Nationwide, more than 100 majors, minors or certificates were created in 2009 in energy and sustainability-focused programs at colleges big and small, says the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

That's up from just three programs added in 2005.

Two factors are driving the surge:

Students want the courses,
Employers want the trained students

Green Jobs in Energy

The Obama administration has estimated that jobs in energy and environmental-related occupations will grow 52% from 2000 through 2016, vs. 14% for other occupations.

• Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

• Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. has 65 majors in renewable energy, a program started in 2008 with help from a $1 million Department of Energy grant.

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In September it launched a minor in energy studies. A student survey said 43% of freshmen and sophomores were very or extremely interested.

• University of California-Berkeley.  The Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laborator has seen student interest in its introductory energy class explode from 40 or so students ten years ago to 270 today.

Green Jobs in Energy are expected to be one of the fastest growing careers as alternative energies, the smart grid, renewable energy generation and advanced automotive technologies are commercialized and become the core of the global... and new green economy. 

SOURCE: USA Today