Welcome Letter

Welcome to the Social Sciences!  Here at Loyola, our six social science departments pursue a common goal: to understand and address complex social problems facing the world today. We are a people focused division. If you care deeply about societal issues, are energized by our rapidly changing social world, or are insatiably curious about the human experience, you’ll love learning more within our diverse programs.

Studying the social sciences is essential to your well-rounded liberal arts education. We help prepare you to enter the world grounded in issues of social justice, practiced in critical thinking, and ready (Loyola ready!) to make a difference in a wide array of professional fields. At Loyola, you can fulfill a core requirement, take an elective, or pursue a degree pathway within the social sciences. In all cases, you’ll have the chance to focus on globally relevant and personally important challenges, building leadership and communication skills that will last a lifetime.

Our dedicated faculty are eager to be part of your educational journey. They teach with passion, infusing experiential learning opportunities and community engagement into their courses. You will build meaningful relationships with your professors, and they will truly get to know you. Indeed, taking courses in the social sciences is an excellent first step towards developing lasting mentoring relationships with faculty. These relationships will serve as a cornerstone for the transformational education you receive at Loyola. Whether your professors help you secure a Baltimore internship for course credit, mentor your work on a capstone project, sharpen your clinical skills, or involve you in their own research and scholarship, they will consistently inspire you, offering their time and genuinely caring about your unique potential.  

Never has it been more important to study the social sciences, so we’re very glad you’re here. Thank you for your interest in Loyola, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading through the different course offerings and opportunities within our social science division. 

- Theresa E. DiDonato, Associate Dean of Social Science and Graduate Programs, Professor