6 Most Unique Courses to Study in US
Written by Mariethe Joan Cobrito
Do you feel tired of attending the same, usual courses? US Universities don’t only offer the usual Biology, Business and Economics courses, but they also offer unique courses on interesting niche topics. You do not have to be caught up in textbooks for your entire college experience, as most of these courses are hands-on and immersive. From sports like tree climbing to learning about drag in entertainment, try spicing up your class schedule by signing up for these one-of-a-kind classes.
Ice Cream Short Course - Penn State University
Our ice cream enthusiasts will definitely love this! Starting off strong, this short course taught by Penn State will teach you the ins-and-outs of ice cream. Dr. Bob Roberts, the professor for this course (Yes, a real authority on ice cream), taught students from huge companies like Nestle, Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever and many more. This course has actually existed for more than 125 years, and they cover everything from “Cow to Cone” in their words; from the quality of milk from the farm to the production process in factories and to sales and general management of an ice cream business.
As of this year’s updated details, students had to pay a registration fee of $2,550 to attend this short course. Though registration has already reached full capacity for next year’s class, you learn more about this course here.
Tree Climbing Course - Cornell University
Exploring the wilderness once in a while is a great way destress from your usual studies
This Cornell course brings you out of the classroom and into the woods, launching the student's inner child as they “recall the excitement and sense of adventure” we felt as kids climbing up trees. Though you can often see rock climbing or mountain climbing from time-to-time, this would be a first for universities to introduce tree climbing as an accredited course. Luckily for us, students do not need any prerequisites to sign up. Students get to learn how to climb and maneuver safely over treetops without harming the trees by using ropes and specialized climbing equipment – there’s even a chance of trips exploring the forests in other countries like Costa Rica and the Republic of Georgia!
Especially after the pandemic, many of us have been shut inside and glued to our devices. Going outside and exploring the wilderness once in a while is a great way to destress from your usual studies. Check out more information here.
How to Stage a Revolution - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Why and how do people overthrow their governments? Why do some revolutions succeed and others fail?
The toppling of governments and powerful institutions are a staple when learning history in any country. However, in the midst of violence and bloodshed, some questions are still left unanswered. As stated in this MIT article mentioned, this History course answers two questions: Why and how do peoples overthrow their governments? Why do some revolutions succeed and others fail? This course examines constitutions, music, film, art and other forms of media to achieve the answers to these two questions. The course is split into three sections, with three professors instructing on three revolutions from across the world.
From previous semesters, they have covered the French Revolution, the Mexican Revolution, and the Iranian Revolution, but in line with current recent events the course content is bound to change. Students decipher the social and political factors that led to previous revolutions. Though hopefully no one is inspired by this course, learn more about it here.
An Introduction to Honey Bees Short Course - University of Florida
Now here’s another un-BEE-lievably fascinating short course, which is all about the world’s most important pollinator. University of Florida actually has a wide range of short courses all dedicated to this insect from their Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, however if you wish to get started this is the course for you (and you can also see if beekeeping is right for you in this free short course here!) Similar to our previous short course, this course will teach you everything you need to know about bee colonies from its components to its lifespan, all while stressing the importance of bees to our ecosystem.
With a small fee of just $10 and with no other prerequisites, learn all about bee-keeping at your own pace here.
Shakespeare to RuPaul: Drag in Entertainment - University of Central Florida
Oh yes, there is a class for this! Our last entry on this list is a comprehensive course on the rich history of drag. This is one of UCF Florida’s elective theater courses for non-majors, and there are many other options available such as the Evolution of Musical Theatre to Cultural Diversity in Theatre. This course examines how historical societal structures have influenced the place of drag performance. However, the cherry on top for this course would be their guest lectures which have featured a guest from RuPaul’s Drag Race! This allows for students to really hear from those in drag the triumphs and challenges faced by drag performers.
You can check out all of these theater courses here.
This doesn’t have to be you this coming school year!
Trying these unique courses can really spice up your class schedule and make college life even more fun! If you want to learn more about how to get into university to attend these cool classes, you can sign up for a free consultation with Millie!