The college application process can be a daunting task, especially when it feels like you have too many decisions to make and not enough time to make them. Not only do you have to pick a college, but eventually you have to decide on a major, which you may even change once or twice (or more!) along the way.
Many pre-collegiettes (and even current college students) struggle with picking a major that is considered to be “practical” but also reflects their interests. Money is great, but you don’t want to spend four years taking classes on a subject that bores you to death! If you know that a business, computer science or nursing degree isn’t for you, check out our list of unique majors that could turn your dream job into a reality.
1. Pop Culture
Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH)
Do you enjoy binge-watching television shows on Netflix or obsessing over celebrities? If so, this major might be a dream come true for you. Students who major in Popular Culture at BGSU study TV, popular music and literature, amusement parks and movies. This degree prepares students to pursue a variety of careers, especially in the fields of journalism, mass media, public relations and advertising. Fun fact: BGSU is the only institution in the nation to have a department of popular culture! Program courses include Introduction to Popular Music, Television as Popular Culture and Youth and Popular Culture.
2. Bakery Science & Management
Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)
If you’ve ever wanted to open your own bakery or cute little cupcake shop, you might want to consider Kansas State’s Bakery Science & Management program. According to the KSU department website, this major trains students for administrative, research, production and executive positions in the baking industry. You can also choose whether to focus on production management, which is more business-oriented, or cereal chemistry, which involves quality control and research and development. Program courses include Flour and Dough Testing, Basic Nutrition and Principles of Milling.
3. Comedy: Writing and Performance
Humber College (Toronto, ON, Canada)
You’ll have to leave the United States for this degree, but if you’re looking to become the next Louis C.K. or the newest Saturday Night Live cast member, it might just be worth it. Humber College in Canada offers a major in Comedy Writing and Performance, which helps students jump-start their careers in the arts and entertainment industry. Students in this program develop their craft through stand-up, scriptwriting and sketch comedy, and graduates have gone on to work for Second City and Comedy Central. Program courses include Stand-up Comedy, Improvisation and Comedy Script Writing.
4. Costume Technology
DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
Have you ever dreamed of designing for the stage? Look no further than DePaul’s Costume Technology program. The Theatre School’s BFA degree is designed to prepare students for jobs as drapers, fabric cutters and costume shop managers. Graduating design students each get the opportunity to create an exhibit of his or her portfolio, which is then presented in Chicago to artistic directors, alumni and other potential employers. Classes include Drawing for Designers, Technical Production Practice and Principles of Design.
5. Floral Management
Mississippi State University (Oktibbeha County, MS)
Spending your days surrounded by beautiful roses, tulips and daisies and arranging flowers for a living sounds great, right? Besides working for or running your own flower shop, the floral industry offers tons of job opportunities that you may not have considered, such as garden design, wedding and bridal design planning and horticultural therapy. Interested? Check out MSU’s Floral Management program, which allows students to get hands-on experience in sourcing, purchasing, distributing, marketing and designing with floricultural products. Program courses include Interior Design Fundamentals, Permanent Botanical Floral Design and Wedding Floral Design.
6. Adventure Education
Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT)
Yes, you read that correctly; at Green Mountain College, you can actually get a Bachelor of Science degree in (educational) adventuring. GMC’s program is designed to help trailblazing students develop as leaders and gain the skills necessary to flourish in the educational adventure industry. As part of the program, students learn about outdoor expeditioning by backpacking through the mountains, planning and leading their own outdoor expeditions and spending an “immersion semester” doing activities such as rock climbing, white water kayaking and rock climbing. Program courses include Sailing, Backcountry Cooking and Essentials of Scuba.
7. Viticulture and Enology
Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
For the ultimate wine-lover (or anyone who was inspired by Dennis Quaid’s characters’ Napa Valley vineyard in The Parent Trap), Cornell boasts a program in Viticulture and Enology, where you can learn to master the arts of grape growing and winemaking. Students study the climate and soil of the New York region and can concentrate on either the grape or wine production aspect of the industry. The program’s courses include Grapes to Wines, Wine Microbiology and Sensory Evaluation of Foods.
If you’d rather spend your day working in a bakery than a lab, one of these unusual majors could be for you! Who said college classes couldn’t be fun?