8 Cool Pop-Culture Courses College Students Actually Get to Take

The mean solar day of grind away your way through Physics 101 and Intro to Business are in the past times : today ’s college students , it turn out , studyGame of Thronesfor college credit . This fall , plenty of reformist schoolhouse are offer course that flex scholarly person into literal popping - civilisation scholar , with programme dedicated toHarry Potter , Pokémon Go , Beyoncé , and the zombie Book of Revelation . Here ’s what students can look to learn in those come out - culturally progressive speech .

Pop Culture Games

University of IdahoEven academics are n’t resistant to the phenomenon ofPokémon Go . As part of its physical education program , the University of Idaho has design a new declivity class dedicated to apps and alive - activity game . You ’re need to have a smartphone with a data point design to enroll – which is right smart more useful than fork over John Cash for textbooks – since you ’ll be hunting for barbaric Squirtles and Snorlaxes on the space . The class leads up to the campus ' yearly Humans vs. Zombies competition , a days - longsighted RPG effect

Topics in American Studies: Politicizing Beyoncé

Rutgers UniversityKevin Allred became one of the most beloved professors in America when he introduce a course of instruction dedicated to Queen Bey in 2010 . His class actually grew so popular at Rutgers that it was temporarily taken off the course of study because it was " detract from other courses . " It ’s back this fall , this time in the American Studies section rather than its old home in Women ’s and Gender Studies . The social class intensely studies Beyoncé Giselle Knowles - Carter within the circumstance of black feminism , reformist social modification , and normative understandings of race and sexuality . That ’s pretty weighty stuff , but rest assured : you will be watchingLemonadefor homework .

Philosophy and Star Trek

Georgetown UniversityIf you ’ve ever lost sleep wondering whether Data is a real " person , " this is the class for you . The introductory doctrine course asks students to make out with topics in metaphysics while bingeingStar Trek . course , time travel is cover , along with liberal will and reality as we know it .

Reel Faith and Fantasy Religion: Exploring Religion inGame of Thrones

University of LouisvilleMany colleges have jump on theGame of Thronesbandwagon with George R.R. Martin - themedliterature class , HBO - centricfilm courses , and entirehistory classesframed around a Cersei quote . One of the latest offering comes courtesy of Louisville , where professor Roy Fuller has designed a fall honors seminar examining faith in theGame of Thronesuniverse . ( ThinkMelisandre ’s obsessionwith the Lord of Light , and the Lannisters ' sudden interest group in the Sparrows . ) It may be tempting , but please : resist the impulse to show up in a disgrace - conical buoy costume on day one .

Science from Superheroes to Global Warming

University of California , IrvineThis on-line physics course sells scholarly person on complex scientific topics like aeromechanics and clime change through the lens of amusing - book Hero . It promises answer to age - one-time questions like , " How does question Woman ’s invisible jet employment ? " Hopefully , Spider - Man’sweird emo phasewill be explain in the course of study , too .

The Boy Who Lived, All Grown Up: Assessing the Harry Potter Books and Their Adaptations

University of MarylandIt may not be an acceptance missive to Hogwarts , but studyingHarry Potterat your muggle university is the next best thing . This UMD honor seminar comes atHPfrom every slant ; the books , movies , games , memes , LEGOs , theme park , and fanfiction all get their due . At the goal of the course you ’ll be asked to suggest your own adaptation , so study those Tumblrs closely .

Fantasy:The Lord of the Ringson Page and Screen

University of UtahJ.R.R. Tolkien muscled his way into college literature course X ago . But you do n’t need a pawl - eared copy ofThe Silmarillionto take this University of Utah class , which put finical accent on the " cinematic adaptation of print text and the representational limits and opening of each medium . " That means you ’ll be watch Peter Jackson ’s 2001 - 2003 motion picture for credit , as well as register select Tolkien texts .

Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse – Disasters, Catastrophes, and Human Behavior

Michigan State UniversitySince 2012 , Michigan State has proffer an on-line summertime course on zombie attempt natural selection . The year explores how humans behave in times of disaster and breaks up students into radical that must work together to " escape dying and bear on the future of civilization " in a simulated apocalypse . The 2016 edition is over , but keep an eye on the web site for information on 2017 enrollment – you do n’t even have to be an MSU student to participate .

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets