LSU CC&E: Expanding Programs and Breaking Records

This fall, the LSU College of the Coast & Environment welcomed a record-breaking 60 first-year students to its Coastal Environmental Science, or CES, undergraduate program. This brings the total number of students enrolled up to 180. In its inception in 2008, the CES program had just five students enrolled. Now, it is one of the fastest-growing undergraduate programs at LSU with a 90 percent retention rate as of last year. CES undergraduate program director Vince Wilson believes one of the secrets to the program’s success is its strong emphasis on undergraduate research.

According to Wilson, “Undergraduate research is available to every CES student, including incoming freshman, and has been an emphasis of the program since its establishment. Our research opportunities have opened pathways for students to present at national and international meetings, advance to graduate and professional degree programs, and more.”

Along with the expansion in the number of students, the CES program has also expanded the number of concentrations it offers from four to five. Concentrations, or specific areas of focus within a major that help students hone their particular expertise, can enrich the college experience and give students an additional advantage when applying for their desired occupation. Last year, the college added a coastal meteorology concentration to their repertoire, which includes: environmental science and research, environmental health, applied coastal environmental science, and environmental law.

The CES program’s multidisciplinary curriculum allows students to think critically, solve problems efficiently, and lead to better-rounded employees in a wide diversity of fields, including: law, oceanography, climatology, public health, coastal ecology, disaster response, medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental science, and more.

Visit our Prospective Students webpage for more information about the CES program.