46 Unconventional College Courses That Today’s Younger Generation Luckily Get To Take

"This 7-day course is offered annually in January.
At this year's short course, students will attend more than 20 workshops on specialized areas of ice cream technology, including flavoring, refrigeration, freezing and hardening techniques, and the manufacture of frozen yogurt and novelty frozen desserts.
The Berkey Creamery serves as a laboratory for research. Students should be prepared to study and review materials outside of class an optional closed-book examination follows the morning class session on the last day.
Certificates will be awarded after the exam, and class awards will be presented at the evening banquet." - courtesy The Pennsylvania State University

"MCAD's Comic Art major is for students who are passionate about storytelling and imagery, and want to explore Minneapolis’s strong comic scene. The program stresses both the traditional and digital craft of comics. Outside of traditional comic books, comic strips, and graphic novels, comic artists work in a variety of areas where compelling storytelling is required, including design firms, game and animation companies, filmmakers, corporations, educational institutions, and ad agencies." - courtesy Minneapolis College of Art and Design

"Whether you are a rain forest canopy researcher, an arborist, or just a kid at heart, everyone loves to climb trees. Recall the excitement and sense of adventure when you first crawled into the branches to look inside a bird's nest. Then you swung from limb to limb without a thought of ropes and harnesses. But what about that big tree down the street you always wanted to climb, but couldn't reach the first branch? This course will teach you how to use ropes and technical climbing gear to reach the top of any tree, to move around, and even to climb from tree to tree without returning to the ground." - courtesy Cornell University

"The most exciting and unknown terrestrial frontier lies deep inside cave systems! Expand your horizons to include the netherworld. Learn cave geology, map reading skills, rope systems, cave safety, environmental concerns, and hone teamwork and communication skills in this introductory class. Expect to be challenged and inspired as you explore caves in Eastern NY. You can expect to crawl and get dirty in these wild, beautiful caves. One weekend outing includes car camping." - courtesy Cornell University

"Our fermentation science program was developed with food and beverage fermentation industry leaders. You will get coursework in applied food fermentation, brewing science, sensory analysis, and operations management. Additionally, we regularly connect you with fermentation science professionals who are experts in their fields. Our food science program blends a strong science base with courses in food chemistry, food safety, food microbiology, and nutrition." - courtesy College of Health and Human Sciences

"This program is designed for persons with a demonstrated interest in farriery who have independently acquired some of the basic skills of the farrier trade. The 16-week program provides participants with practical knowledge of related anatomy, fundamental aspects of shoeing, and fabrication of shoes." - courtesy Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

"The interdisciplinary program has developed connections in Europe, the Pacific Rim and Mexico, and it attracts students from all over the world. Students learn a variety of artistic practices from jewelry making and fine metalsmithing, to the more unique elements of blacksmithing.

Graduates of the program have gone on to highly successful careers in academia and museum work, as well as that of a self-sustaining independent artist. We offer the only MFA blacksmithing program in the nation." - courtesy Southern Illinois University

"This course explores fundamental questions about the causes and nature of revolutions by looking at how people overthrow their rulers and establish new governments. Considers a set of major political transformations throughout the world and across centuries to understand the meaning of revolution and evaluate its impact. Examines how revolutionaries have attempted to establish their ideals and realize their goals. Asks whether radical upheavals require bloodshed, violence, or even terror. Seeks to explain why some revolutions succeed and others fail. Materials include the writings of revolutionaries, declarations and constitutions, music, films, art, novels, memoirs, and newspapers." - courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"The turfgrass program at Penn State has a proud tradition of serving the turfgrass industry and boasts an impressive list of "firsts." Initiated in 1929 through the efforts of committed clientele, it was one of the first turfgrass programs in the nation. It was the first to employ a turfgrass extension specialist (1934), the first to graduate a Ph.D. turfgrass scientist (1950), the first to offer a two-year technical program specifically for golf course superintendents (since 1957), and the first to offer an undergraduate major in turfgrass science (since 1992). But being first is not all that counts; it is the quality of the program that really matters." - courtesy The Pennsylvania State University

"This course teaches the art of guessing results and solving problems without doing a proof or an exact calculation. Techniques include extreme-case reasoning, dimensional analysis, successive approximation, discretization, generalization, and pictorial analysis. Applications include mental calculation, solid geometry, musical intervals, logarithms, integration, infinite series, solitaire, and differential equations. (No epsilons or deltas are harmed by taking this course.) This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month." - courtesy Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Have you ever wondered if Superman could really fly? What was Spiderman's spidey sense? How did Wonder Woman's invisible jet work? What does it really mean for something to be a scientific "fact"? Explore how science works and what constitutes "good" science through case studies drawn from a wide spectrum of people's experiences, for example, superheroes, movies, and real-world issues such as global warming. The case studies will provide the change to act as science critics as the students develop a better appreciation for science and the scientific method." - courtesy University of California

"Basic knowledge, skills, and enjoyment of surfing and a general understanding of ocean safety. Focus is on learning the local surf areas, different styles of waves, and conditions." - courtesy Coastal Carolina University

"Field course in marine flora with emphasis on ecology and functional morphology. Work will stress the roles of marine bacteria, fungi, algae, and angiosperms in coastal marine communities." - courtesy Coastal Carolina University

"Entertainment Engineering & Design emphasizes the importance of the creative process to the designing and building of engineered entertainment components. Students are educated in the application of high-level scientific and mathematical principles to the design, manufacture, and construction of structures, machines, processes, and live systems. This degree program focuses on preparing students for a discipline that creates the highly technical designs that the entertainment industry has come to demand. Students within Entertainment Engineering & Design will emphasize their studies within the fields of structural engineering, robotics, acoustics and systems and live entertainment, enabling them to move into the highly technological world of entertainment design with a strong engineering background fused with an understanding of the relevance of fine arts to the entertainment industry."
- courtesy University of Nevada

"The seminar is an inquiry into the social significance of clothing and a close examination of the relationship between clothing and identity in 20th-century America. To explore that juncture, students keep a literary sketchbook in which they record their observations about the ways clothing comes into play in the news, in their surroundings, and in their own lives. The journal helps the students hone their powers of observation and learn key skills for examining the world." - courtesy Princeton University

"Live without dead time. — Situationist graffiti, Paris, May 1968. We spend our lives in front of screens, mostly wasting time: checking social media, watching cat videos, chatting, and shopping. What if these activities — clicking, SMSing, status-updating, and random surfing — were used as raw material for creating compelling and emotional works of literature? Could we reconstruct our autobiography using only Facebook? Could we write a great novella by plundering our Twitter feed? Could we reframe the internet as the greatest poem ever written? Using our laptops and a wifi connection as our only materials, this class will focus on the alchemical recuperation of aimless surfing into substantial works of literature. Students will be required to stare at the screen for three hours, only interacting through chat rooms, bots, social media, and listservs. To bolster our practice, we'll explore the long history of the recuperation of boredom and time-wasting through critical texts about affect theory, ASMR, situationism and everyday life by thinkers such as Guy Debord, Mary Kelly Erving Goffman, Betty Friedan, Raymond Williams, John Cage, Georges Perec, Michel de Certeau, Henri Lefevbre, Trin Minh-ha, Stuart Hall, Sianne Ngai, Siegfried Kracauer and others. Distraction, multi-tasking, and aimless drifting are mandatory." - courtesy University of Pennsylvania

"Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions within the bowling industry in center management, sales, marketing, and technical fields." - courtesy Vincennes University

"Working with Pizza Hut, we’ll be training managers of their food outlets and those in charge of the teams, who work in fast-paced environments, to enhance and complement their leadership and management skills.

Initially, there will be 10 trainees from Pizza Hut who will form part of a cohort of 100 students and will benefit from the bespoke programmes currently operating at Manchester Met. The University already provides similar programmes for employers such as HMRC and Tesco." - courtesy Manchester Metropolitan University

"The growing acceptance and legalization of medicinal plants has created strong demand for skilled professionals and entrepreneurs in the cannabis, herbal extract, and natural product industries. Many pharmaceutical drugs originate from plant compounds, and interest in medicinal plant chemistry continues to rise with the expansion of the cannabis economy.

Northern Michigan University was the first to offer a four-year Medicinal Plant Chemistry degree. This unique program blends chemistry and biology with research, hands-on analysis, and a focus on entrepreneurship and lab standards, preparing graduates for careers in labs or to launch their own operations in this emerging field." - courtesy Northern Michigan University

"Could there be a more romantic major than wine? Students of viticulture and enology swish mouthfuls of Merlot and compare them to notes of coffee, lavender, wormwood, and star anise for a grade. They roam the campus vineyards with a professor and classmates who don wide-brimmed sun hats as they test grape leaves for their hydration. They can crush grapes, ferment wine, and travel to France for internships. Come study grape growing (viticulture) and wine making (enology) along with a dose of statistical analysis at one of the most highly ranked public universities in the nation and the world." - courtesy University of California

"The Nautical Archaeology Program (NAP) at Texas A&M University is the oldest academic degree-granting graduate program in the U.S. devoted to the study of boats and ships and the cultures that created and used them. NAP Faculty provide instruction in the history of seafaring and wooden ship construction; maritime commerce and cargoes; the skills needed to record, excavate, analyze, and conserve the archaeological remains of these activities." - courtesy Texas A&M University

"You'll understand the science behind human behavior and how the body and mind work together. The best of our psychology and biology courses are combined to provide you with a well-rounded program to assist you as you pursue graduate school or a career in a science-related profession." - courtesy Alfred University

"As a part of ESS 472, Rockets and Instrumentation, UW students launch science payloads to high altitude using high-power amateur rockets, providing design, fabrication, test, integration, and management experience; covers science motivation, engineering aspects, and delivery systems.

This is a hands-on course for the development of rockets and their instrumentation. Students will participate in the building of the rocket, the telemetry system, and the payload. The rocket(s) will be taken to the launch site (typically Eastern Washington) where the students will participate in final assembly, rocket motor fabrication, and then launch and recover the system. Analysis of data and performance occurs back at UW." - courtesy University of Washington

"This course is designed to integrate chemistry and cooking. An investigation of the chemical and physical properties of food, and the performing experiments that affect the flavor and characteristics of these foods based on these chemical and physical properties." - courtesy Coastal Carolina University

"The Race Track Industry Program is the first program of its kind offering a Bachelor's degree centered on the racing industry. It offers two paths of study; one preparing students for race track management, regulation or pari-mutuel racing organizations, the other preparing students for employment in areas dealing with racing and breeding animals." - courtesy The University of Arizona

"Investigate the Middle Ages across the globe, exploring the development of modern culture and society and its lasting global impact. Expand this focus to understand how our perspectives of the Middle Ages are shaped by modern portrayals in film, television, literature, and video games. The Bachelor of Arts in Medieval and Medievalism Studies program provides you with an appreciation of history, culture, and visual arts that can serve as background for pursuits in many different career fields." - courtesy Wilfrid Laurier University

"If you've ever wished that Pokémon could help you graduate college, you're in the right place.

Cal Pokémon Academy celebrates and explores all things Pokémon! This course covers the complete history of the global franchise, from popular media to meta-topics like marketing strategy and the competitive circuit. We will also discuss social issues within the Pokéverse, then delve into the theoretical science behind your favorite Pocket Monsters." - courtesy Democratic Education at The University of California

"Bagpipes require not just blowing into the pipes and fingering the notes, but also squeezing and releasing the bag to maintain a constant pressure. Bagpipers never play in front of a music stand and must memorize all of their music, along with the footwork that might go with it.

The instrument is also phenomenally loud. Carnegie Mellon bagpipe students practice in a separate building from the other music students, in a soundproofed basement studio." - courtesy Carnegie Mellon University

"The search for life in the universe. Exploring ancient Earth rocks that serve as examples of what could have happened to planets in different galaxies. And even analyzing and improving the tools we use to measure for evidence — either at the scale of a cell or a solar system — to answer these questions. These are the hallmarks of astrobiology research at Penn State. Our program brings together researchers from many disciplines to answer these pressing questions about the evolution of life.

The Astrobiology dual-title degree program, administered by the Department of Geosciences, enables students from several graduate programs to gain the perspectives, techniques, and methodologies of astrobiology, while maintaining a close association with major program areas of application." - courtesy The Pennsylvania State University

"The original course, Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame, was created and will be taught by Mathieu Deflem, a longtime USC professor of sociology and Lady Gaga fan. To the best of Defl em’s knowledge, this will be the only full-time, university-level course of its kind in the country. “We’re going to look at Lady Gaga as a social event,” Defl em said. “So it’s not the person, and it’s not the music. It’s more of this thing out there in society that has 10 million followers on Facebook and six million on Twitter. I mean, that’s a social phenomenon. It’s a global social phenomenon. So the central question of the course is, this fame, which is ironically also the theme of her first records, how can it be accounted for? What are some of the mechanisms and some of the conditions of Lady Gaga’s rise to popularity?” " - courtesy University of South Carolina

"Many people who have read The Hunger Games books and seen the films may have enjoyed the fast-paced plot and relatable characters, but a new class offered in AU’s American Studies Program offers a deeper look into the franchise. This fall professor Stef Woods will teach The Hunger Games: Class, Politics, and Marketing, a course that examines the themes of Suzanne Collin’s fictional dystopian universe.

The Hunger Games trilogy is a publishing phenomenon that has dramatically impacted American popular culture. Using the series as a case study, this course examines the interplay of class, politics, and ethics. Over the course of the semester, students will read The Hunger Games trilogy and theory discussing the text, exploring aspects of The Hunger Games and its cultural impact. Topics covered include oppression, feminism, food deserts, rebellion, the publishing industry, and social media marketing." - courtesy American University

"Selfies have become the cultural artifacts of our time, the digital mosaic that reveals how society views gender, race, class, and sexuality in the 21st century.

In USC’s SelfieClass — formally known as “Writing 150: Writing and Critical Reasoning: Identity and Diversity” — freshman students critically examine society’s influence on self-identity and how selfies reflect and affect the global culture in which we live.

In class discussions and individual interviews, students said their spontaneous snapshots often revealed subconscious feelings about their own femininity, sexuality, and ethnicity. They’ve used selfies to distance themselves from one group in hopes of being accepted by another." - courtesy University of Southern California

"Beyoncé Knowles' 2016 audiovisual project, Lemonade, has become a movement. Professor Harry M. Benshoff, a film scholar at the University of North Texas, proclaims that Beyoncé got the entire world to watch a 55-minute avant-garde film. Lemonade is a meditation on contemporary black womanhood. The purpose of this class is to explore the theoretical, historical, and literary frameworks of black feminism, which feature prominently in Lemonade. We will use Lemonade as a starting point to examine the sociocultural issues that are most prominent in black womanhood through black feminist theory, literature, music, and film." - courtesy The University of Texas at San Antonio

"Losing a loved one is never easy, and it's important that those experiencing that loss have a helpful, understanding, and graceful professional to help them through. Earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Mortuary Science degree from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and provide just what these families need, just when they need it. 

Our mission is to provide students with a comprehensive education in mortuary science and to prepare graduates to enter the funeral service profession to serve the diverse population of the District of Columbia and beyond. It is designed to encompass the managerial and technical aspects of funeral service and its related areas. It also provides the basis for further study in thanatology, pathology, grief counseling, post-mortem examination, forensic psychology, and mortuary science. Careers in mortuary science include funeral director, embalmer, autopsy technician, and funeral merchandise marketing."
- courtesy University of the District of Columbia

"Whether through music, film, video games, sports, or cuisine, K-pop–Korean popular culture–generates significant interest around the world. The emergence of smartphones and social media, and the convergence of creative content and digital technologies, have shifted global cultural flows of local pop culture.

The cultural market is no longer Asia but has expanded to North America, Latin America, and Western Europe. Drawing on recent scholarship from literary studies, film and media studies, ethnomusicology, art history, sociology, and anthropology, this seminar will navigate the social and political dynamics that have shaped Korean cultural production over the past decade. We will discover both the importance of the local contexts of production and the global reach of K-pop.

Students will explore international power dynamics in the field of cultural industries, political economy, nation branding strategies, cultural imperialism and counterculture, and globalization by investigating the processes of production, dissemination, and consumption of Korean pop culture." - courtesy Skidmore College

"This course examines the origins, characteristics, and end of the “witch craze” of sixteenth and seventeenth-century Europe. The course will set the witch craze in its widest historical context by examining the religious, social, intellectual, economic, demographic, and political trends of the period, as well as the general roles played by magic and superstition in early modern society. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of the Reformation in intensifying the witch craze and the Scientific Revolution in bringing about the “decline of magic”." - courtesy Salem State University

"Founded in 1981, the School has taught wooden boatbuilding and marine systems skills to more than 1,600 students. We offer a full-time 12-month Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degree in Wooden Boatbuilding, a 9-month diploma program in Marine Systems, and 5-day Intensives in Marine Electrical, Marine Corrosion, Marine Diesel Engines, and Marine Outboard Engines." - courtesy Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding

"Monsters and the monstrous have been among the most compelling and frequently recurring elements in literature, from ancient times to the present day. From Homer's Cyclops to Ridley Scott's Alien, monstrous figures have terrified and transfixed all those who come upon them. In this course, we will examine the figure of the monster to see what we might gain from our own encounter with the monstrous. To stage this encounter, we will read a number of literary masterworks from both ancient and contemporary contexts; lectures will also cover selections and themes from the burgeoning field of inquiry known as “monster studies.” " - courtesy University of Toronto

"Puppet Arts are a crossroad of many disciplines. Our students develop skills and knowledge in storytelling, design, sculpting, engineering, problem solving, fabrication, musicality, dramatic and comedic acting, directing, video production, writing, criticism, and other areas, as well. Students work autonomously and collaborate in groups, develop their own original work, and honor and emulate global traditions of puppetry ranging from Indonesian wayang kulit to Chinese pi ying xi to Punch and Judy." - courtesy University of Connecticut

"Ready to take your IT career to the next level? This five-day boot camp, powered by Infosec, a leading provider of cybersecurity training, will teach you how to legally and ethically discover security vulnerabilities before they are exploited by cybercriminals. Get hands-on experience with the same tools and techniques used by malicious hackers while also preparing to pass the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and CompTIA PenTest+ certification exams." - courtesy Virginia Wesleyan University

"The College of Psychic Studies is world-renowned for its courses in consciousness, healing, and the psychic arts. We offer excellent training in mediumship, psychometry, palmistry, numerology, and trance, as well as divinatory tools such as the tarot, Lenormand, and dowsing. Our programme is curated to support your self-development, and includes global healing modalities ranging from Tibetan Chöd and tantric yoga to Norse mysticism and Mexican shamanism. We pride ourselves on the high calibre and authenticity of our tutors and consultants." - courtesy The College Of Psychic Studies

"Celebrate your furry friend with a hands-on class that teaches you how to craft wholesome, flavorful treats made from real, high-quality ingredients. Discover the joy of making simple, nourishing snacks your pet will love—crafted with care, free from fillers, and full of fun." - courtesy Atelier Sucré

"This course examines the phenomenon of vampirism in verbal and visual texts from different time periods in various cultures (Russia, Poland, France, England, America). We will analyze stories, novels, and films focusing on vampires from a variety of critical perspectives, contextualizing the works in the cultures that produced them." - courtesy University of Pittsburgh

"Justin McDaniel, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Professor of the Humanities, shares the experiences from two of his Penn courses in which students take on “monastic” challenges—like giving up cellphones and computers for a month, staying silent, or even reading books straight through from 5 p.m. to midnight. He dives into the surprising reactions and lessons learned, showing how unplugging from distractions and focusing on one thing at a time can lead to unexpected breakthroughs and moments of clarity. It’s a fascinating look at how simplifying our lives can open up new ways of thinking." - courtesy University of Pennsylvania

"Our school will help you prepare for state licensing. You'll not only learn how to deal a variety of games, but you'll also master the customer service skills needed to entertain and interact with casino guests at the tables. Our Dealer School can lead to immediate employment opportunities in any of the six Maryland casinos. Getting trained will prepare you to audition for this career of a lifetime! View our Dealer School Orientation online to learn more about the industry, area casinos, and classes at AACC. Begin by signing up for an introductory information session to learn about full tuition scholarships and classes available to eligible new students." - courtesy Anne Arundel Community College

"Stupidity is neither ignorance nor organicity, but rather, a corollary of knowing and an element of normalcy, the double of intelligence, rather than its opposite. It is an artifact of our nature as finite beings, and one of the most powerful determinants of human destiny. Stupidity is always the name of the Other, and it is the sign of the feminine.

This course in critical psychology follows the work of Friedrich Nietzsche, Gilles Deleuze, and, most recently, Avital Ronell, in a philosophical examination of those operations and technologies that we conduct in order to render ourselves uncomprehending. Stupidity, which has been evicted from the philosophical premises and dumbed down by psychometric psychology, has returned in the postmodern discourse against nation, self, and truth, and makes itself felt in political life, ranging from the presidency to Beavis and Butt-head. This course examines stupidity." - courtesy Occidental College