About the Program

The Hyman Science 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 Hyman Science Scholars

Pre-orientation Session

Hyman Science 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 faculty and mentors and to learn more about the program and its requirements.

First Year Scholars: Messina Program

All first year students at Loyola participate in Messina, Loyola’s first year program. As part of the program, Scholars are registered in the same section of Introduction to Computer Science (CS151) for the fall semester, and take a core course together in the spring. Hyman Science Scholars will have their Computer Science instructor as their first year academic advisor ("core advisor"), and a student mentor ("Evergreen") who has a major in one of the program majors. Their experience with Messina will include a variety of mentors and advisors who will promote and inform students of extra- and co-curricular opportunities in STEM. The main difference for Hyman Science Scholars, compared to other first year students at Loyola, is the STEM focus of their Messina experience.

Second Year Scholars: Colloquium

Scholars in their second year will register for a one-credit colloquium in the fall semester 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: Interdisciplinary Opportunity

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. The Hyman Science Scholars Program Director will assist students in deciding how to meet their interdisciplinary requirement. For the full list of options, see the Third-year Hyman Science Scholars Program Requirements webpage.

Fourth Year Scholars: 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. Scholars will have extra opportunities for mentorship from the Hyman Science Scholars faculty.