Unique College Majors

[RbxFunRocks]

I noticed that this forum does not seem to have a thread compiling unusual, niche college majors. I thought it could be useful to start one. Most programs listed below are online unless stated otherwise.

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Associate's Degrees

Generally, the lower the level of a college degree, the more likely it is to have a specialized major name. Here are some examples:

• Hawaiian Studies - Kapiʻolani Community College
  
• Iñupiaq Studies - IỊisaġvik College (in-person, but many courses have online options)
  
• Alaska Native Studies - University of Alaska Anchorage
  
• Firearms Technology - Sonoran Desert Institute
  
• Applied Fisheries - University of Alaska Southeast
  
• Diving Business Technology - College of the Florida Keys (in-person)
  
• Marine Engineering, Management, & Seamanship - College of the Florida Keys (in-person)
  
• Turfgrass Science and Management - Penn State World Campus
  

I also noticed some technical degrees, some of which are not unheard of for in-person studies but unique for an online format.

• Veterinary Technology - Windward Community College
  
• Chemical Dependency Studies - Northwest Indian College
  
• Histotechnology - Indiana University
  

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Bachelor's Degrees

Bachelor's degrees also have a wide selection of options:

• Puppet Arts - University of Connecticut (in-person)
  
• CHamoru Studies - University of Guam (in-person)
  
• Maritime Studies - University of West Florida
  
• Theme Park and Attraction Management - University of Central Florida
  
• Marine Resource Management - College of the Florida Keys (in-person)
  
• Native Environmental Science - Navajo Technical University
  
• Petroleum Engineering - University of North Dakota
  
• Packaging - Michigan State University (in-person)
  
• Electronic Music Production and Sound Design - Berklee Online
  
• Turfgrass Science - Penn State World Campus
  

Arizona State University itself has quite a few online bachelor's majors that are common/not unheard of for in-person degrees, but uncommon for distance learning:

• Astronomical and Planetary Sciences (BS)
  
• Architectural Studies (BSD)
  
• Biochemistry (BA & BS)
  
• Biomedical Engineering (BSE)
  
• Biophysics (BS)
  
• Chemistry (BA)
  
• Ocean Futures (BS)
  
• Pharmacology and Toxicology (BS)
  
• Physics (BA & BS)
  

As an honorable mention, I want to mention that Will Shortz is the only person to have a bachelor's degree in Enigmatology, which was achieved using the Individualized Major Program at Indiana University.

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Master's Degrees

Unique master's degree majors are harder to find. More so than undergrad degrees, the unique online master's degrees tend to match the needs of their institution's respective regions (Hydrology in New Mexico, Arctic Studies in Alaska, etc.)

• Beef Cattle Production - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  
• Quantum Technology Applications and Management - University of Sussex
  
• Micronesian Studies - University of Guam (in-person)
  
• Hydrology - New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
  
• Film Scoring - Berklee Online
  
• Space Studies - University of North Dakota
  
• Arctic and Northern Studies - University of Alaska Fairbanks
  
• Turfgrass Management - Penn State World Campus
  
• Petroleum Engineering - University of North Dakota
  
• Pharmaceutical Bioengineering - University of Washington
  
• Sustainable Transportation - University of Washington
  

Law school graduates also have access to specialized LLM programs, often offered in a distance format for working lawyers. Specialized LLMs are not difficult to find, but there are a few standouts:

• Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  
• Air and Space Law - University of Mississippi
  
• Agricultural and Food Law - University of Arkansas
  

As an honorable mention, University of Central Florida has an online Space Commercialization concentration in its MBA program.

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Doctorate Degrees

Online doctorates are still less common than online master’s degrees, so unusual doctorate majors stand out even more.

• Soil Science - Mississippi State University
  
• Petroleum Engineering - University of North Dakota + Texas A&M University
  
• Aerospace Sciences (not to be confused with Aerospace Engineering) - University of North Dakota
  
• Space Resources - Colorado School of Mines
  
• Diné Culture and Language Sustainability - Navajo Technical University
  
• Engineering Technology (Surveying Concentration) - University of Maine
  

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Minors

Most unique minors offered by universities are truncated versions of the majors listed above. I did find one oddity, however:

• Chess in Education - Webster University (in-person)
  

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What do you think about these majors? Any that I've missed?

[wow]

I want to sign up for all of these! (Or at least a few.)

Not in the budget, unfortunately.

[bluebooger]

don't know if this is unique, but I think its interesting

https://www.esf.edu/rangerschool/index.php

Students come to the Ranger School to pursue an associate degree in Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation, Forest Technology, or Land Surveying Technology. While here, they engage in hands-on learning in the 2,800-acre forest that is part of ESF’s campus in the Adirondacks. They work side by side with faculty on projects such as studying a forest that is recovering from a devastating storm or monitoring the development of tree stands planted several generations ago.

The Ranger School offers Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees in three programs, typically earned during one extended and immersive academic year at the Wanakena Campus.
1: Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation - https://www.esf.edu/catalog/current/enrc.php
2: Forest Technology - https://www.esf.edu/catalog/current/ft.php
3: Land Surveying Technology - https://www.esf.edu/catalog/current/lst.php

[RbxFunRocks]

don't know if this is unique, but I think its interesting

https://www.esf.edu/rangerschool/index.php

Students come to the Ranger School to pursue an associate degree in Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation, Forest Technology, or Land Surveying Technology. While here, they engage in hands-on learning in the 2,800-acre forest that is part of ESF’s campus in the Adirondacks. They work side by side with faculty on projects such as studying a forest that is recovering from a devastating storm or monitoring the development of tree stands planted several generations ago.

The Ranger School offers Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees in three programs, typically earned during one extended and immersive academic year at the Wanakena Campus.
1: Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation - https://www.esf.edu/catalog/current/enrc.php
2: Forest Technology - https://www.esf.edu/catalog/current/ft.php
3: Land Surveying Technology - https://www.esf.edu/catalog/current/lst.php

I’d count those. Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation is pretty specific and would normally be a concentration within ENR rather than its own major. Forest Technology and Land Surveying Technology also fit the niche/specialized theme of the degrees I listed.

[Avidreader]

I have previously mentioned in the forum various Spanish language online degrees. Some such as Univim's gender Studies are unusual in Latin America while more common in English speaking countries.

Univim has an online bachelors program in Mexican herbology.
https://univim.edu.mx/lic-herbolaria-y-fitoterapia.html

Certificate program (somewhat like a minimasters)

Mexican sign language
https://univim.edu.mx/esp-lengua-senas.html

Mezcal production
https://univim.edu.mx/esp-mezcal.html

Mexican emergency call response (seems to be a new program)
https://univim.edu.mx/esp-atencion-emergencias.html

[RbxFunRocks]

I'd mentioned some Texas A&M programs in the original post, but there are more unique degrees from this university. Some of these are actually unique, others are uncommon for an online format:

• Agricultural Development, MAgr
  
• Agricultural Systems Management, MS
  
• Agronomy, MS + PhD
  
• Animal Science, MAgr
  
• Plant Breeding, MS + PhD
  
• Poultry Science, MAgr
  
• Construction Management, MS
  
• Land and Property Development, MLPD
  
• Geoscience, MGSC
  
• Energy, MS
  
• Safety Engineering, MS
  
• Maritime Business Administration and Logistics, MMAL
  
• Forensic Nursing, MSN
  
• Dance, MFA
  

[RbxFunRocks]

Most unique minors offered by universities are truncated versions of the majors listed above. I did find one oddity, however:

• Chess in Education - Webster University (in-person)
  

Update: Webster University has discontinued its chess program, and therefore the Chess in Education minor.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/webster-un...-programme
https://www.chess.com/news/view/spice-ch...terminated

It's a shame because Webster had (1) a strong chess team and (2) the first academic program in chess to offer anything resembling a degree. Not sure any other schools will offer anything resembling this college minor anytime soon.

[sanantone]

I'd mentioned some Texas A&M programs in the original post, but there are more unique degrees from this university. Some of these are actually unique, others are uncommon for an online format:

• Agricultural Development, MAgr
  
• Agricultural Systems Management, MS
  
• Agronomy, MS + PhD
  
• Animal Science, MAgr
  
• Plant Breeding, MS + PhD
  
• Poultry Science, MAgr
  
• Construction Management, MS
  
• Land and Property Development, MLPD
  
• Geoscience, MGSC
  
• Energy, MS
  
• Safety Engineering, MS
  
• Maritime Business Administration and Logistics, MMAL
  
• Forensic Nursing, MSN
  
• Dance, MFA
  

Construction management is pretty easy to find now, but the others are rare online and some even offline.

[bluebooger]

I have previously mentioned in the forum various Spanish language online degrees. Some such as Univim's gender Studies are unusual in Latin America while more common in English speaking countries.

Univim has an online bachelors program in Mexican herbology.
https://univim.edu.mx/lic-herbolaria-y-fitoterapia.html

ha ha ha 
if I went by name alone I would think its a bachelors in marijuana