9 Awesome College Majors You Never Knew Existed

Everyone knows the follow up question to “What’s your major?” is “Well, what are you going to do with that?”

It’s OK not to know the answer. College is a time to figure out what you enjoy, and, eventually, how you can translate that interest into a practical, full-time, 401(k)-supplementing job.

If looking for a job in philosophy, English literature, or medieval studies doesn't seem challenging enough, here are nine unusual college majors that you should consider. 

1. Folklore and Mythology

Ten students with a passion for collecting stories are majoring in folklore and mythology at Harvard University. They will study performance, tradition, and oral literature, and do fieldwork for their senior theses.

2. Cannabis Cultivation

Students at Oaksterdam University can train to work with marijuana plants and learn about the cannabis industry. The school offers indoor horticulture seminars that teach, “everything you need to know from seed to harvest.”

3. Comic Book Art

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design comic art program includes classes such as History of Comic Art, Comic Media and Concepts, and Comic Storytelling.

4. Bowling Management

The only program of its kind in the United States, the Vincennes University bowling management degree offers students a chance to use an on-site bowling center to get hands-on experience, as well as to study lane and pinsetter maintenance, and food and sanitation essentials.

5. Retail Floristry

Horticulture majors at Mississippi State University can concentrate in floral management, through which they study sourcing, purchasing, marketing, and selling floricultural products.

6. Professional Nanny

The professional nanny program at Sullivan University is an intensive, 12-week curriculum with courses in infant care, child development, family dynamics, and more. Graduates are also trained and certified in CPR, first aid, and water safety.

7. Puppetry

The puppeteering program at the University of Connecticut was founded in 1965 by the late Frank W. Ballard, a master puppeteer who directed the program until his retirement in 1989. The University of Connecticut is one of the only schools in the world to offer a degree in the art, giving students the chance to study the construction of puppets, playwriting, and movement.

8. Theme Park Engineering

California State University, Long Beach's engineering program offers students a theme park engineering track, through which they can study such topics as electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic control. The option prepares students to work as engineers in theme parks or amusement facilities, and the industries that support them.

9. Bagpipes

At Carnegie Mellon University's music school, students can receive a bachelor's degree in playing bagpipes. The university was the first to offer a bagpipes major, giving students, “a complete grounding in music as well as specific instruction on the instrument.”