So you want to know the weirdest college courses in Ireland? You've come to the right place. Don't want to study Arts or History? Well, you actually don't have to. In fact you shouldn't, because there's plenty of courses that are both weird and wonderful throughout Ireland. Why be a doctor when you could be a ~ fire-safety engineer ~ or know all about the riveting ~ dairy business ~?
Here's 10 of the weirdest college courses in Ireland:
1) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Outdoor Education - Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
Get outdoors they said, it'll be fun they said. This course is four years long and is a mix of theory and training in adventure sports. Oh yeaaahh. You'll get an NGB qualification in a range of adventure sports: kayaking, sailing, rock climbing, coasteering, surfing, windsurfing, hill-walking, orienteering, caving, snorkeling and mountain biking. Plus you'll learn first aid, tourism and all about the Irish landscape, heritage and ecology.
2) Bachelor of Science (Honours) - Furniture Design and Manufacture - Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
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Screw IKEA, you can learn how to make furniture from scratch with this very cool four-year degree. You'll get to develop skills in traditional and advanced manufacturing techniques, plus have a twenty-week placement in third year, where you can choose to work in the USA, UK and elsewhere in Europe.
3) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Popular Music: Electric Bass Guitar - Cork Institute of Technology
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Probably the best degree going right now... this BA is truly awesome. Each student has to make a band with their fellow students and all lectures, classes and music technology labs are done with the band's performance in mind. You also learn about bass in rock, pop, hip hop, blues, soul, metal, jazz, salsa, disco, electronica, funk, ska, reggae, etc., how to play by ear, harmonise, annotate your favourite songs and solos, plus develop knowledge on live sound and PA, studio engineering, computer-based music applications including ProTools and Logic Studio. Wow.
4) Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Fire Safety Engineering - Letterkenny Institute of Technology
We didn't start the fire! Okay sorry. This course is quite unusual actually, given until 5 minutes ago I had no idea you could study fire safety. I guess someone's gotta do it. According to LKIT's website, "Fire Safety Engineering is a discipline which has a very high profile in Ireland and the rest of the world today with fire safety issues being heavily promoted by agencies, the media & national governments". This new course teaches you all about fire safety design, as well as mathematics, fire science, fluids, thermodynamics and "a unique skill set". Indeed!
5) Earth and Ocean Sciences - NUI Galway
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The earth, the ocean, it's literally everything we know in life. This program is all about physical and chemical processes that affect planet Earth and its oceans. NUIG reckons "Earth and Ocean Sciences subjects are your ticket to a global career market". How could you say no?!
6) Bachelor of Science (Honours) - Food Innovation - Dublin Institute of Technology
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Fooood. This course is perfect for just about anyone who appreciates food and its beautiful place in our lives. Over four years you'll learn about the food industry from science and technology to business and innovation. Graduates will be food experts essentially, and will predict what food will do in the future. Or maybe it'll help you be the best at the Tesco checkout.
7) Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) - Dairy Business - University College Dublin
When I think dairy, I think cheese, and if I could study cheese I would do it immediately. This course actually is pretty in-depth and focuses on business, science, mathematics and technology-related modules. Then in your second year you go to a dairy farm at Teagasc, Kildalton Agricultural College. Cool.
8) Bachelor of Arts - Spa and Wellness Management - Athlone Institute of Technology
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What do you study at college? Spas. That would be a dream, wouldn't it? NO, it's reality. At AIT you can learn allll about the spa industry. AIT asks you "Are you interested in wellness practices and in complimentary therapies? Have you always wanted to combine this interest with business and management skills?" Yes, sign us up.
9. Bachelor of Science (Honours) - The Internet of Things - Waterford Institute of Technology
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There are no jokes here. This is a real course. Over four years you learn how to program new devices, become a software designer and just be an expert on the internet of things. Memes do not count apparently, but you do need to be ultra smart.
10) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Criminal Justice Studies - Waterford Institute of Technology
"In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories" DUNDUN. Sorry, had to. This three-year course is really just a history of criminal justice and is as cool as it sounds! You also get to do forensics, like Horatio from CSI. So good.
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