The 8 Coolest College Classes in the U.S.
August 10, 2015
Sure, some of your freshman intro courses are far from thrilling, and, wait…no one mentioned anything about a math requirement during your campus tour. But who cares about the less-than-inspiring core classes when you can study Godzilla? Or EDM? Or wasting time on the internet?
These days, universities are getting extra credit for their quirky course catalogs, and these eight represent some of the coolest college classes out there. You may still have to study, but when Game of Thrones is the topic? We guarantee you won’t mind spending a couple more hours in the library.
1. A CULTURAL HISTORY OF JAPANESE MONSTERS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: From the pocket monsters (yup, that's the literal translation for "Pokémon" in Japanese) to the slightly larger-than-pocket monsters, Japanese culture is replete with all kinds of unusual critters. Brush up on all things Godzilla and explore the country's ghostly traditions in this awesome class, which spans 13 centuries of Japanese history—film screenings included.
Image courtesy of Toho Company/Movie Stills Database
Image courtesy of Toho Company/Movie Stills Database
2. KANYE VS. EVERYBODY, GEORGIA STATE: Genius or narcissist? No matter your opinion of Kanye West, he gives people plenty to talk about. But this isn't a course about celeb worship: the class's subheader is "poetry and poetics from Hughes to hip hop," and looks to the artistry and literary tradition underlying Ye's work. (Yes, queuing up Yeezus on Spotify does count as studying.)
Image courtesy of rodrigoferrari/Flickr
Image courtesy of rodrigoferrari/Flickr
3. GAME OF THRONES, UVA: When it comes to the coolest college classes in the country, UVA's Game of Thrones seminar may just, err, take the throne. The series was chosen for its fantasy genre and the fact that it's a work in progress, leaving students with plenty to discuss. And while the course was offered during the past summer term, we're hoping there's a follow-up soon. We really need to know if that cliffhanger was for real.
Image courtesy of HBO/Movie Stills Database
Image courtesy of HBO/Movie Stills Database
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE, RISD: When your parents ask what you learned this semester, thanks to RISD's course, you've got an easy answer: just the meaning of life, that's all. All right—so it may not be so straightforward. But this seminar explores the way we've tried throughout the millennia to answer this question, using accompanying films, books, and philosophical texts to aid the discussion. Let us know when you've got an answer.
5. THE ART OF WALKING, CENTRE COLLEGE: Walking—it doesn't necessarily seem like something you've got to, ya know, practice. But at Centre College's The Art of Walking class, led by Professor Ken Keffer, students mix perambulating with philosophical musing during lengthy treks around scenic locales. The class is held on Centre's Kentucky campus, but also migrates (not solely by walking, we hope) to study abroad locations like London and Strasbourg.
Image courtesy of Centre College
Image courtesy of Centre College
6. EXTREME WEATHER, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Always dreamed of being a storm chaser? If hunting down supercells and spotting tornadoes seems more kooky hobby and less class credit, that just shows you haven't yet registered for the Extreme Weather course at the University of Michigan. Participants may be required to learn the physics underlying such storm systems—but they'll also do some hands-on weather analysis. You might not wanna tell Mom and Dad until after the fact.
Image courtesy of Minerva Studio/iStock/Thinkstock
Image courtesy of Minerva Studio/iStock/Thinkstock
7. ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC, USC: Not just one of the coolest college classes—USC's Electronic Dance Music course of study is now one of the coolest majors in the U.S. Overseen by DJs Young Guru and Stryke, the degree trains students in the art of EDM DJing and music production. Future Calvin Harrises of the world: This one's for you.
Image courtesy of shironosov/iStock/Thinkstock
Image courtesy of shironosov/iStock/Thinkstock
8. WASTING TIME ON THE INTERNET, UPENN: Let's be real: While most college students procrastinate, UPenn's new Wasting Time on the Internet course is in a league of its own. The experimental creative writing class states that "aimless drifting is mandatory," and posits that online time wasting is also a source of literary inspiration. "Could we reframe the internet as the greatest poem ever written?" Perhaps...we'll go watch 20 cat videos now to make sure.
Image courtesy of DeanDrobot/iStock
Image courtesy of DeanDrobot/iStock
1. A CULTURAL HISTORY OF JAPANESE MONSTERS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: From the pocket monsters (yup, that's the literal translation for "Pokémon" in Japanese) to the slightly larger-than-pocket monsters, Japanese culture is replete with all kinds of unusual critters. Brush up on all things Godzilla and explore the country's ghostly traditions in this awesome class, which spans 13 centuries of Japanese history—film screenings included.
Image courtesy of Toho Company/Movie Stills Database
Image courtesy of Toho Company/Movie Stills Database
2. KANYE VS. EVERYBODY, GEORGIA STATE: Genius or narcissist? No matter your opinion of Kanye West, he gives people plenty to talk about. But this isn't a course about celeb worship: the class's subheader is "poetry and poetics from Hughes to hip hop," and looks to the artistry and literary tradition underlying Ye's work. (Yes, queuing up Yeezus on Spotify does count as studying.)
Image courtesy of rodrigoferrari/Flickr
Image courtesy of rodrigoferrari/Flickr
3. GAME OF THRONES, UVA: When it comes to the coolest college classes in the country, UVA's Game of Thrones seminar may just, err, take the throne. The series was chosen for its fantasy genre and the fact that it's a work in progress, leaving students with plenty to discuss. And while the course was offered during the past summer term, we're hoping there's a follow-up soon. We really need to know if that cliffhanger was for real.
Image courtesy of HBO/Movie Stills Database
Image courtesy of HBO/Movie Stills Database
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE, RISD: When your parents ask what you learned this semester, thanks to RISD's course, you've got an easy answer: just the meaning of life, that's all. All right—so it may not be so straightforward. But this seminar explores the way we've tried throughout the millennia to answer this question, using accompanying films, books, and philosophical texts to aid the discussion. Let us know when you've got an answer.
5. THE ART OF WALKING, CENTRE COLLEGE: Walking—it doesn't necessarily seem like something you've got to, ya know, practice. But at Centre College's The Art of Walking class, led by Professor Ken Keffer, students mix perambulating with philosophical musing during lengthy treks around scenic locales. The class is held on Centre's Kentucky campus, but also migrates (not solely by walking, we hope) to study abroad locations like London and Strasbourg.
Image courtesy of Centre College
Image courtesy of Centre College
6. EXTREME WEATHER, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Always dreamed of being a storm chaser? If hunting down supercells and spotting tornadoes seems more kooky hobby and less class credit, that just shows you haven't yet registered for the Extreme Weather course at the University of Michigan. Participants may be required to learn the physics underlying such storm systems—but they'll also do some hands-on weather analysis. You might not wanna tell Mom and Dad until after the fact.
Image courtesy of Minerva Studio/iStock/Thinkstock
Image courtesy of Minerva Studio/iStock/Thinkstock
7. ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC, USC: Not just one of the coolest college classes—USC's Electronic Dance Music course of study is now one of the coolest majors in the U.S. Overseen by DJs Young Guru and Stryke, the degree trains students in the art of EDM DJing and music production. Future Calvin Harrises of the world: This one's for you.
Image courtesy of shironosov/iStock/Thinkstock
Image courtesy of shironosov/iStock/Thinkstock
8. WASTING TIME ON THE INTERNET, UPENN: Let's be real: While most college students procrastinate, UPenn's new Wasting Time on the Internet course is in a league of its own. The experimental creative writing class states that "aimless drifting is mandatory," and posits that online time wasting is also a source of literary inspiration. "Could we reframe the internet as the greatest poem ever written?" Perhaps...we'll go watch 20 cat videos now to make sure.
Image courtesy of DeanDrobot/iStock
Image courtesy of DeanDrobot/iStock
