Illinois State University’s Board of Trustees today approved a new bachelor’s degree in renewable energy, which will include a technical sequence and an economics and public policy sequence.

The degree is a multi-disciplinary undergraduate major that provides a broad overview of renewable energy industries. Renewable energy is a fast-growing industry that will call for many new workers in the future.

The degree will be administered by the Department of Technology, but will draw from existing courses in the Agriculture, Economics, Health Sciences, Geography-Geology, Mathematics Politics and Government and Physics departments. The program will add one new faculty position and 40 majors are anticipated to enroll by the fourth year of the program.

Support for the program will initially come from a U.S. Department of Energy grant, and department resources will be used for long-term program support.

Source: Illinois State