A major trend: more universities and colleges are offering aquatics programs.(aquatic sciences)

Universities always encourage students to apply their higher learning to real-world situations. Today, students can literally get their feet wet, from the first day of school all the way through graduation.

Across the country, more and more universities and colleges are offering aquatics as undergraduate degrees.

"Aquatics has really expanded and mushroomed. There are so many different recreational skills now that are aquatic-related," said Dr. John Mark Carter, professor of aquatics and recreation at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Ky.

In 1985, 25 institutions had some kind of aquatics program. Five were declared minors. The other 20 were aquatic concentrations or emphasis. By 2004, the most recent statistics available, 35 schools offered 41 programs. Seventeen had minors. Two--Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and Salem State College in Salem, Mass.--have four-year bachelor's degrees.

Carter brought the aquatics minor to Campbellsville University when he switched from Wingate University in Wingate, N.C. Campbellsville's courses end with a certifying exam from a national agency, which Carter said is helpful for students' resumes and becoming necessary for jobs. "We're all certification-and licensed-based in so many areas," he said. "We've had it in law, medicine and education."

Bob Ogoreuc agreed. "Aquatics is certification-based and experience-based," said the assistant professor at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa. The school has more than 50 students taking its aquatics minor right now, a number that keeps growing each year. "If I want a teaching job at a high school, I need my WSI. An aquatics director needs certification in CPO. [Students] are starting to realize the value of certification in our world."

Ogoreuc said his school's program is structured to make students think creatively. "I've been trying to tell our minors to take a look at [their] aquatic program from high school or the community, and what can [they] do to make it more interesting."