The CPaMS Scholars program is a competitive program that provides Scholars with a support group of peers that will be with them throughout their four years at Loyola, a course of study with a strong interdisciplinary focus, and mentors to orient them to college life and to advise them about STEM opportunities. Scholars are chosen based on their academics, and may be offered financial aid based on their financial need.

Courses and activities associated with CPaMS Scholars:

Pre-orientation Session

CPaMS Scholars will kick off with a one-day meeting to be held the day before Loyola's Fall Welcome Weekend for all new students. This pre-orientation session is designed to welcome the Scholars to Loyola and encourage them to begin naturally forming a community with one another and the management team, before Loyola's activities for first-year students get underway. Scholars' parents and immediate family members are also invited to meet CPaMS faculty and mentors and to learn more about the program and its requirements.

First Year Scholars and Messina Program

During their first year, all Scholars participate in Messina, Loyola’s living learning program. As part of the program, Scholars are registered in the same section of Introduction to Computer Science for the fall semester. Their experience with Messina will be interdisciplinary, focused with a concentration on physics applications and will include a variety of mentors and advisors who will promote and inform students of extra- and co-curricular opportunities in STEM.

Second Year Scholars and Colloquium

Scholars in their second year will be registered in a one-credit colloquium that focuses on STEM opportunities. Speakers from academia, industry, and government will talk about internships, research, and career options available to them in STEM. Scholars will be encouraged to interact with these speakers in order to form a network of STEM professionals. The colloquium will also prepare them to apply and participate in research and/or internship opportunities the following summer which may include Loyola’s Hauber Summer Research Fellowship.

Third Year Scholars and Project-based Computational Course

Scholars in their third year will participate in an interdisciplinary experience of their choice. One option is to take a three-credit computational data science course in which they learn tools for acquiring, cleaning, analyzing, exploring, and visualizing data. For the full list of options, see the Third Year CPaMS Requirements webpage.

Fourth Year Scholars and Career Services and Graduate School Preparation

While Scholars will have received career and graduate school guidance throughout the program, every Scholar in their fourth year will be invited to workshops focused on final preparations to enter the STEM workforce or graduate school in STEM.

"There are amazing opportunities at Loyola for people who interested in pursuing mathematical or scientific careers, and especially through the CPaMS program, where I have a lot of opportunities I would not receive elsewhere. The CPaMS Scholars program is really setting me up for success. I am getting valuable advice from professionals, which is helping me decide what types of internships I am interested in, what jobs I may pursue, and how to achieve those positions."

—Rebecca Martino, CPaMS Scholar