10 Bizarre College Courses

Interesting college courses

Most colleges have at least one course that is notable to students as unique or bizarre. Whether it’s a skills-based course on avalanche safety, an ice cream manufacturing seminar or a class on the language Elvish from the “Lord of the Rings,” students are left with memorable experiences. Before choosing your college, look at the available course options, including the general required courses and fun elective courses. The following 10 unconventional classes aren’t offered on every school’s course roster.

The Geography of Wine

School: Arizona State University

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #121 (tie), National Universities

Course description: Drinking — or tasting — wine for a class assignment in college isn’t commonplace, but Arizona State offers this course. Students study the history of wine regions and their cultural and physical environments, grape variations, the roles of technology and policy, and wine-focused podcasts and magazines. Students become wine connoisseurs, participating in wine tastings during the course if they are age 21 or older. However, all ages can participate in the course by touring vineyards — virtually and in-person — and researching how wine affects culture.

Paintball Kinesiology

School: Texas A&M University

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #67 (tie), National Universities

Course description: This course in the School of Education & Human Development is part of the university’s activity courses, which also include Aqua Zumba and Ice Sports. According to its course description, the paintball class is for students who are at a “novice” level. The course can also get students involved if they choose to join the paintball club at the university, which claims it is the largest competitive team in the National Collegiate Paintball Association. Students learn in real time how to play at a local sports entertainment complex.

Vampire: Blood and Empire

School: University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #62 (tie), National Universities

Course description: This undergraduate course for first-year students is offered year-round. Students study vampirism from numerous countries, such as Russia, Serbia and France. The course examines movies, music, novels and studies about vampires and the culture surrounding them. Housed in the Slavic Languages & Literatures department, the course has an emphasis on Central European culture and its connection to vampires, including folk tales and legends.

DJing and Turntablism

School: Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #12 (tie), Regional Universities North

Course description: Music degree hopefuls might be looking for interesting courses to take outside of their chosen form of music. This elective course provides Music Production, Technology and Innovation graduate students at the Valencia, Spain campus with the basics of DJ skills — such as scratching, beat matching, mashups and mixing — and teaches how to “use the turntable as a musical instrument.” Students also learn about the history of hip hop, radio production and DJing. Course instructor Nacho Marco has been a DJ since the 1990s, playing at clubs and events in London, Ibiza, Paris and Moscow, according to the course page.

Ice Cream Short Course

School: Pennsylvania State University

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #77 (tie), National Universities

Course description: Professionals looking to be immersed in the world of ice cream manufacturing can take this weeklong short course, which Penn State has offered for 128 years. Entrepreneurs and curious students learn about ice cream from cow to cone. Students also learn about milk and ice cream composition, the safety of ice cream manufacturing, flavoring techniques and the creation of vegan and nondairy frozen desserts, among other topics. The course is offered once a year, and spots get scooped up quickly. “We’ve had a waiting list for the last 10 years or so,” says Bob Roberts, head of the Department of Food Science and a professor who teaches an ice cream-manufacturing course.

Sabermetrics 101: Introduction to Baseball Analytics

School: Boston University in Massachusetts

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #41 (tie), National Universities

Course description: Sabermetrics is the study of baseball statistics, and this course is for baseball fans who want to learn the behind-the-scenes of data science. The course is open to all students online through the edX program, meeting six to eight hours for four weeks based on the instructor’s pace. Students learn the basics of coding languages R and SQL and how to analyze baseball data. The course instructor also teaches students about the history of baseball and sabermetrics by using historical baseball data in coursework.

All Too Well (Ten Week Version)

School: Stanford University in California

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #3 (tie), National Universities

Course description: Set to run during Taylor Swift’s ongoing “Eras Tour,” this student-led course will bring Swifties together in spring 2024. The instructors will facilitate an in-depth analysis of the artist’s song, “All Too Well (Ten Week Version),” released in 2022 with a short film. The course is part of Stanford’s Introductory Studies student-led courses for first-year students. Students who take these courses live together in a residence that is focused on the study of the arts.

Zombies

School: George Mason University in Virginia

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #137 (tie), National Universities

Course name: Zombies

Course description: This undergraduate class in the university’s sociology and anthropology department studies how the culture of zombies has affected humans’ social anxieties over time. Similarly, the course “Zombies: Biology of the Undead” at Saint Xavier University in Illinois covers the fundamentals of zombie biology. That course is for students who want to learn about zombies and fulfill a science general education requirement.

Avalanche Level 1 and Rescue

School: Fort Lewis College in Colorado

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #9, Regional Colleges West

Course description: Housed under the adventure education major in the Snow and Avalanche Studies certificate program, this course teaches students about avalanche hazard management. Multiple course levels of avalanche rescue skills instruct about safety in snowy environments. Students can also obtain four certifications provided by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. According to the course website, students plan trips for rescue that could occur on avalanche terrain.

Golf Course Design & Construction

School: University of Maryland

U.S. News Best Colleges Rank: #55 (tie), National Universities

Course description: As part of the Golf Course Management program, a track of study within the university’s Institute of Applied Agriculture, students are introduced to courses like this second-year class, in which they learn about design theories and the architecture necessary to create a renowned golf course. The golf management program mixes science, environmentalism and management skills.

Other college course resources

Find out more about college majors and courses by visiting the U.S. News College Major Quiz and U.S. News Best Colleges University Rankings. Connect with U.S. News Education on Facebook and Twitter to get more advice on making the college decision.

Interesting college courses

— Geography of Wine

— Paintball Kinesiology

— Vampire: Blood and Empire

— DJing and Turntablism

— Ice Cream Short Course

— Sabermetrics 101: Introduction to Baseball Analytics

— All Too Well (Ten Week Version)

— Zombies

— Avalanche Level 1 and Rescue

— Golf Course Design & Construction

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