ENV program enrollment rise follows national trend

“In 2008, we had 22 seniors in the program. This year, it looks like we’ll be in the high 30s,” Wilcove said. “It’s jumped quite sharply this year.”

Many students in the program said they think heightened concerned about environmental issues could be partly responsible for the increased interest in the program.

“I think [global climate change] is helping environmental studies gain significantly more traction in the academic world,” said Sarah Langberg ’09, who is pursuing a certificate in the program.

Wilcove said environmental issues like climate change will be a “defining problem” for the current generation of college students. “They’re going to have to deal with it through foods they eat, how they run their business or how they vote,” he said.

Chandler Clay ’10 said she decided to pursue a certificate in environmental studies after taking an introductory environmental sciences class with geosciences and Wilson School professor Michael Oppenheimer. “I had originally taken the class to gain a general understanding, but I soon realized it was a really interesting field and thought it would be an interesting focus with my economics studies,” she said.

Wilcove said the program offers courses in a wide range of academic disciplines to appeal to as many students as possible.

“It’s a nice program in that there is room for choice,” Langberg said.

Clay said she thought the number of courses offered in environmental studies has increased greatly in recent years, noting that there are now more than 20 courses for students to choose from. “They’re really trying to make the courses interdisciplinary,” she said. “It is a field that you need to tackle from different perspectives.”

Clay said her studies of environmental science will likely play a major role in defining her future career, which she said will probably include either environmental consulting or environmental law. She added that she thinks knowledge of environmental issues could be an important factor in finding jobs in the struggling economy.

“There is a big demand for green jobs and different projects that are environmentally related,” she said. “Even though the market is bad, I think the green market is growing.”

Wilcove said he believes much of the increased interest in the program is due to measures the University has taken to attract as many students as it can. He added that interesting summer opportunities may also help increase the program’s appeal.

“We are directing students to interesting internships to really give them a hands-on experience,” he said, noting that recently he has also seen an increase in the number of environment-related research opportunities available.

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Wilcove added that he has also seen rising interest in the environment outside of the classroom, noting especially the involvement of student groups and activities on campus. “I think there is a heightened interest in environmental issues around the world,” he said.