The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan today announced that its enrollment increased 30 percent from the 2006-2007 academic year to 2007-2008, and that this growth trend shows all signs of continuing for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Final numbers for 2008-2009 enrollment will not be available until February 2008, when all regular and transfer students are taken into account, but Erb estimates that the graduating class of 2010 will be more than double what it was in 2005, signaling that the trend toward "green" business degrees continues on its steep upward trajectory.

The Erb Institute is a joint program of the School of Natural Resources and Environment and theí‚   Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and offers a dual MBA/MS program, as well as a variety of other programs. The Erb Institute's first dual-degree student graduated in 1995, and although MBA programs always tend to experience a surge during an economic downturn, enrollment at Erb has risen throughout its 15-year history. The significant increases in recent years are an indication that business degrees focusing on the environment are more than a passing fad.

"Fifteen years ago, the concept of corporate environmental responsibility was still in its infancy. Now, corporations are beginning to weave sustainability into the very fabric of their operations and growth strategies," said Erb Institute Director Thomas P. Lyon. "Erb students and alumni are among the emerging business leaders that have helped bring about this change over the past decade and a half. We are delighted to welcome a large number of students again this year, and look forward to seeing the impact of their influence both within the Institute and out in the field."

Erb Institute alumni now number 141 and are helping to shape corporate environmental strategy at companies such as BP, CitiGroup, DuPont, General Electric, Interface, MGM, PG&E, Stonyfield Farm, Target and Toyota. Other Erb graduates have pursued careers in the non-profit sector and in government at
places like the Nature Conservancy, the World Resources Institute, Trout Unlimited, the EPA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the World Bank. Notable alumni include Jennifer Layke '97, deputy director of the climate and energy program at the World Resources Institute; Kevin Greiner '98, CEO of Gas South; and Asako Nagai, corporate responsibility manager for Sony Corporation.

About the Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise
Created in 1996, the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise is a 50-50 partnership between the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. The Institute fosters professional education, public outreach and scientific scholarship supportive of the transition to sustainability -- that is, meeting the fundamental needs of a growing human population in an equitable manner within the means of nature. Utilizing a collaborative approach, the Institute helps business, government and civil society organizations to achieve meaningful progress toward sustainability. Its mission is be a premier source of knowledge and leadership for the achievement of environmentally, economically and socially sustainable development and enterprise.