Penn State offers online bachelors degree in sustainable policy

Penn State offers online bachelors degree in sustainable policy

A recent report given by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers shows that the clean energy provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are projected to create more than 700,000 green jobs over the next two years.

As a result of these figures, many American colleges and universities are creating new programs to help educate students about sustainable practices. For example, Penn State recently announced the launch of an online bachelors degree program in energy and sustainability policy. The degree will be offered through the school's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and delivered by Penn State's online World Campus.

"Concerns about global climate change, environmental and economic stability and energy resource security are driving the need for sustainable planning and policy making in the energy industry as well as in government," said Jeffrey Brownson, program officer and assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering.

With this degree, students can develop energy industry knowledge, a sustainable ethic, global perspective, as well as analytical and communication skills. Coursework focuses on client-stakeholder relations, market and non-market business strategies in the energy field, integrative design and decision-making for energy solutions, as well as data visualization techniques. In addition, seven new courses are being created for the program.

The Sloan consortium reported that 3.2 million postsecondary students in the U.S. took at least one online course during the 2007-2008 academic year.

By Mark Danson