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A first-year program to help students transition to Loyola and build community. Your Messina class is a learning cohort of about 16 students that takes a fall and spring course together. In addition to academic coursework, this cohort explores topics including academic and social transition to college, practices of reflection and discernment, the Common Text, getting to know Baltimore, and more!

Yes -- all members of the Class of 2030 are automatically part of the Messina program, and will take part in one Messina seminar course each semester of their first year at Loyola. Students should complete our Course Pairing survey (sent out via email in mid-May) to choose the course pairings that most interest you. Or we can choose one for you based on your interests!

Not necessarily! Most Messina courses fulfill core requirements or electives needed for your graduation, regardless of your major. There are some exceptions, and you can refer to the Virtual Advising notes on each course pairing page for details on any courses that may be specifically related to a particular field of study.

No, the first choice of Messina course pairing is not guaranteed, although most students are placed in one of their top choices. The priority deadline to submit your preferences via the Messina Course Pairing Survey is May 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. All students who submit the survey by this deadline will have an equal chance of receiving one of their preferred Messina course pairings. You will be notified of your Messina course pairing via e-mail in mid-June. 

Messina is a full-year program in which students take one Messina course in the fall and one Messina course in the spring. These are courses that fulfill requirements toward graduation, but feature smaller class sizes and an opportunity to get to know your professor and classmates a little better. Since most students take five courses per semester, you will typically also have four non-Messina courses on your schedule each semester.

In addition to the regular class meeting times, Messina students will participate in a 50 minute "Enrichment Session" with the Messina course faculty member, a Messina Mentor (a campus administrator) and your Evergreen (student orientation leader). This time is built into your course schedule, and although this is extra time spent in class, the time will sometimes be devoted to off-campus class trips, discussions about first-year transition issues and other topics as they surface. Topics discussed in the enrichment sessions will be referenced throughout the course, and therefore, participation is required.

No. Students will travel together as a class only to Messina seminar courses and enrichment sessions (1 course during fall semester and 1 course during spring semester).

Yes, if seats remain in your desired course pairing.  Students may inquire with the Academic Advising and Support Center to discuss changes to their Messina course pairing. 

Students receive an email from Loyola's Office of Technology Services after submitting an enrollment deposit. The email, sent to your personal email on file, contains login information to access the Inside Loyola website. If you do not receive the email within 2 days after deposit, check your spam or junk folder.  If you are unable to find the email or access your account, please contact the Office of Technology Services Help Center by calling 410-617-5555, Monday-Thursday from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, or Friday from 7:30 am to noon. The Office of Technology Services will be closed on University Holidays.

If you have an ID number but cannot access the survey, contact the Messina Office at 410-617-2669 or messina@loyola.edu and we will assist you.

Most Messina courses fulfill Core requirements, so choose classes that interest you! You are welcome to preference a course based on your intended major, core requirements (find out more about Core Curriculum Requirements), or an interest in a particular topic. Either way, Messina courses will help towards fulfilling graduation requirements. Next to the course title, look for the "C" for Core or "D" for Diversity indicating the requirement the course fulfills.  Some courses also include a service learning ("S") option. Service learning courses are not required, but are highly encouraged. 

You will be registered for 3 or more of your fall courses by the Academic Advising Support Center (AASC) during the month of June based on the information provided in the Messina survey.  After you receive your partial course schedule in late June, you will have the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one meeting with your Messina faculty member/advisor or a member of the AASC team to discuss your schedule and make any necessary changes. 

All students should still complete the first two sections of the survey, as these sections collect information that is valuable for general course registration.

For students who are enrolled in the Loyola Honors Program, your Honors courses in the fall and spring semesters will serve as your Messina course pairing. Messina offers course pairings designed by Honors faculty members to fulfill the first-year Honors Human Drama sequence requirements.  

Sellinger Scholars, Hyman Science Scholars Program, Empowered Scholars, and Ignatius Scholars will also be placed in Messina sections specially designed for those program cohorts.  

Students who have already been accepted into one of these programs are able to select Option 2 in the preference section of the survey, which will complete the survey without submitting preferences.

Yes. If you would like to make a change to your preferences, you may resubmit your information before May 29, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. using the same survey link. We will use the latest submission of the survey as your preferences.

Later in summer 2026, AASC will contact you if you receive credit for AP exams. At that time you will have the chance to contact AASC at 410-617-5050 to rearrange your course schedule. If necessary, AASC will switch your Messina course pairing if you have received credit for one or both classes in the pairing you are registered to take. We will do our best to provide an option for one of your other course pairing preferences.