By Larry Buhl

 The mercurial job market isn’t the only factor affecting students’ consideration of college majors. They’re also looking at where the world is heading, and planning accordingly. Colleges and universities are keeping up, too. Below are six of the fastest-growing degree programs, all in response to the world’s newest challenges.

Health infomatics – also called medical informatics and biomedical informatics – is the juncture of clinical care and IT and is growing fast as more professionals are needed to computerize and analyze America’s health records. There are more than fifty bachelor’s degree programs in the U.S., and many more to come, according to the Commission for the Accreditation for Health Infomatics and Information Management Education.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects job growth for medical records and health technicians to be much faster than average over the next decade.

Homeland security. The attacks of 9/11/01 boosted the urgency to train more people to detect and thwart acts of terrorism. According to the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, more than 300 colleges and universities have rolled out homeland security courses since 9/11, and there are now 75 undergraduate degrees. Courses include critical infrastructure, criminal justice, emergency planning, weapons of mass destruction, and constitutional issues.

Information assurance and cyber security. In the wake of high-profile attacks in governments, defense industries, and financial and telecommunications companies, there is a growing recognition of the need for professionals who can spot new threats and vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks. The National Security Agency and Deparatment of Homeland Security have designated 145  National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance, schools that meet established standards in teaching technical aspects of protecting computer systems, networks, and individual computers from viruses, worms, hackers, terrorist threats, and corporate espionage. Graduates of the programs, which cover 40 states, often develop into cyber experts who help to protect national-security information systems, commercial networks, and critical information infrastructure.

Nanotechnology. Also called “nanotech,” is the ability to manipulate, control, and design structures and tools at a scale that is invisible to the unaided eye. The National Science Foundation (NSF) projects that 6 million nanotechnology workers will be needed worldwide by 2020. A BS in nanotech allows graduates entry into the computer hardware and software industry, green energy, and dozens of other related fields, according to Daniel D. White, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Professional and Corporate Recruitment and Outreach at the State University of New York – Albany. “Students learn the rules at the macroscale don’t always apply at the nanoscale, and these new rules open up an enormous field of opportunity for new devices and new ways of approaching old problems,” White says.

Public health. The major prepares students for jobs in government agencies, health corporations, community nonprofit organizations, and healthcare facilities or prepare them for further study in med school or research. The increasing interest in public health and global health represents students’ idealism and their commitment to changing the world for the better, according to Richard Riegelman MD, PhD, Professor and Founding Dean  of George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.  “Students increasingly recognize the relevance of public health to issues from AIDS, to obesity, to the costs of health care,” he says.  Prior to 2003 there were very few undergraduate public health programs. Now there are 30 undergraduate environmental health programs, more than 200 health education programs at 4-year colleges, and many programs planned for community colleges, according to Riegelman.

Environmental studies and environmental science. Jobs devoted to environmental improvement grew far faster than other occupations from 2000-2006 and the BLS projects continued rapid growth through 2016. Colleges and universities are meeting that demand with majors that prepare students for so-called “green” careers in fields as diverse as biology, chemistry, public policy, and environmental law. This fall the University of Wisconsin-Madison began offering undergrad degrees in environmental studies and environmental sciences due in part to student demand, according to Tristan Marotz, undergraduate programs coordinator from UW-Madison. “Students see these majors as preparation for jobs of the future,” she said.

Marotz brings up an important point: If the college or university near you doesn’t have the cutting-edge degree you’re looking for, ask them to offer it. You and other students might be the extra push needed to get it up and running.