For students who would like to give up the real world’s planners and fluorescent lights for plants and bright sunshine, opportunities in environmentally-friendly majors may offer additional benefits. Among these is the refreshing idea of multiple job offers in America’s less-than-blossoming job market.

“I think the emphasis on environment and sustainability is growing,” said Dan Nadenicek, dean of the University’s college of environment and design.

Nadenicek said more students majoring in landscape and design are getting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificates, a program that provides knowledge of standards for environmental construction.

Doug Bailey, director of organic agriculture at the department of horticulture, said the horticulture industry has been growing rapidly over the past few years.

“In the horticulture industry we are seeing a lot of opportunities. We actually have more job openings than we have majors,” said Bailey. “Most students get 2 to 3 job offers upon graduating.”

Bailey said the University announced the school of horticulture had the second highest starting salary on campus, but that was not the only benefit to a horticulture major.

“The corresponding benefit to our salary is that it’s kind of a nice lifestyle – to be outside and work with plants,” Bailey said. “I often ask students ‘Well, why did you choose horticulture?’ And they’d often say they wanted to work outside and didn’t want to be in a cubicle for the rest of their [lives], and they also wanted to do something good for the environment.”

Laurie Fowler, co-director at the University’s River Basin Center, said the center had seen an increase in interns focusing on sustainability in the past few years.

“These students are looking at sustainability issues on our campus and at the Odum School of Ecology,” Fowler said. “One group had looked at using the waste chemicals from another lab for energy, and another looked at alternate transportation methods on campus.”

Fowler said more students were creating interdisciplinary majors dealing with different environmental sciences, and she saw this as an encouraging sign for the future.

“Our real sustainable options are going to involve all aspects, so I love that students are creating interdisciplinary majors,” she said.

John Gittleman, dean of the University’s school of ecology, said the ecology major was increasing rapidly.

“I think students are interested in the core science behind sustainability,” Gittleman said. “And when it comes to making decisions about having sustainable water and other decisions knowing how to respond to water and diseases and other resources – that’s something ecological science can contribute to.”

Gittleman said students could find employment opportunities at non-government organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International, and at businesses including Walmart and Home Depot.

Nadenicek said students majoring in environmental fields would see growth in that job sector.

“I think it’s clear that sustainability is something the Obama administration values and that they’re thinking of ways to spend money to create green jobs,” Nadenicek said. “And that seems to be a clear indication of where the money’s going in the future.”