People go to universities to gain rigorous education and training in order to prepare themselves for their chosen career. As useful as they are, all those lectures and course work can get a tad boring at times. To keep the students interested a number of universities have gone ahead and added some of the weirdest yet wonderful courses. And with the courses they are coming up with they are sure to grab the attention of the student community.
So without further adieu, here are some five courses which sound made-up but do exist in reality:
Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter (Ohio State University): Are you a Harry Potter fanatic? If so, then Ohio State University is the place to be for you. The university teaches a course that is the stuff of your dreams. Titled ‘Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter’, the course focuses on the wizard world and will teach you about the literary techniques and the cultural history of the novels. And the best part is you get to read the series all over again along with other materials of the fantasy genre.
The Vampire in Literature and Cinema (University of Wisconsin-Madison): Be it Dracula or Edward Cullen or Bill Compton, vampires never go out of fashion. And thanks to books like Twilight and TV shows like True Blood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer vampires are just as popular as any other superhero across the world. Their popularity can be gauged from the fact that they are a subject of study in many universities, albeit sans the blood samples. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is offering a course titled ‘The Vampire in Literature and Cinema’ in an attempt to demystify cultural perceptions of Eastern Europe by analyzing folklore, literature and film from the region, with special focus on the image of the vampire in them.
Invented Languages: Klingon And Beyond (The University of Texas at Austin): All Game of Thrones fans are about to lose their calm as now they can pursue a course on the much loved Dothraki language at The University of Texas at Austin. Titled ‘Klingon And Beyond’ after Klingon, the language used by the fictional alien race in the movie Star Trek, the course uses invented languages as a vehicle to discuss current ideas about linguistic theory, especially ideas surrounding the interaction of language and society.
The Joy of Garbage (Santa Clara University): As gross it sounds, this course is no joke as students are asked to investigate garbage as archaeologists investigates for hidden artifacts. The main idea behind the course is to show societies to deal with their waste in the same way they take care of their environment.
The Science of Superheroes (University of California-Irvine): When was the last time your physics teachers taught you the key concepts and principles of the subject by using your favourite superheroes as examples? Mind blown? What sounds too good to be true is actually an innovative way to make the dreaded subject more engaging and accessible with a dash of fun. Students learn about real principles of physics using the entirely fictitious superpowers wielded by their favorite superheroes. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman…they have it all. Drooling to learn physics all over again? You know where to go.
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