"I thought if we had on the order of 20 students total by now we would be doing well," said Fred Mackenzie, coordinator of the global environmental science program. "I think philosophically we have a lot to offer undergraduates. They are able to work very closely with faculty who are at the top of their fields."

The global environmental science program draws on the expertise of faculty from around the Manoa campus and gives students three track options: marine science, policy and economics or climate.

"Environmental science as a field of study started in the '60s, but a lot of those programs weren't very rigorous in nature," Mackenzie said. "I think we touched a nerve."

The major Mackenzie designed is nothing if not difficult. Students must take a slew of biology, chemistry, math, physics, geology and geophysics, meteorology and oceanography classes before they even start to take the global environmental science classes. Students can take classes on topics such as environmental economics, atmospheric physics or soil erosion and conservation.

Ali Warren, 30, is in her second semester of the program. She acknowledged that it's very stressful, with lots of homework, but she said the program is right for her.

"The professors in this department are incredible," Warren said. "For the longest time, I have wanted to come back to school and do something related to the environment. I knew right away this is what I wanted."

Money for the program comes primarily from the Edwin W. Pauley Foundation, which gave $200,000 to help the major through its first four years. That financing ends in 2002, however. The major has also received $70,000 in start-up money from the NOAA Sea Grant program, $12,000 from the Bernice C. Loui Foundation and a $1,500 scholarship from Chevron. The money goes toward expenses such as administrative costs and educational materials.

Future financing for the major is uncertain.

"It's discouraging," Mackenzie said. "We're all anticipating that once we're institutionalized there will be support from the university. But that doesn't mean we aren't being entrepreneurial and going out and looking for money and funding."

The new major has found wide support from the SOEST faculty. About 45 SOEST faculty members are involved in mentoring or teaching global environmental science students, and an additional 10 professors from fields such as economics, law, geography, philosophy, urban planning and environmental health also participate.

Texas A&M University officials have come to look at the program and may use it as a model for their school.

Philosophy professor Mary Tiles team-teaches a class, "Modeling Natural Systems," with oceanography professor Peter Muller.

"We have this double act," Tiles said. "We swap back and forth. At least in the phase where we are still developing the course we have to do it this way. I don't have his expertise and he doesn't have some of my expertise. For the time being I think you have to have both professors in the classroom."

Tiles and Muller spent about a year developing the class. There's no textbook because the coursework is so unusual, but Tiles said the professors may eventually write their own. The class they designed includes topics such as the debate over the computer models used for global warming. Students are taught to think critically and ask how trustworthy predictions are made.

"It takes them a little while to understand what it is that we're asking," Tiles said. "That's the case with anyone facing a philosophical question for the first time. It's a really good experience."

The professors benefit as well, she said.