Strange Classes you've taken

[valo403]

Originally Posted by FiftyBelow

I haven't taken anything wierd... but I've heard that the U of C offers a Kines course where you pretty much just lie down and "spiritually meditate."

There used to be a kines course that was basically about camping, I made kraft dinner in front of the oval on a camping stove. There was also an assignment calling for a 'vision quest' which essentially meant we drove out to the woods and got drunk, then wrote a paper about it. My degree is worthless.

[Vulcan]

I took a course in Tantric Buddhism at Seattle Free U. in the 60s. It was taught by a student of a Tibetan Lama living in Seattle. Considering the time, I can't remember hardly anything about it.

[Antithesis]

I took a 4th-year course at the U of A entitled "Comic Books and Graphic Novels".

[Singe]

I took a class that was called special projects, where you could do whatever you wanted and only got graded at the end of the class. It was six months long, so i built a strat copy electric guitar with a big ass racing stripe. Got a A on it too. The guitar is still in use somewhere around southern alberta, and it was built in 1983.
I think that was around the time i discovered dope. lol

[Mango]

I took a summer session of music history that was based on music from the 80s. The weekly tests were basically "Name that Tune". We got to watch a lot of VH1 music specials and the instructor was a member of a Canadian band from the 80s, but wouldn't tell us which one. I guess he's changed his name since then, so we couldn't google him.

[maverickstruth]

I took (and loved) the Economics of Pro Sports at the U of L. No prereq, counted as a senior level social science... oh, and free textbook! (Text is second link on this page if you're interested]

[Rathji]

The U of C has a Film Studies class that is the Study of Pornography. I think it runs in conjunction with the studies the Kines department runs on the treatment of repetitive stress injuries in the wrist.

[Kipper is King]

I am taking a Jazz History class I am pretty stoked about. I have always enjoyed jazz casually, but I really want to expand my musical horizons.

Also, I'm taking a class on Natural Disasters after someone on CP chimed in that it was easy!

[Flamesguy_SJ]

In 2nd year I took a Communications class called "DJ Culture". It was a two-part course: first half of term we studied the history and cultural impact of DJing, and the second half we spent experimenting with different DJ software and had to put together group and individual "podcasts" of a setlist for our final project. Very cool class.

[Ruttiger]

On a lark I took a Women's Studies course at the U of L. There were two males in that class and out of the two of us it was pretty apparent I was the only straight one. One of the classes degenerated into a 60 minute discussion on sex toys. Some days it was entertaining to be a fly on the wall in that class. My term paper extolled the virtues of porn and I somehow managed to pull off (pun intended) an 'A'.

[OilersBaby]

- History of Rock and Roll (which had 3 modules, Elvis, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles). I used it to fulfill a General Education requirement at SJSU. Strange but really fun class, especially the listening lab where you had to listen to the music and be able to identify the title/artist as part of the midterm and final exams.

[Montana Moe]

Death, Dying, and Medical Ethics:
One of my favorite courses, we discussed how death has been celebrated/honored in cultures throughout history. We had multiple field trips to funeral homes, hospices, cancer centers, autopsies, etc. Very good course for someone going into the fire service like myself.

History of Presidential Assassinations:
In depth study of asassinations and attempts on U.S. Presidents and Presidential candidates. Much of the course focused on the assassins themselves and their mental/political issues. Connspiracy theories were addressed as well.

Hitler and Nazi Occupied Germany:
No tests, just reading and peer discussion on different aspects of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime in general.

As a double major in History and Fire Science, they were all options in required curriculum.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by chid

At UofC I enjoyed the Primate Anthro class

Me too! Probably was my favourite class of my engineering degree.

I don't even remember what my other option was so it must not have been that interesting. Gooooo math & science!

[chid]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

What's UWO?

University of Western Ontario, its in London

[Flame Of Liberty]

Wow I must admit I am shocked after reading this thread, I mean I've heard a lot of bad things about Canadian education system but I would have never imagined it was this bad.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Wow I must admit I am shocked after reading this thread, I mean I've heard a lot of bad things about Canadian education system but I would have never imagined it was this bad.

This is a joke right?

Take a look at the course offerings at every single major university in the world and you'll see similar courses. Post-secondary education isn't limited to traditional notions of academics, thank god.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Originally Posted by valo403

This is a joke right?

Take a look at the course offerings at every single major university in the world and you'll see similar courses. Post-secondary education isn't limited to traditional notions of academics, thank god.

No joke.

I highly doubt that this is a world wide thing, I've never heard that let's say German universities offer crap courses like these. I mean maybe they offer them as "short courses" for fun and games separately from the curriculum but I find it highly unlikely that they count these sorry excuses for academic courses towards a respectable degree*.

* if you study stuff like "fine art" for example and mock around with pottery classes and get a paper at the end, I don't consider that as a degree. i consider it a paper proving that you wasted a number of years and a lot of taxpayer dollars fooling around with clay and crayons

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Wow I must admit I am shocked after reading this thread, I mean I've heard a lot of bad things about Canadian education system but I would have never imagined it was this bad.

Now I'm not really knocking you, but do you really have it that bad in for the liberal arts?

Granted some of these programs are a total waste of time on the face of things, but ultimately could have some benefit. You don't go into the Arts or Humanities to achieve a status of gainful employment but to become, for lack of a better word, "civilized."

Many of the programs are a wash now, considering the extensive post-modern and modernist influences on Western philosophy and art, but the benefit is still there if the student applies himself.

[peter12]

BTW, "strangest" class that I ever took was definitely "Bio-politics;" an examination of the insights that evolutionary biology provides into our human nature and political systems.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

No joke.

I highly doubt that this is a world wide thing, I've never heard that let's say German universities offer crap courses like these. I mean maybe they offer them as "short courses" for fun and games separately from the curriculum but I find it highly unlikely that they count these sorry excuses for academic courses towards a respectable degree*.

* if you study stuff like "fine art" for example and mock around with pottery classes and get a paper at the end, I don't consider that as a degree. i consider it a paper proving that you wasted a number of years and a lot of taxpayer dollars fooling around with clay and crayons

So what do you call it when someone goes to University for 4 years to read English literature, or study Roman history etc.?

What's a "respectable degree"? Must the end product enable you to enhance the national GDP? Do you need to be able to develop science? I'm honestly astounded by how narrow minded you've just shown yourself to be.

I don't know about German universities, but I do know that there are countless course like this at Universities considered the best in the world. Here's a brief run down for you, seeing as you've just jumped to a conclusion with absolutely no basis I'll do the work for you.

UC Berkley - Ranked number 36 in the world
- Arguing with judge Judy - popular logic in TV
- Simpsons and Philosophy
- The strategy of Starcraft

Johns Hopkins - Ranked 13 in the world
- Mail Order Brides - Understanding the Phillipines in Southeast Asian context

Cornell University - Ivy League School ranked 15th in the world
- Sex, Rugs, Salt, and Coal - Discussing things like "is prostitution the oldest profession" and "why are oriental rugs collectors items"

University of Pennsylvania - Also Ivy League and ranked 11th in the world
- The adultery novel in and out of Russia

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Ranked 55th in the world
- Daytime Serials - Family and Social Roles

Carnegie Mellon - Ranked 21st in the world
- American Golf - Aristocratic pastime or the people's game?

And unless you think this is a North American phenomenon here are a few examples from Europe and Asia.

You can get a MA in Tae Kwon Doe at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, a Doctorate in Ufology at Melbourne University, and a MA in digital games at Liverpool John Moores University. My personal favorite is the course that Staffordshire University offered focused on David Beckham.

Still doubt that it's a worldwide thing?