Colleges have started offering more courses in nonprofits, responding to students' growing interest in working for organizations that are socially and environmentally responsible.

Many of today's students volunteered in high school and college, where they developed a social conscience that they will carry into their careers, said Randall Donohue, a professor of business at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

"They're interested in making a good living while not doing as much harm to the environment, or in some social areas," Donohue said. "I've seen an increase in students going into nonprofits. They're interested in applying business skills in a way that gives back."

Commercial companies, meanwhile, are looking for socially aware employees, as they try to become more environmentally and socially responsible themselves.

"The demand is coming not just from student interest but from the corporate world," Donohue said.

Nationwide, more than 230 colleges offer courses on nonprofit work, up from 179 a decade ago, according to a 2007 study from Seton Hall University.

Last year, Arizona State University introduced a major in nonprofit management.

Local colleges are part of that trend.

This spring, CLU will introduce a new track within its Master of Business Administration program: sustainable enterprise.

The school already offers classes in corporate social responsibility, marketing for social enterprises and nonprofit management. In addition, CLU offers certificates in marketing and fundraising for nonprofit organizations.

Arild Kraakmo, 24, hasn't decided yet what track he'll pursue in CLU's MBA program, but he sees a strong interest in socially conscious work among his classmates.

"A lot of students are seeking that line of career," said Kraakmo, who is from Norway. "It's motivating. They have something to work for; they know they're doing a good thing for the community or the environment.

"You see it not only in this country but all over the world."

CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo offers an undergraduate course on nonprofit organizations. Also, within its communication major, it has a track focusing on business and nonprofit communication.

At the graduate level, the school is considering adding nonprofits as an emphasis area within its MBA program.

"From what I hear and have seen in the literature, I feel it needs to be its own discipline because nonprofits have their own characteristics," said Gary Berg, dean of extended education. "And they make up a significant part of the economy."

— The New York Times News Service contributed to this report.