UMassOnline Announces New Offerings in Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Environmental Public Policy, and a Green Building Professional Development Series

Timely Trio of New Online Programs for Fall Semester are the First of More to
Come Addressing Growing Global Energy, Environmental, Ecological and
Sustainability Mandates
SHREWSBURY, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
UMassOnline, the online learning division of the University of Massachusetts,
today announced a timely suite of three new program offerings in Sustainable
Entrepreneurship, Environmental Public Policy and Green Building. These
UMassOnline programs were collaboratively developed by, and are being offered
through, UMass Amherst Continuing & Professional Education and its University
Without Walls (UWW) unit, and UMass Dartmouth.

"These quality programs have been developed in quick response to some of the
most pressing environmental and ecological challenges facing our planet and a
future generation of local, regional, national, and international business and
community leaders," said UMassOnline Interim CEO Mark Schlesinger. "These
innovative offerings and the speed at which they have been tailored for quality
online learning," added Dr. Schlesinger, "speak to the University of
Massachusetts` online learning vision and our commitment to matching its
educational programs, online and on-campus, with the ever-changing contemporary
learning requirements needed to meet 21st century career opportunities."

The Sustainable Entrepreneurship offering, comprising a mix of online as well as
blended learning courses, is a bachelor`s degree completion program developed by
UMass Amherst`s University Without Walls. This new concentration, designed to
teach adult learners the new art of sustainable entrepreneurship, will draw on
courses from many UMass Amherst departments including holistic health,
sustainable food and farming, geothermal energy conservation, and green
building. Overall, the Sustainable Entrepreneurship concentration is designed to
help students obtain the skills and knowledge they need to take a lead role in
the emerging green economy, with a focus on the implications for people, the
planet, and profits, or what is often called today`s `triple bottom line.`

The newly announced Environmental Public Policy graduate certificate developed
by UMass Dartmouth`s School of Education, Public Policy and Civic Engagement
comprises two required and two elective courses, all of which are entirely
online. The required courses are: Public Institutions and the Policy Process;
and Environmental Policy. Electives include Environmental Consequences of
Globalization, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, and Ocean Policy and Law.
These courses, as well as five additional courses also offered by UMass
Dartmouth in their Sustainability Undergraduate Certificate program, may be
substituted for the blended learning programs in the UMass Amherst UWW program,
thereby enabling students anywhere in the world the option of pursuing a
Sustainable Entrepreneurship degree completion program entirely online. The five
additional courses in UMass Dartmouth`s Sustainability Studies Undergraduate
Certificate program are Quantitative Reasoning in the Environment, Principles of
Sustainability, Environmental Policy, Special Topics and Readings in
Sustainability, and Sustainable Living.

In a related announcement, UMass Dartmouth said that credits earned through its
graduate certificate program will be transferable into its Master`s degree in
Public Policy anticipated for calendar year 2010.

"We`re seeing increased interest for more advanced courses such as these in
sustainability and environmental policy," said Jennifer Brady, UMassOnline
Director of Marketing. "As the world moves toward better energy, environmental,
ecological and sustainable practices and technologies, UMassOnline, through the
UMass system offerings, aims to sustain its leadership position for rich and
contemporary content, and for the ongoing innovation of the most advanced
technology platform for global delivery."

A third set of courses slated for fall semester are the Green Building
Professional Development Series, developed as part of the Building Materials and
Wood Technology program in the Department of Natural Resources Conservation in
the College of Natural Resources and the Environment on the UMass Amherst
campus. This program is designed for architects, engineers, builders and
building officials who wish to enhance their knowledge of sustainable building
methods and materials; for design and construction professionals who desire a
deeper understanding of the environmental impact of construction and ways to
mitigate it; for real estate professionals seeking a program that provides
practical training; and for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED)
AP professionals looking for a program that will compliment their credentials.
Courses offered in this program include Sustainable Building and LEED
Certification, Energy Efficient Housing, The Built Environment, Green Building
and Indoor Environmental Quality, and Sustainable Sites for Green Building.
According to this program, every year, buildings are responsible for 39% of U.S.
CO2 emissions, use 71% of the nation`s electricity, and account for 70% of all
landfill waste. Green buildings can significantly reduce greenhouse emissions
and energy dependence, by using less energy, water, and natural resources and
creating less waste.

Complete program details about the Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Sustainability,
Environmental Public Policy and Green Building Professional Series can be viewed
on the UMassOnline website at www.umassonline.net.

About UMassOnline

UMassOnline, the online learning consortium of the University of Massachusetts,
provides the highest quality education offered by the UMass system in a
flexible, online format enabling students, professionals, and lifelong learners
to take courses anywhere, anytime. With close to 90 undergraduate and graduate
degree, certificate and professional development programs and more than 1,500
courses, UMassOnline offers one of the largest accredited online programs
available. Programs span the disciplines for which the University is best known:
liberal arts, education, management, nursing, public health, information
technology, and other disciplines. For more about UMassOnline, go to
www.umassonline.net or visit our blog at www.umassonlineblog.com.

UMassOnline
Jennifer Brady, 508-856-1030
jbrady@umassonline.net

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