Going to university is a huge deal. Your decision about what direction to pursue in your studies is going to massively affect the rest of your life. But it’s often an agonizing choice. Do you pick economics, computer science, or engineering to be practical? Or do you follow your heart and embrace literature, archeology, or whatever else you’re passionate about?
It’s tough when there are so many different paths you can follow. However, there are way more degrees out there than you think. Redditor u/GazelleHistorical705 sparked a really fun discussion after asking people to share the most ridiculous college majors they’d ever heard of. World domination, becoming an influencer, and being a certified pirate are just the tip of the iceberg! Scroll down to check out the rest.
#1
At MIT you can be certified in being a pirate if you complete the courses of pistol, archery, sailing, and fencing.
Image source: ArwenAsmi
#2
At a graduation at the University of Redlands. They have a degree whereby you basically take the classes you want and call it what you want.
The degree conferred was, I kid you not: “Still trying to figure out who I am.”
Image source: dmur726, RDNE Stock project
#3
That new “Influencer” degree in Ireland. My generation keeps disappointing me…
Image source: Legitimate-Career342, Los Muertos Crew
#4
IIRC, like 20 years ago some college in Indiana offered a major in World Domination
Image source: Rev_Christopheles, Min An
#5
My college briefly had a major in Nordic Lesbianism
Image source: WhizzleTeabags, Brett Sayles
#6
An old friend majored in *post-medieval Russian music*, which is a field that can only lead back into academia.
Image source: ScarnAndMacklinFBI, wikipedia.org
#7
I think it was annother reddit post somewhere else, but One guy knew annother guy who had majored in egyptology, where the only way to make money was to get a masters in egyptology and teach egyptology, a literal pyramid scheme.
Image source: Ok-Platypus-7206, wikipedia.org
#8
An old friend has a Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Activities. He was never able to explain exactly what that meant, though.
Image source: EnlargedBit371, Katya Wolf
#9
Puppetry. You can become a doctor of puppetry at UConn
Image source: 93tilInfinityish, Eric Masur
#10
somebody got a degree from just studying the Beatles
Image source: bouncypinata, Bernard Gotfryd
#11
Frisbee. A friends roommate at Amherst was in some kind of “create your own major” thing and chose frisbee.
His family had momey and college was just a formality.
Image source: hightower65, Michael Gane
#12
Golf.
It was made so the Vice Chancellor could buy a private golf course for the university, so he could play on it. I believe it had 5 enrollments ever, and one was a joke that didnt show up or pay. It got cancelled the first year, but he got to enjoy his own personal golf course for some years after.
Image source: jadelink88, Markus Spiske
#13
Masters Degree in Magic and Occult Science from the University of Exeter in the UK.
No idea what the f**k they’re playing at.
Image source: Charisma_Engine
#14
Indiana University in Bloomington has a program where you can create your own degree. Will Shortz made his degree enigmatology.
Image source: tracerhoosier, Brett Jordan
#15
My university had an Interdisciplinary Studies department that served mainly to get super duper seniors graduated. They would cobble together the random credits people got because they changed majors every semester into a “degree”. You get some wild majors like a BA in Culinary Traditions and Music in the Former British Empire.
Image source: pinelands1901, RDNE Stock project
#16
Peace Studies. She works part time in a coffee shop. For the last 8 years.
Image source: Katesouthwest, Anastasiya Lobanovskaya
#17
Cat psychology. My college had a hippie offshoot and the rumor was my year a gal graduated with a degree in cat psychology.
Image source: Northern-teacher, Cong H
#18
My mothers best friend had a PhD in Genocide studies.
That’s not really ridiculous but.
She was the happiest most chipper person I had ever met and I was always thinking.
“is she taking something to be like this? Or is she just a little crazy? Because I would be depressed.”
Image source: HericaRight, wikipedia.org
#19
I once worked at a pharma company, and worked with a guy with “Dr.” in his name on his door.
Later found out his phd was specifically in “decision making”. Sounded insane until he explained it was related to ethics in the field of philosophy.
Image source: Adventurous-Depth984, Andrea Piacquadio
#20
Not sure if still available, but in Japan you could get a degree in making tea. Admittedly the whole traditional process is very much like a dance or performance rather than just boiling the kettle and using a teabag but when I first heard of it I was like wtf, kids these days.
Image source: darybrain, Ivan Samkov
#21
PhD in general studies
Image source: dravik, Kampus Production
#22
Even in the 80s, the US produced more journalism majors than there were journalists.
Edit: To clarify, more majors every single year than journalists employed.
Image source: zenos_dog, Ketut Subiyanto
#23
P.E.I. Bonewits got an B.A. from UC Berkley in “Magic.”
Image source: ExpedientDemise, https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-blowing-sprinkle-in-her-hand-AJ_Mou1FUS8
#24
Non-Violent Studies. A friend majored in it. I never figured out exactly what it was but he eventually became a professor of American Studies.
Image source: lynnburko
#25
Did some pre reqs at a school that offered Storytelling as a degree. Also had a Bluegrass major. I actually think they’re both really interesting fields, and I appreciate Appalachian culture being preserved that way. Sadly, surviving late stage capitalism doesn’t leave a lot of people time to study things because of passion. It’s all about the grind.
Image source: Relevant-Branch-4324, Karolina Grabowska
#26
Underwater basket weaving.
Image source: I_Have_A_Name37654
#27
I met a guy from Texas A&M who said all the jocks and meatheads majored in “poultry science”.
Image source: geekusprimus
#28
My college in Florida offered a major in Canadian-American Relations.
Edit: Wow, really struck a nerve with the CAR majors of reddit
Image source: lookyloolookingatyou
#29
Bible. Not religious studies or theological history, it’s just Bible.
Image source: carolina822, John-Mark Smith
#30
Wasn’t there a school that ended up doing a e sports degree? Guess if you wanted to start a league or team it would be nice but kids just joining to “get good” is not good lol
Image source: Klashus, Buro Millennial
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