You probably chose your university subject during A-levels, because, well… what else were you going to do?

If you’re regretting it now, take a look at some of these five strange degrees from around the world. You might even fancy changing course.

1. Ethical hacking

Source: Mati Mango-Pexels

Yes, there is such a thing! Although the two words may seem like an oxymoron, legal hacking is actually a real job, and the University of Abertay in Dundee is offering a degree in it.

According to the uni’s website, the four year course ‘allows you to gain experience in investigating, analysing, testing, hacking and, ultimately, protecting real-life systems through the development of countermeasures’. A degree like this is also highly employable, with an impressive 88% employment rate!

2. Cannabis cultivation

Source: Ron Lach-Pexels

Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California (where cannabis is legal), which claims to be ‘America’s first cannabis college’ are the providers of these controversial courses. Students can do degrees in areas such as cannabis economics, the science of cannabis and cannabusiness. Terrible pun withstanding, these are serious courses, and the school say that they teach the ‘highest quality and most comprehensive training available for the cannabis community and industry’. Talk about higher education.

3. Bowling industry management and technology

 

Bowling industry management and technology
Source: Pavel Danilyuk-Pexels

Ever dreamt of being a bowling lanes manager? Or perhaps a lane and pinsetter maintenance person? Then Vincennes University, Indiana is the place for you. They offer ‘overall learning and preparation for employment’ in the bowling industry and are the only institution to provide this unique degree. The university provide an on site ‘18-lane bowling centre used as a laboratory setting’ to ensure their students have extensive experience of working in this complex field.

4. The Beatles historian

Source: Paul Daley-Pexels

As in the band, not the insect. This degree is offered by Hope University in Liverpool, of course, and advertises its job prospects after graduation as ‘Beatles historian’ or a ‘popular music studies specialist. Though it’s unclear how in demand the current job market is of someone with a diploma in the studies of the rock group phenomenon, it will be right up your street if the prospect of ‘examining the band’s cultural, musical, and historical impact on the world of music’ evokes a passion inside of you, despite the low employment prospects afterwards.

5. Beyoncé, gender and race.

Beyoncé, gender and race.
Source: Wikipedia

So maybe you’re more of a Beyoncé fan than a participant in Beatlemania, and perhaps you’re more interested in gender and race politics than how The Beatles changed the music industry. If that sounds like you, Copenhagen University is the place to go. This course is so popular that it’s recently had to be moved into a larger lecture hall, and for good reason, too. The course focuses on how Beyoncé has used her music and accompanying videos to comment on feminism, sexuality, and being a black woman in a white male dominated society. Prof Steinskog from the uni says ‘Beyoncé is one of the biggest pop artists today, which makes her important in an analysis of contemporary times. She’s a controversial feminist, which is crucial. She makes us consider what it means to be a feminist – or what it can mean. It is hard not to be impressed. She is extremely good at what she does’. So, when’s the next plane to Copenhagen?

Last Updated on November 18, 2024

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