse disciplines. (Both courses must be completed to satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.)

PHYS 126/126F: General Physics II and Freshman Projects (3 + 1)
A continuation of PHYS 125. Outcome: Understanding of electrostatics, magnetostatics, time varying currents, resistive, capacitative and inductive elements, electromagnetic and sound waves, geometrical and wave optics, introductory special relativity.  Under the guidance of a faculty member, students carry out research in the area of mechanics, waves or thermodynamics. The project must involve submission of a proposal, building of a setup, carrying out related theoretical calculation followed by experimentation.  Outcomes: Students should get a deeper understanding of the material covered in PHYS 125 (mechanics, waves and thermodynamics) and also learn about research methods employed by physicists.

PHYS 338: Intermediate Physics Laboratory (2)
Lab course with advanced experiments in mechanics, biophysics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, solid state, and particle physics. Students will receive training in data analysis methods, data acquisition systems, signal processing, and 3D fabrication. Students will work in teams on a final independent project.
Prerequisites: PHYS 301 and PHYS 314. Restricted to PHYS, TPAM, PCSC, and BPHY majors
Outcomes: Students will gain an understanding of experiment design, data analysis, and error estimation in the context of investigating physical principles and using different instrumentation.

PHYS 391: Research (1-12)
Research in physics or an associated field.  This is a variable credit course and can be repeated.  Outcomes: Under the guidance of a faculty member, students study and understand research methods employed by physicists and gain deeper understanding of a particular area of physics.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

PSCJ 399: Independent Study (3)
This course provides students with the opportunity to work under the direction of a faculty member on a particular area of interest that is not part of the Psychology of Crime and Justice minor's usual curriculum. Program Permission Required. 
Outcome: Gain supervised research experience in a specific area of psychology and law. 

PSYC 370:  Honors Research (3)
Students carry out the research proposed in PSYC 369 and prepare a formal report constituting the honors thesis. Approval of the thesis by the honors committee earns the psychology honors award. PSYC 370 is a capstone course.  Outcomes: Students will conduct research, analyze and interpret data, and write a thesis.

PSYC 397:  Independent Research (3)
Capstone opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of a psychology faculty member. Only one of PSYC 397 and 399 may count toward the psychology major.  Outcomes: Students will gain experience in all aspects of psychological research, including literature review, formulating hypotheses, designing and conducting research, analyzing data and interpreting results, communicating the results of research in written reports.

SOCL 265: Globalication and Society (3)
This course examines the nature of contemporary globalization and considers how it influences communities, nations and the world. The course examines the positive and negative consequences of globalization and the global justice movement that have emerged seeking more equality, tolerance and environmental stewardship.

SOCL 397: Independent Study (3)
Independent study of a topic delineated by the student in collaboration with an individual faculty member.

STAT 370: Data Science (3)
Students will work on a research project with a client acting as a consultant on the statistical and computational aspects of the project. Students are required to meet with a client, develop a strategy for addressing their problem, and present their results to the client (and their classmates). **Prerequisites: STAT 308

STAT 389: Independent Study (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.

THEO 280E: Religion, Fantasy, and Popular Culture (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course examines Fantasy’s representation of the religious. We will begin by assessing the genre’s connections to religious myth, noting similarities and differences in the themes, narrative, and goals of each enterprise. Then, using the ‘secondary worlds’ created in literature, television, and film by Tolkien, Martin, and Basu, we will examine how these worlds reflect, reimagine, promote, and subvert the religious in our own world. Throughout the semester we will explore a variety of religious themes (good vs. evil, the sacred and profane, paths to salvation, morality and mortality—to name a few) through a diverse mix of religious practice from around the globe, all the while making connections to the ‘secondary worlds’ of our source material. At its end, we will seek to answer the question of whether or not Fantasy—the most ‘unrealistic’ kind of storytelling—actually succeeds (and where it fails) in addressing the very real spiritual and religious concerns of human beings.
 
THEO 280: Theology & Interdisciplinary Study - Faith, Science, and the Common Good (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course explores the threat of science denial through a series of three questions. First, what is science denial? This first phase will analyze science denial as the unwarranted rejection of scientific consensus on a range of issues (e.g., evolution), identifying some of the faulty rationales used for rejecting consensus. Second, what motivates science denial? The presumption of conflict between science and faith motivates much (but not all) science denial, so this second phase explores what analysts call the "Conflict Model," using detailed case studies of "creationism" and "scientism" to illustrate how the assumptions, methods, and rhetoric of these two views work to perpetuate conflict and facilitate science denial. Third, what mitigates science denial?
 
THEO 299: Religions of Asia (3)
An introductory survey of selected teachings, institutions, and practices of the great religious traditions of South Asia and East Asia placed in historical context.
Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the central texts, beliefs, ethical understandings, and practices of at least three Asian religions.
 
THEO 317: History of Christian Thought: Ancient to Medieval (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
In this course, we will explore some of the assumptions, modes of reasoning, and literary styles of ancient and medieval Christian theology. This is neither a primer in Christian doctrine nor a historical survey of the church, but an engaged attempt to enter into the thought world of ancient and medieval Christianity. Our study will focus on three questions fundamental to Christian thought: Who is God? Who am I? How can I be united to God? These deceptively simple questions organize a number of problematics that run through Christian theological reflection: the order of the universe and the knowability of that order; the relationship between the body and the mind; and the dynamics of human desire and its role in the spiritual life. We will trace these themes through three units: hagiographies, Late Antique/early medieval writers, and classical medieval writers.
 
THEO 353/373: Creation and the Fall in Popular Culture/Religious Traditions (Capstone) (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course investigates the historical, social, ritual and reflective positions of one or more religious traditions. It likewise develops the student’s abilities to use contemporary methods of historical, theoretical, and social scientific analysis of religious traditions.
Students enrolling in this course must have junior status and be Theology majors.
This 3 credit capstone course gives students an opportunity to integrate various aspects of their theological education, drawing upon the major sources of Christian and Catholic tradition, including Scripture, History, Systematic Theology, and Ethics.
Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the varied sources within Christian theological traditions and how to make reasoned theological arguments.

Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, & Scholarship/Office of the Provost

EXPL 391:  Seminar in Undergraduate Research Methods (3)
This seminar course offers undergraduate students the experiential opportunity to engage in research while building their foundation of research methods. Students may be part of the Loyola Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (LUROP) through a funded fellowship, or students may be working independently with a faculty mentor (volunteering in a lab, working on a research team). All students must have a research project with a faculty mentor identified prior to enrolling in this course. As an experiential learning course, students will need to be engaging in research with a faculty mentor concurrently to taking this course. Students must work a minimum of 5 - 10 hours each week over the semester on their research projects (10 - 15 hours per week over the summer session). Students will reflect on research experience in the context of understanding research paradigms, application of research methodologies, understanding the implications of ethical research, and preparing to present research professionally. This course will provide students engaged in research with the opportunity to develop a formal written research paper and poster, as if the students are preparing to present their research in a professional setting, such as the LUROP Symposium.

Parkinson School of Health Science and Public Health

PUBH 399: Public Health Capstone (3) 
This course is a cumulative, integrative and scholarly or applied experience or inquiry project. It may include internships, service-learning projects, senior seminars, porfolio projects, or research paper. The project provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate proficiency in effective communication skills through a written report and oral presentation. 

School of Education

CIEP 366: Special Topic Seminar (3) 
This course is a seminar for Special Topics for SOE undergraduate students. This seminar will allow SOE to pilot newly developed and approved courses. This seminar will be used by SOE - ADSU, TL, and SPSY - programs covering various educational subjects and interdisciplinary topics.  

School for Environmental Sustainability

ENVS 323:  Environmental Microbiology (3) 
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course introduces the signficant role of microorganisms in numerous enviornmental and human-engineered processes. It covers microbiology and its basic methods to orient students to this field of science and the importance of microbial diversity relevant to agriculture, public health, and ecological restoration.  
Prerequisites: BIOL 101, BIOL 102, CHEM 101, and (CHEM 102 or ENVS 274).
Outcomes: Students will learn to isolate and characterize environmental microorganisms; Students will investigate the role of microorganisms in nutrient cycling, remediation of soils, and transmission of existing and emerging pathogens.

ENVS 350B: Biogas (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.

ENVS 338: Climate Change and Human Health (3) 
This course provides an introduction overview of the health consequenses associated with climate change and the local, federal, and global response to mitigate these negative health outcomes. During this course students will be expected incorporate course content and develop a realistic response public health plan to climate change for a locality of their choosing. 
**Prerequisites: ENVS 101 or ENVS 137 or BIOL 101; Restricted to Majors and Minors in the School of Environmental Sustainability; Junior or Senior Standing. 

ENVS 391:  Environmental Research (1-4) 
Students may register for independent research on a topic mutually acceptable to the student and any professor in the department.  Usually this research is directed to a particular course or to the research of the professor.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

School of Business

BHNR 343:  Integrated Analytical Decision-Making (3)
This course will focus on the analysis of business data, and use both statistical and data mining methodologies to make evidence-based decisions, with applications of these techniques to business problems.  Students will conduct an original data mining research project in any field of business administration, and create both a written analysis and presentation.   Outcomes: At the end of this course, the student will know how to formulate a business problem in a data mining context, then build, run, evaluate, and interpret a data mining model that addresses the problem.

BHNR 353: Research Practicum (3)
Restricted to students in the Business Honors Program.

ECON 346: Econometrics (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
The course provides an understanding of empirical techniques in economics. Building on your knowledge of probability theory and statistics, you will learn how to estimate economic relationships of interest and perform hypothesis testing on predictions from economic models. This course will enhance your understanding of statistical analysis and develop skills for the interpretation of quantitative data in economics. You will gain hands-on experience in working with data, performing statistical estimation and writing up the results of your findings in a research paper. The ultimate goal is to estimate the magnitude and statistical strength of causal relationships derived from economic models.

ENTR 390:  Entrepreneurship Strategies – Capstone (3)
This course prepares students for entry into the real business world either as a corporate entrepreneur or a new venture entrepreneur.

FINC 345: Portfolio Management (3)
Topics include a critical appraisal of the efficient market hypothesis, asset allocation using the Markowitz mean-variance framework, fundamental and technical analysis, and mutual fund performance evaluation.
Prerequisites: Junior standing; Minimum grade of "C-" in FINC 335.
Outcomes: Students will understand how stocks and other assets are selected; how economic and company information is monitored and used to adjust portfolio holdings; and how portfolios can be optimized to achieve targeted risk/return characteristics.

FINC 356: Topics in Investment Banking and Asset Management (3)
This course examines selected topics in investment banking and asset management, including stock and bond offerings, private equity, buyouts, mergers and acquisitions.  Students in the course research publicly traded companies, write equity research reports and pitch investment ideas; they also mentor junior analysts in the Rambler Investment Fund (RIF).

FINC 399: Topics in Inverstment Banking and Asset Management (3)
Scheduled classes are offered on an ad hoc basis. Specific titles, prerequisites and content may vary. **Prerequisites: Junior Standing. 

MARK 311E: Marketing Research (3)
This course develops an understanding of the research process from problem formulation through research report preparation. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are discussed. The focus is on using research results in marketing decision making. Empirical data are analyzed using state of the art analytical tools. ** Prerequisite: Junior Standing, minimum grade of "C-" in MARK 310 and ISSCM 241.

School of Communication

COMM 365:  Naturalistic Methods in Communication Research (3)
This course examines how communication research is conducted in naturalistic settings using qualitative methods associated with observation and in-depth interviewing.  Outcomes: Students will become familiar with the reading and evaluation of communication research, and apply the concepts studied in class to the design and development of a research project.

COMM 368:  Critical Ethnography in Communication (3)
This course teaches principles of participant-observation research as a critical practice to produce a 'thick description' of meanings, values, hierarchies of interests, power structures and ideals of a particular cultural group or community.  Outcomes: Students learn to conduct ethnographic research and its procedures, taking field notes, conducting interviews, examination of data and artifacts, and producing research results to a public audience.

 

For a course to be designated as “Undergraduate Research“, satisfying the University Engaged Learning requirement, it must meet all the following criteria.  Criteria for undergraduate research courses are based on research, best practices, and the CAS Standards for Undergraduate Research (2009).

  1. The field research course engages students on an original research project (not a simulation), either contributing to a faculty research project or engaging in an independent research project with a mentor
  2. Students conduct research on an ongoing basis, working an average of 5 – 10 hours/week.
  3. Students gain knowledge of or experience in discipline-specific language, research ethics, skills in research methodologies, and important scholarship.
  4. The learning objectives related to the research experience are clearly articulated related to their field of study, educational goals and/or career and vocational aspirations.
  5. There is supervision and feedback by a mentor who has expertise related to their field of study, educational goals and/or career and vocational aspirations.
  6. The syllabus assignments include reflection assignments and a final synthesis project integrated into the course.
  7. There is an outlet to disseminate the original research (e.g., symposium, conference, scholarly article) integrated into the course.

In addition to classes approved for EL credit in the area of Undergraduate Research, research projects students pursue under an Independent Study or Directed Readings course-number may be approved for EL credit if they meet the criteria. Students should follow the process to request EL credit on the "Requesting EL Credit" page.

All courses that have been approved to satisfy the Engaged Learning University Requirement are designated with an "E" appended to their section number, e.g. ANTH 301-01E.  Comprehensive listings of ALL approved Engaged Learning classes offered each semester can be found in LOCUS.

College of Arts and Sciences

ANTH 314: Practicing Anthropology (3)
The applications of anthropological data, methods, and theory in the analysis and understanding of contemporary human problems.  Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of cross-cultural differences in the experience of illness, curing and health; cultural meanings and practices involved in substance abuse; the role of culture in educational practice and learning; and the influence of culture in business and workplace settings.

ANTH 317:  Ethnographic Methods (3)
This course is designed to offer an introduction to qualitative methods in anthropology. Students will learn methodologies such as participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis, and we will also address ethical issues in field research. Students will design and carry out an ethnographic research project.  Outcomes:  Students will: demonstrate in-depth knowledge of qualitative research techniques; critically discuss ethical implications of ethnographic research; undertake original ethnographic fieldwork; prepare a comprehensive, theoretically informed, and clearly written report based on original ethnographic data.

ANTH 348: Museum & Material Culture Research (3)
This course is designed to offer an introduction to qualitative methods in anthropology. Students will learn methodologies such as participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis, and we will also address ethical issues in field research. Students will design and carry out an ethnographic research project.  Outcomes:  Students will: demonstrate in-depth knowledge of qualitative research techniques; critically discuss ethical implications of ethnographic research; undertake original ethnographic fieldwork; prepare a comprehensive, theoretically informed, and clearly written report based on original ethnographic data.
Outcomes: Students gain knowledge of research techniques for working with museum-held objects while contributing to the permanent documentation and interpretation of the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection through object research.

ANTH 361-002 (Section-Only): Issues in Cultural Anthropology: Language and Place (3)
This course offers direct experience with anthropological research methods and analysis using material culture and archival holdings from the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection. Grounded in object-based studies and using examples from the collection, this course will examine collecting contexts, formal and technical analyses, operational sequences, cultural contexts, and interpretation.

BIOI 397E/BIOL 395E: Bioinformatics Survey (3) - (Section Only)  
This course trains students in conducting collaborative bioinformatics research as well reading and presenting scientific research. Outcomes: Provides an alternative to individual research; reflects trends in the field for collaborative, group research. Prerequisites: BIOL 101 and Instructor consent

BIOI 399:  Bioinformatics Research (1-4)
An independent research experience involving laboratory experiments, computer program development, or statistical analysis or any combination of these performed under the mentorship of one or more Bioinformatics faculty members.  Outcomes:  All students will acquire skills to perform and report on independent research and to be intellectually responsible for evaluating their own and related work.  Other outcomes will include at least one of the following:  Experimental expertise, statistical evaluation of data sets, design and use of computational tools.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

BIOL  296: Introduction to Research (1) (Effective Spring 2015)
Prerequisites: BIOL 102, 112; Permission of the instructor; Biology Core highly recommended. Students will begin reading the literature in the field of their mentor, conduct experiments designed by the mentor, and give a presentation on their work or studies, in preparation for upper level undergraduate research.  Outcomes: Students will develop critical reading skills and become familiar with basic lab techniques in the area of their mentor.

BIOL 366L: Cell Physiology and Biochemistry Lab (2)
Introduction to modern techniques and instrumentation with an emphasis on cellular metabolism and protein biochemistry including purification and quantitation methods and enzyme kinetics. 

BIOL 373E: Neuroscience Lab I (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details. 
As a senior level neuroscience class, Biol 373 provides a unique training opportunity to students to learn various techniques in the field of neurobiology. Students will gain hands-on experience in basic electronic design, signal processing, micro dissection of central nervous system, extracellular and intracellular recording from nerves, axons, and single neurons. Students will be trained to simulate neural activity using the computational neuroscience platform Neurons in Actions (NIA). To appreciate the complexity of neural control of animal behavior, the model system in neurobiology, Aplysia californica, will be studied. Scientific publications regarding Aplysia’s feeding behavior and its neural, biomechanics control will be introduced. Students will work in groups to acquire data and generate final research papers.
 
BIOL 390: Molecular Biology Laboratory (4)
This course is an intensive laboratory course in the basic principles and techniques of molecular biology, including bacterial cloning, polymerase chain reaction, restriction mapping, agarose gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing.  Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate basic molecular biology skills including manipulation of bacterial cultures and DNA, plasmid minipreps, gel electrophoresis, cloning, polymerase chain reaction, and other molecular techniques that may be specific to their chosen independent projects.

BIOL 392/COMP 392: Metagenomics (3)
Exploration of next-generation sequencing technologies for assessing microbial diversity in ecological niches. Prerequisite: BIOL 282.  Outcomes: Students will gain hands-on experience with metagenomic methodologies while working in an interdisciplinary, collaborative setting.

BIOL 395L: Special Topics Laboratory (3) - (Section Only)
Laboratory. Special areas of study outside the usual curriculum, that vary each time the course is offered.
Outcome: Students will master a unique topic in biology. 

BIOL 396: Research (3)
Laboratory or field research under faculty guidance emphasizing hypothesis testing, literature searches, experimental design, and use of appropriate techniques.  Outcomes: Students will learn the full set of research skills required in doing an independent project and reporting the results.

BIOL 397H: Senior Honors Thesis (3)
For students in the Honors Program.  Laboratory or field research under faculty guidance emphasizing hypothesis testing, literature searches, experimental design, and use of appropriate techniques.  Written thesis and research presentation required.  Outcomes: Students will learn the full set of research skills required in doing an independent project and reporting the results.

CHEM 300:  Undergraduate Research (1-6)
This course gives undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in research in a selected area.  Outcomes:  Students will accomplish the research task defined in the contractual arrangement between the student and the instructor.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

CJC 391: Capstone Experience Research (3) 
The course will allow students to be actively engaged in a faculty member's research project, providing the student with an opportunity to apply the research skills that they already have and to acquire additional skills and knowledge about research design, statistical analysis, and writing research presentations, briefs, or papers. 
Instructor Approval Required; major in criminal justice; junior or senior standing; Students must complete CJC 205: Research Methods (or equivalent) and four additional CJC courses. 

CLST  380 - Research in Classical Studies (3) 
Students complete a semester-long research project on a topic in Classical Studies.  Outcomes: Students will improve research methods and produce a research paper that engages with both primary sources and secondary scholarship.

COMP 312: Open Source Computing  (3)
This course will cover the fundamentals of Free and Open Source software development. Topics to be addressed include licensing, Linux, typical software development tools, applications, and techniques for managing remote servers.  Outcomes: Students will learn to implement projects involving Free and Open Source software and learn how to participate in open-source projects effectively.

COMP 398: Computer Science Independent Study
The student and a sponsoring faculty member will determine an advanced topic for the student to work on.  Outcomes:  Knowledge of an advanced topic.

DANC  398 - Research in Dance (1-3)
Faculty serve as mentors for dance students pursuing research opportunities. Platforms cross various domains in cognitive, psychomotor, and artistic development. Students and faculty work together to generate qualitative and quantitative data documented in multiple modalities including: dancemaking, regression analyses, interviews, correlational and case studies. This course satisfies the Engaged Learning-Undergraduate Research requirement.  Must be a declared dance major or minor to enroll.
Outcomes: Students will learn discipline-specific language skills, research ethics and methodologies. Students will gain valuable skills disseminating research through performances, scholarly articles, conference presentations and research symposia.

ENGL 283: Transwomen in Literature (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course is a study in narrative focused on fiction and memoirs by and about trans* subjects. Such writings disrupt narrative conventions by defying pronominal stability, temporal continuity, and natural progression, all elements of more conventional novels and memoirs that trace the course of a subject’s life. As such, trans* narratives can be read as a distinct genre, what I have called a “transgenre.” But they also require us to rethink the conventions of any life writing, raising the question, What are the consequences for living of telling a different kind of story? That is, these life writings do not just give us an account of a life lived, but also deliberately shape a narrative of a life that might be lived, and livable.
 
ENGL 299: Topics in Advance Writing (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This is a course in writing clear and effective prose in whatever form/genre is being studied; the subtitle will define the form/genre more precisely.
Prerequisite: UCWR 110.
Outcomes: Students will gain an understanding of the principles involved in writing clear and effective prose in whatever form/genre is under study, and be able to apply these principles to their own writing in this form/genre.
 
FNAR 391: Senior Thesis in Art History (3)
Student develop an in-depth scholarly research paper while engaging new theoretical frames or topics to expand upon the writing and research of a paper of their choice from a previous art history class.  In addition, they will share their research in a final, formal oral presentation.
Outcomes:  Students produce a polished in-depth research paper; They demonstrate the ability to synthesize and apply ideas from scholarly sources; formulate, develop, and articulate in verbal and written form relevant issues. Senior Status, ARTH major required

FNAR 392: Senior Thesis II:  FNAR Art History Capstone (3)
The second half of the capstone experience for art history majors. In Senior Thesis II, students write an in-depth scholarly research paper.  Outcomes: Students produce a polished in-depth research paper.  They demonstrate the ability to synthesize and apply ideas from scholarly sources; formulate, develop, and defend a thesis; and critically analyze and articulate in verbal and written form the issues and ideas relevant to their topic.

FNAR 394B: Special Topics in Art History: Traditional Chinese Architecture (3)
Students will master topics in areas of art history not offered elsewhere in the curriculum.

FRSC 394: Forensic Science Research (1-3)
This course allows students to obtain course credit in forensic science while gaining experience in scientific research with a forensic science faculty member. Though projects vary, the intent is for the student to develop their own original research component within the faculty member’s topic area and emphasis (i.e. forensic chemistry,forensic toxicology, forensic biology and DNA, etc.). Ultimately, the goal of this course is to have students apply forensic science content knowledge in original research project areas as an avenue for preparing their skills for ongoing work as a graduate student or practitioner in the forensic science community.

HIST 300A: History of Psychiatry Research Seminar on Eating Disorders 1970-2000 (3) - (Section Only)
Special topics or new approaches of current interest to the instructor. This course counts as a 300-level histroy elective. Students may repeat the course for credit when the topic changes. 
Outcome: Student will gain familiarity with the topic; the ability to make connections between secondary and primary sources; and the capacity to think critically about the way that historians have approached major issues. 
 
HIST 300D: Ramonat Seminar (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
The Ramonat Seminar is an interdisciplinary, two-semester course that provides Loyola undergraduates with the unique opportunity to explore changing topics within American Catholic history, literature, and culture through hands-on research. Taught by a Loyola faculty member, the seminar is limited to 12 participants who pursue common readings in the fall semester and individual research projects in the spring semester. Unlike standard undergraduate courses, the Ramonat Seminar provides promising students, who will be named Ramonat Scholars, with resources for research, travel, and even publication in digital and print formats, all aimed at their general professional development.
 
HIST 375: Digital History: The History of Food (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
Digital resources make primary source material available while database, mapping, and text-mining applications allow us to ask new types of research questions. Digital history is more than just gaining familiarity with digital resources, applications, and platforms; it is about understanding how using these tools has changed the way we study history.
 
HIST 375: Digital History (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
Digital resources make primary source material available while database, mapping, and text-mining applications allow us to ask new types of research questions. Digital history is more than just gaining familiarity with digital resources, applications, and platforms; it is about understanding how using these tools has changed the way we study history.
Outcomes: Gain an introductory technical knowledge of digital tools or methods; Learn to apply technical knowledge about digital history tools to historical questions; Acquire experience managing and creating a team-based digital humanities.
 
INDS 380: Break the Chains: Revolt, Rebellion, and Resistance in the World of Atlantic Slavery
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
From the early 1500s until the abolition of slavery in the US in 1865, the Western hemisphere witnessed hundreds of slave revolts. Drawing on the Newberry’s significant collections in Atlantic materials, as well as the most recent scholarship in history, archaeology, and literary studies, “Break the Chains” will explore the many varieties of slave resistance in the Atlantic world. In weekly class meetings that will discuss a common set of readings, the course will explore the many significant sites of resistance in the Atlantic world, from slave ships and plantation fields to print shops and parliaments. In the second part of the course, each student will develop an independent research project, guided by the instructors and by the Newberry librarians, who will assist the students in exploring the library’s extensive holdings.

MSTU 300-301:  Integrative Experience I and II (3)
These two courses constitute a two semester sequence of designed to provide students with a synoptic view of the field of Medieval Studies and train them to do cross-disciplinary work within that field.  Outcomes: Students will be able to produce original research on some topic pertaining to the Middle Ages that utilizes and integrates no less than two methodologies drawn from diverse disciplines. (Both courses must be completed to satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.)

PHYS 126/126F: General Physics II and Freshman Projects (3 + 1)
A continuation of PHYS 125. Outcome: Understanding of electrostatics, magnetostatics, time varying currents, resistive, capacitative and inductive elements, electromagnetic and sound waves, geometrical and wave optics, introductory special relativity.  Under the guidance of a faculty member, students carry out research in the area of mechanics, waves or thermodynamics. The project must involve submission of a proposal, building of a setup, carrying out related theoretical calculation followed by experimentation.  Outcomes: Students should get a deeper understanding of the material covered in PHYS 125 (mechanics, waves and thermodynamics) and also learn about research methods employed by physicists.

PHYS 338: Intermediate Physics Laboratory (2)
Lab course with advanced experiments in mechanics, biophysics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, solid state, and particle physics. Students will receive training in data analysis methods, data acquisition systems, signal processing, and 3D fabrication. Students will work in teams on a final independent project.
Prerequisites: PHYS 301 and PHYS 314. Restricted to PHYS, TPAM, PCSC, and BPHY majors
Outcomes: Students will gain an understanding of experiment design, data analysis, and error estimation in the context of investigating physical principles and using different instrumentation.

PHYS 391: Research (1-12)
Research in physics or an associated field.  This is a variable credit course and can be repeated.  Outcomes: Under the guidance of a faculty member, students study and understand research methods employed by physicists and gain deeper understanding of a particular area of physics.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

PSCJ 399: Independent Study (3)
This course provides students with the opportunity to work under the direction of a faculty member on a particular area of interest that is not part of the Psychology of Crime and Justice minor's usual curriculum. Program Permission Required. 
Outcome: Gain supervised research experience in a specific area of psychology and law. 

PSYC 370:  Honors Research (3)
Students carry out the research proposed in PSYC 369 and prepare a formal report constituting the honors thesis. Approval of the thesis by the honors committee earns the psychology honors award. PSYC 370 is a capstone course.  Outcomes: Students will conduct research, analyze and interpret data, and write a thesis.

PSYC 397:  Independent Research (3)
Capstone opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of a psychology faculty member. Only one of PSYC 397 and 399 may count toward the psychology major.  Outcomes: Students will gain experience in all aspects of psychological research, including literature review, formulating hypotheses, designing and conducting research, analyzing data and interpreting results, communicating the results of research in written reports.

SOCL 265: Globalication and Society (3)
This course examines the nature of contemporary globalization and considers how it influences communities, nations and the world. The course examines the positive and negative consequences of globalization and the global justice movement that have emerged seeking more equality, tolerance and environmental stewardship.

SOCL 397: Independent Study (3)
Independent study of a topic delineated by the student in collaboration with an individual faculty member.

STAT 370: Data Science (3)
Students will work on a research project with a client acting as a consultant on the statistical and computational aspects of the project. Students are required to meet with a client, develop a strategy for addressing their problem, and present their results to the client (and their classmates). **Prerequisites: STAT 308

STAT 389: Independent Study (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.

THEO 280E: Religion, Fantasy, and Popular Culture (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course examines Fantasy’s representation of the religious. We will begin by assessing the genre’s connections to religious myth, noting similarities and differences in the themes, narrative, and goals of each enterprise. Then, using the ‘secondary worlds’ created in literature, television, and film by Tolkien, Martin, and Basu, we will examine how these worlds reflect, reimagine, promote, and subvert the religious in our own world. Throughout the semester we will explore a variety of religious themes (good vs. evil, the sacred and profane, paths to salvation, morality and mortality—to name a few) through a diverse mix of religious practice from around the globe, all the while making connections to the ‘secondary worlds’ of our source material. At its end, we will seek to answer the question of whether or not Fantasy—the most ‘unrealistic’ kind of storytelling—actually succeeds (and where it fails) in addressing the very real spiritual and religious concerns of human beings.
 
THEO 280: Theology & Interdisciplinary Study - Faith, Science, and the Common Good (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course explores the threat of science denial through a series of three questions. First, what is science denial? This first phase will analyze science denial as the unwarranted rejection of scientific consensus on a range of issues (e.g., evolution), identifying some of the faulty rationales used for rejecting consensus. Second, what motivates science denial? The presumption of conflict between science and faith motivates much (but not all) science denial, so this second phase explores what analysts call the "Conflict Model," using detailed case studies of "creationism" and "scientism" to illustrate how the assumptions, methods, and rhetoric of these two views work to perpetuate conflict and facilitate science denial. Third, what mitigates science denial?
 
THEO 299: Religions of Asia (3)
An introductory survey of selected teachings, institutions, and practices of the great religious traditions of South Asia and East Asia placed in historical context.
Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the central texts, beliefs, ethical understandings, and practices of at least three Asian religions.
 
THEO 317: History of Christian Thought: Ancient to Medieval (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
In this course, we will explore some of the assumptions, modes of reasoning, and literary styles of ancient and medieval Christian theology. This is neither a primer in Christian doctrine nor a historical survey of the church, but an engaged attempt to enter into the thought world of ancient and medieval Christianity. Our study will focus on three questions fundamental to Christian thought: Who is God? Who am I? How can I be united to God? These deceptively simple questions organize a number of problematics that run through Christian theological reflection: the order of the universe and the knowability of that order; the relationship between the body and the mind; and the dynamics of human desire and its role in the spiritual life. We will trace these themes through three units: hagiographies, Late Antique/early medieval writers, and classical medieval writers.
 
THEO 353/373: Creation and the Fall in Popular Culture/Religious Traditions (Capstone) (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course investigates the historical, social, ritual and reflective positions of one or more religious traditions. It likewise develops the student’s abilities to use contemporary methods of historical, theoretical, and social scientific analysis of religious traditions.
Students enrolling in this course must have junior status and be Theology majors.
This 3 credit capstone course gives students an opportunity to integrate various aspects of their theological education, drawing upon the major sources of Christian and Catholic tradition, including Scripture, History, Systematic Theology, and Ethics.
Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the varied sources within Christian theological traditions and how to make reasoned theological arguments.

Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, & Scholarship/Office of the Provost

EXPL 391:  Seminar in Undergraduate Research Methods (3)
This seminar course offers undergraduate students the experiential opportunity to engage in research while building their foundation of research methods. Students may be part of the Loyola Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (LUROP) through a funded fellowship, or students may be working independently with a faculty mentor (volunteering in a lab, working on a research team). All students must have a research project with a faculty mentor identified prior to enrolling in this course. As an experiential learning course, students will need to be engaging in research with a faculty mentor concurrently to taking this course. Students must work a minimum of 5 - 10 hours each week over the semester on their research projects (10 - 15 hours per week over the summer session). Students will reflect on research experience in the context of understanding research paradigms, application of research methodologies, understanding the implications of ethical research, and preparing to present research professionally. This course will provide students engaged in research with the opportunity to develop a formal written research paper and poster, as if the students are preparing to present their research in a professional setting, such as the LUROP Symposium.

Parkinson School of Health Science and Public Health

PUBH 399: Public Health Capstone (3) 
This course is a cumulative, integrative and scholarly or applied experience or inquiry project. It may include internships, service-learning projects, senior seminars, porfolio projects, or research paper. The project provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate proficiency in effective communication skills through a written report and oral presentation. 

School of Education

CIEP 366: Special Topic Seminar (3) 
This course is a seminar for Special Topics for SOE undergraduate students. This seminar will allow SOE to pilot newly developed and approved courses. This seminar will be used by SOE - ADSU, TL, and SPSY - programs covering various educational subjects and interdisciplinary topics.  

School for Environmental Sustainability

ENVS 323:  Environmental Microbiology (3) 
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
This course introduces the signficant role of microorganisms in numerous enviornmental and human-engineered processes. It covers microbiology and its basic methods to orient students to this field of science and the importance of microbial diversity relevant to agriculture, public health, and ecological restoration.  
Prerequisites: BIOL 101, BIOL 102, CHEM 101, and (CHEM 102 or ENVS 274).
Outcomes: Students will learn to isolate and characterize environmental microorganisms; Students will investigate the role of microorganisms in nutrient cycling, remediation of soils, and transmission of existing and emerging pathogens.

ENVS 350B: Biogas (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.

ENVS 338: Climate Change and Human Health (3) 
This course provides an introduction overview of the health consequenses associated with climate change and the local, federal, and global response to mitigate these negative health outcomes. During this course students will be expected incorporate course content and develop a realistic response public health plan to climate change for a locality of their choosing. 
**Prerequisites: ENVS 101 or ENVS 137 or BIOL 101; Restricted to Majors and Minors in the School of Environmental Sustainability; Junior or Senior Standing. 

ENVS 391:  Environmental Research (1-4) 
Students may register for independent research on a topic mutually acceptable to the student and any professor in the department.  Usually this research is directed to a particular course or to the research of the professor.  Students must complete 3 credit hours to receive Engaged Learning credit.

School of Business

BHNR 343:  Integrated Analytical Decision-Making (3)
This course will focus on the analysis of business data, and use both statistical and data mining methodologies to make evidence-based decisions, with applications of these techniques to business problems.  Students will conduct an original data mining research project in any field of business administration, and create both a written analysis and presentation.   Outcomes: At the end of this course, the student will know how to formulate a business problem in a data mining context, then build, run, evaluate, and interpret a data mining model that addresses the problem.

BHNR 353: Research Practicum (3)
Restricted to students in the Business Honors Program.

ECON 346: Econometrics (3)
Only specific sections satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement.  These will include the letter E in the section number. Please see LOCUS for details.
The course provides an understanding of empirical techniques in economics. Building on your knowledge of probability theory and statistics, you will learn how to estimate economic relationships of interest and perform hypothesis testing on predictions from economic models. This course will enhance your understanding of statistical analysis and develop skills for the interpretation of quantitative data in economics. You will gain hands-on experience in working with data, performing statistical estimation and writing up the results of your findings in a research paper. The ultimate goal is to estimate the magnitude and statistical strength of causal relationships derived from economic models.

ENTR 390:  Entrepreneurship Strategies – Capstone (3)
This course prepares students for entry into the real business world either as a corporate entrepreneur or a new venture entrepreneur.

FINC 345: Portfolio Management (3)
Topics include a critical appraisal of the efficient market hypothesis, asset allocation using the Markowitz mean-variance framework, fundamental and technical analysis, and mutual fund performance evaluation.
Prerequisites: Junior standing; Minimum grade of "C-" in FINC 335.
Outcomes: Students will understand how stocks and other assets are selected; how economic and company information is monitored and used to adjust portfolio holdings; and how portfolios can be optimized to achieve targeted risk/return characteristics.

FINC 356: Topics in Investment Banking and Asset Management (3)
This course examines selected topics in investment banking and asset management, including stock and bond offerings, private equity, buyouts, mergers and acquisitions.  Students in the course research publicly traded companies, write equity research reports and pitch investment ideas; they also mentor junior analysts in the Rambler Investment Fund (RIF).

FINC 399: Topics in Inverstment Banking and Asset Management (3)
Scheduled classes are offered on an ad hoc basis. Specific titles, prerequisites and content may vary. **Prerequisites: Junior Standing. 

MARK 311E: Marketing Research (3)
This course develops an understanding of the research process from problem formulation through research report preparation. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are discussed. The focus is on using research results in marketing decision making. Empirical data are analyzed using state of the art analytical tools. ** Prerequisite: Junior Standing, minimum grade of "C-" in MARK 310 and ISSCM 241.

School of Communication

COMM 365:  Naturalistic Methods in Communication Research (3)
This course examines how communication research is conducted in naturalistic settings using qualitative methods associated with observation and in-depth interviewing.  Outcomes: Students will become familiar with the reading and evaluation of communication research, and apply the concepts studied in class to the design and development of a research project.

COMM 368:  Critical Ethnography in Communication (3)
This course teaches principles of participant-observation research as a critical practice to produce a 'thick description' of meanings, values, hierarchies of interests, power structures and ideals of a particular cultural group or community.  Outcomes: Students learn to conduct ethnographic research and its procedures, taking field notes, conducting interviews, examination of data and artifacts, and producing research results to a public audience.