Are you planning to study abroad? Do you want to pursue unique and different courses which few people are pursuing? If yes, you’ve come to the right place! Today, students want to move beyond medicine and engineering. With more and more career options getting introduced every day, you have more offbeat degrees to choose from if you plan to study abroad. From a degree in scuba diving to a degree in wine making, these different courses will make your mind boggle!
Check out this list of the 7 different courses you can pursue if you are planning to study abroad.
1. Dance therapy
If you love to dance and you have a Major in Psychology, dance therapy might just be the right option for you! Dance therapy involves therapeutic use of movements for the enhancement of emotional, cognitive and motor activities. It has become a competitive field in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
On graduation, you are eligible to become a registered professional member of the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP UK) which is also referred to Masters in Dance Therapy. The duration of this course is for 2 years if you want to pursue it full time or 3 years if you want to pursue it part-time. The course costs around $50,000 (Rs 32,48,015) There is immense scope in this field as the need for a more active and fun kind-of therapy is speedily gaining recognition.
2. Game design
Do you go full throttle in fancy game parlours or play games incessantly on your cell phone? Do your interests range from graphic designing to excessive gaming? If yes, this degree is your calling! You can opt for a bachelor’s degree in game design to gain an overview of the gaming world. Your course will cover simple math, design tools, storytelling, level design, virtual reality development, 2D design, and 3D design. There are various branches of game designing. Animation, game art design and computer software programmes are a few you will be delving into. A list of the top universities offering game design as a course is available here. This degree comprises of a 3-year programme. In the final year, you will be tested on how you make your own video game.
3. Biomimicry
If you’re a science student at heart, this is one unique science field you will be delighted to study! Biomimicry develops products and structures that are inspired by biological entities. It involves making life more sustainable using nature as a guide. Biomimicry has many branches, some of which are engineering, architecture, and product design. Esteemed colleges such as Arizona State University, University of California and University of Akron offer this programme to students interested in biology. A complete list of colleges offering this programme, along with the fee structure and curriculum is available here. There is great potential in this field as its importance is being recognised all around the globe.
4. Marine engineering
Don’t want to pursue plain old mechanical and software engineering? Don’t you wish your regular engineering degree could get a fun update? Well, your wish has been granted! Marine engineering is the utilization of engineering sciences to develop, maintain, and design naval structures. Universities in coastal countries like Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, the Philippines, Canada, and the USA offer this course. The coastal area becomes a classroom for students where they learn and interact with practitioners in the field. The duration is 4 years for graduate courses and 2 years for post graduate courses. Popular career options after completion of this course are marine equipment specialist, engineer of a ship, ship design engineer, marine structural engineer, and marine systems engineer. A complete list of colleges offering marine engineering as a course is available here.
5. Peace and conflict studies
If you’ve always been interested in political science and international relations, this course might be your calling. Peace and conflict studies help students learn strategies to resolve conflict through mediation, negotiation, and diplomacy. They analyse the causes of war and aim to find peacekeeping methods for long-term peace programmes. This programme requires applicants who have graduated in any of the social sciences, preferably political science. It is a 2-year programme with multiple career prospects. A complete list of colleges offering this programme is available here.
6. Musical theatre
When two of the greatest art forms come together, musical theatre is born! If you’re passionate about dance and music, this is the degree for you. This degree provides extensive training in choreography, vocal abilities, and performance so students can pursue career options such as acting, community arts, dancing, music therapy or theatre direction on completion of the course. The duration of the programme is 2 years. The entertainment industry has grown rapidly over the past few years and musical theatre, as a field, is becoming popular by the day. A complete list of colleges offering music theatre is available here.
7. Outdoor learning
If outdoor activities appeal to you, then a degree in outdoor learning is right up your alley. It involves wilderness-based experiences. Students participate in a variety of outdoor activities. They partake in hiking, climbing, canoeing, and group games. This degree draws its philosophy from ‘learning outside the classroom’. It studies how the environment contributes to an individual’s growth and sustainable development. The Australian Catholic University offers a bachelor’s degree in outdoor education and sports. It is a 3-year programme.
These unique degrees hold the same credibility as a mainstream degree would. Several Indian students are recognising the potential of these degrees and are choosing to pursue them for their study abroad.
Found this article interesting? Check out this article on the reality of studying abroad!
