Episode 148: Degrees of Ridiculousness

The typical American education ends in college. People pursue their passions, no matter how small, no matter how… atypical. This episode delves into some textbook “weird” college degrees and perhaps why they are not so weird as people believe, or why they truly are as weird as we think they are. And perhaps… we poke a bit at the USAmerican obsession with simply having a degree.

We really don’t have resources for this episode as we just kind of looked at degrees that are a little unusual and don’t have a ton of applications outside of very specific uses. So I can link you to where you can read more about some of those degrees.
We talked about degrees in parapsychology, so here’s a place where you can read about that:

And we noted that there were a few places where you could get a degree in Parapsychology or Occult Studies:

Koestler Parapsychology Unit (at University of Edinburgh, UK)	Research-unit in parapsychology; undergraduates in psychology can opt to do research or theses on psi/paranormal topics; there is also an 11-week public online course in parapsychology.	This is arguably the most reputable “parapsychology presence” in mainstream academia but it doesn’t grant a standalone “parapsychology degree.” Students study under regular psychology degrees
University of Exeter (UK)	MA in “Magic and Occult Science” a taught postgraduate program in esotericism, occult science, ritual magic, witchcraft history, and related topics.	This is probably the closest thing to a legit “occult studies” master’s you’ll find at a modern university. It’s history/social science/framing
California Institute of Human Science (CIHS, USA)	MA in Psychology with a “Parapsychology” concentration, letting students explore consciousness, psi phenomena, remote viewing, survival of consciousness, etc.	This is an accredited institution (to some degree), though “parapsychology concentration” tends to sit at the fringe of mainstream psychology.
Bircham International University (distance-learning)	Offers online degrees (Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD) in Parapsychology, and also in Mythology & Occultism.	It’s a non-traditional / distance-learning setup, useful if you just want a credential for fun or self-study. The “real-world” acceptance of these degrees may be limited.
Thomas Francis University (TFU / Metaphysics-type school, online/distance)	Offers “Paranormal Science / Parapsychology” degrees (Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD) oriented toward UFO-studies, paranormal research, anomalous phenomena, etc.	This is far more in the “metaphysical / paranormal investigator” mold than academic psychology; treat it as akin to a “ghost-hunter’s degree.”

We also briefly talked about Wilderness and Adventure degrees mostly because we didn’t know what they were before we looked into them. They’re weird sounding degrees, but they’re actually very cool, very useful degrees. Adventure-based college programs train students to do things like lead wilderness expeditions, rescue people off cliffs, teach outdoor skills, wrangle kayaks, handle ropes, and generally keep human beings alive in the woods. These degrees usually blend environmental science, leadership training, emergency medicine, outdoor education.

Common degree names include Adventure Education, Outdoor Leadership, Wilderness Therapy, Outdoor Recreation Management, and Adventure Tourism. Students learn backpacking, mountaineering, paddlesports, wilderness first responder skills, group facilitation, risk management, and environmental stewardship.

Where do graduates end up? Guiding rafting trips, running ropes courses, teaching at outdoor schools, leading youth wilderness therapy programs, coordinating national park education, or working in adventure tourism. It’s part environmental science, part physical education, part psychology. So when I read the degree name of Adventure Education, I certainly thought it was a weird degree, but it’s actually quite cool.

You can get this degree, if you’re in the United States, at places like:

• Prescott College (Arizona) – BA & MS in Adventure Education, Wilderness Leadership, Outdoor Program Administration.
• Western Colorado University – BA in Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Leadership, Resort Management.
• Appalachian State University (North Carolina) – BS in Recreation Management with Outdoor Experiential Education concentration.
• Northern Vermont University / Vermont State University – BS in Adventure Education (one of the long-running dedicated adventure ed programs).
• Montana State University – Degrees in Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Studies with adventure/outdoor leadership pathways.
• University of New Hampshire – BS in Outdoor Education.
• Colorado Mountain College – AAS & BA in Leadership and Outdoor Recreation; also professional certifications.
• Paul Smith’s College (Upstate NY) – BS in Outdoor Recreation, Adventure Education, and Wilderness Leadership.
• Weber State University (Utah) – Outdoor & Community Recreation Education.
• Northwest College (Wyoming) – Outdoor Recreation Leadership AAS degree.
• Fort Lewis College (Colorado) – Adventure Education major.
• Green Mountain College (closed, but formerly famous for their wilderness program — sometimes referenced historically in “weird degree” discussions).
• Southern Oregon University – Outdoor Adventure Leadership programs.

A true weird one that we talked about, though, is a Master’s degree in Beatles Studies. Officially called The Beatles, Heritage and Culture MA, it explores the band’s music, their Liverpool roots, and how their influence reshaped everything from tourism and heritage industries to urban identity and cultural economics. People who get this degree, from our research, really only go on to teach in this program, teach music history, work in museums, work in other forms of academia, or work in the tourism industry around Liverpool.

Finally, we talked about turfgrass management. Mostly because one of us wanted to understand why this needed to be its own degree and not just be bundled into another degree. So we talked about it. It’s weird, but like a degree in Adventure, we can really see that this is a real need and not just something weird.

Turfgrass Management Degrees focus on the science, care, and maintenance of grass in sports fields, golf courses, parks, and other landscaped areas. Students learn about soil science, plant biology, pest and disease control, irrigation, fertilization, and sustainable landscape practices. Programs often combine classroom instruction with hands-on field experience, giving students practical skills in managing healthy, resilient turf for recreational, athletic, or commercial purposes. Graduates typically work as golf course superintendents, grounds managers, sports field managers, landscape consultants, or in research and environmental consulting roles, applying their expertise to maintain safe, attractive, and environmentally sustainable turf.

In this United States, you can get this degree from places like:

• Penn State University (University Park, PA) – BS in Turfgrass Science
• Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) – BS in Turfgrass Management
• University of Georgia (Athens, GA) – BS in Turfgrass Science & Management
• North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC) – BS in Turfgrass Science
• Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) – BS in Turfgrass Science
• University of Missouri (Columbia, MO) – BS in Turfgrass Management
• Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK) – BS in Turfgrass Management
• University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) – BS in Environmental Horticulture with Turfgrass Focus
• Clemson University (Clemson, SC) – BS in Plant & Environmental Sciences with Turf Focus

We talked about other things on this episode, but those were the things we talked about the most.