Particularly fantastic less-conventional undergrad degree courses

[Delphigirl]

I would be really interested in hearing what people think are really interesting and perhaps less considered degree courses available to undergrads at UK universities. I don’t really mean a list of unis that people thinks are great for chemistry, but rather those slightly niche courses run in fantastic departments that maybe people don’t generally know even exist, or in any event are outside the usual A level departments.

So I’m thinking of, for example, War Studies at Kings College London - internationally renowned, different to what you might think of from the name, highly attractive to employers.
I would add Landscape Architecture at Sheffield - the best course in the UK, probably in Europe, a jewel of a department with fabulous teaching and cameraderie, extremely high employment rates, probably not thought about by kids who re attracted by architecture but arguably can lead to a better paid and more fulfilling career.
Also Oceanography at Southampton - world-leading and world-respected, broad ranging multidisciplinary science/geography/ and environmental degree leading to a number of different careers, becoming more topical by the day re climate change.

Or

I’m sure there are lots of others - what degrees/departments can you recommend which are out of the ordinary run of things, for our kids to think about? Particularly hearing from employers who hire out of particular courses - what makes those kids so employable?

Population Studies, also Southampton?

Manchester does International Disaster Management.

I think Social Policy is a bit overlooked and Glasgow specifically offers Economic and Social History, a bit niche.

A few other places also offer War Studies. I think we had the War and Peace discussion once before!

My niece is about to go and do Earth and planetary science at Manchester which is a really interesting interdisciplinary course.

Oooh those are all good thanks.
I would add also Marine Geography at Cardiff - only course in the country, like oceanography but with a more geographical than scientific emphasis (although there is science in marine geography and geography in oceanology) - great department.

Also Strategy, Intelligence and Security at Aberystwyth. Fantastic course and highly rated by govt and other employers, plus by the seaside

Oh, I was just trying to remember the name of that course! I tried to persuade DS to go there but he hated Aberystwyth on sight, sadly.

It is an awfully long way away…
Where did he end up piggy?

Lincoln, which he does like, although the course is much more mainstream and not very inspiring.

I’m not sure any course has been inspiring in the last year or so really…

Music Tech at Huddersfield or Salford. Tonmeister at Surrey.

I've worked with academics from the Cambridge dept of Land Economy and although (certainly in the past - maybe not so much now) much mocked it seems a really interesting department/degree. I believe it's also very employable.

@Delphigirl

I’m not sure any course has been inspiring in the last year or so really…

This may well be true, sadly. DS is an especially hard nut to crack, mind!

The last time I saw him genuinely enthusiastic was when he got 'Arry and Bert trains for his 3rd birthday

I only found out recently there are masters and PhDs in all things plant related awarded by imperial and Queen Mary but with much time based at Kew Gardens, I thought this was lovely.

You can do medicine with french/Spanish/German at Manchester university- the only course of its kind in the country

Many unusual languages are possible at UCL; Icelandic, Hungarian, almost any European language etc. Hebrew and Jewish studies too.

Kings do a masters in Space Medicine

Mechatronic at University of Birmingham

Sounds amazing but don't know what it's actually like...

Exeter do a masters in Extreme Medicine for medics wanting to practice in jungles, the Arctic etc.

Early Childhood Studies at Norland College - although there are more costs involved now than when a family member studied there a few years ago.

Academically stretching and practical.

Titchy that Tonmeister course looks incredible. That was exactly the sort of thing I meant. I love all these pockets of excellence. I’m going to look up every single one of these recommended courses…!

My DS studied aerospace and space craft design at Southampton. Literally Rocket Science!

Is Tonmeister something to do with music? I love a new word.

@titchy

Exeter do a masters in Extreme Medicine for medics wanting to practice in jungles, the Arctic etc.

If you fancy a great read this summer can highly recommend 'War Doctor' by David Nott. An amazing war/disaster surgeon. He failed his A levels and had to re-take to get into Medicine. The book follows his journey from NHS doctor to the chance visit to the cinema where he watched a film that changed his life.

A few of DD's friends had BSc Global Health at QMUL as their 5th choice when applying for medicine. "It is the UK’s only undergraduate degree in global health based in a medical school."

DS will be studying Meteorology and Climate at Reading next year. It is sole Meteorology dept in the UK and rated 2nd in the world. They offer a selective 4 years integrated masters with a year spent in Oklahoma at the university and US Weather Center.

Coventry University also do a Disaster and Emergency Management degree similar to Manchester but without the International focus.

War Doctor is a fabulous book. Very moving. Then he went on to work on Covid wards and said he found it more distressing

Applied Golf Course Management at Russell Group Birmingham Uni has excellent employment stats.

@Piggywaspushedyes it’s this amazing sound engineering course and they have a list of what their alumni back to the 1970s are doing which is just the most extraordinary list of sound music and tech careers.

@AvocadoPlant is your DS working in aerospace now? Or space?

@Oldowl how brilliant, a degree including storm chasing in Oklahoma! Wow I’m just so envious of 18 year olds with all these possibilities ahead of them…

Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic at Cambridge

Museum Studies at Leicester

Real Estate Management at Brooks was a very interesting course to study. Almost everyone, bar me, got good jobs. 😁

BSc Hons Brewing & Distilling (Heriot Watt University). Strong industry links and you get exam exemptions from the Institute of brewing & distilling.

BSc (Hons) Viticulture & Oenology At plumpton college.. though with the list round the world of where else you can do this I’d probably California not sussex…

It's a masters rather than an undergrad course, but DS is itching to do Railway Studies at York (which is run in partnership with the National Railway Museum!)