This isn’t your father’s business degree.

 Putting the planet on the same plane as profits, UW-Extension is starting a first-of-its kind, online sustainable management program at four University of Wisconsin System campuses this fall.

It’s part of a movement on college campuses to offer "green degrees," preparing students for jobs where the emphasis isn’t just on the bottom line but also the environment.

Universities and colleges have long offered courses in environmental science or engineering, but this marks an entree into a green degree program for the business-minded crowd in Wisconsin.

"There’s a whole bunch of management jobs that are going to require an understanding of sustainability," said David Schejbal, dean of continuing education, outreach and e-learning at UW-Extension.

Colleges across the country are beginning to offer degrees in the field. A new University of Pennsylvania program allows students to earn an MBA and a master’s degree in environmental studies at the same time. Arizona State University opened a School of Sustainability in 2007, where students learn about the interaction of economics, social systems and the environment.

There’s apparently a need for such skills in the job market. In a recent policy paper, the Obama administration predicted a 52 percent increase in green jobs from 2000 to 2016.

Schejbal said the sustainable management degree is important not just to train people for new jobs, but to provide employees with the skills to adapt to the changing needs of existing jobs.

For instance, a physical plant manager might need to update the electrical system and would need to be well-versed in the intricacies of solar panels or wind turbines, Schejbal said. Another might be asked to start a robust recycling program.

The bachelor of science degree is geared toward adult and non-traditional students and is offered by UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout or UW-Superior, although all students take courses online.

Madison Area Technical College has been offering a renewable energy certificate for four years, a 12-credit course load that prepares technicians to work on installing and operating technology that harnesses energy from wind, solar or biomass.

"Everybody needs to be adding renewable energy where it’s applicable into four-year college programs and two-year college programs," said Barbara Anderegg, a machine tool instructor at MATC who is in charge of the certificate.

The creation of the sustainable management degree at UW-Extension involved input from Wisconsin businesses, Schejbal said, including Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls Inc., a maker of auto parts and building systems.

Don Albinger, vice president of renewable energy solutions with Johnson Controls, said he would be interested in hiring graduates of the program for analyst positions, purchasing or program managers.

The inaugural class is starting this fall and some courses already have a waiting list.

Sean Sullivan, a 45-year-old merchandiser for Coca-Cola in Columbus, was looking for a traditional marketing or management program when he stumbled across the sustainable management degree.

He had completed 60 to 70 credits at UW-Platteville and UW-La Crosse. He took a semester off and it "turned into twenty years," he said.

Wanting to go back to school, the degree appealed to him because of Obama’s emphasis on it and because he’s interested in energy efficiency.

"I thought there would be a lot of opportunities," he said.