Offbeat Education

We find out how the mundane nature of education is being redefined with adventurous study courses.

Breaking the chain of conventional career paths and replacing the cookie-cutter thought process to something more inspiring, offbeat study courses are gaining prominence. They are adventurous and will satiate everyone who wanted to ditch the mainstream education courses for something you will really be looking forward to

Breaking the chain of conventional career paths and replacing the cookie-cutter thought process to something more inspiring, offbeat study courses are gaining prominence. They are adventurous and will satiate everyone who wanted to ditch the mainstream education courses for something you will really be looking forward to do. Dive With Sharks in Fiji

Dive With Sharks in Fiji

Location: Fiji

Best For: The hands-on marine biologist

Price: $5980

Are you a water enthusiast curious about marine biology? In the BroadReach Fiji Shark program, you’ll spend around 25 days in the Pacific to study the behaviour and physiology of several shark species, including silvertip, grey reef and bull sharks, among others. Students will observe these intriguing creatures through diving expeditions and summarize and discuss their findings at the end of the course. In this program, you’ll get up close and personal with one of the planet’s most feared sea creatures!

 

Research Sustainability in Antarctica

Location: Antarctica

Best For: The environmentally conscious adventurer

Price: Varies between universities

Grab your parka and snow boats for this program — you’re headed to one of the coldest places on earth: Antarctica. Through American Universities International Programs (AUIP), students have the opportunity to participate in this 6-credit course, which includes 14 days of field study on the continent known for its dramatic icebergs and flat-footed penguins. Students will not only study the history and global issues surrounding this uninhabited massive land mass, but they’ll get to gloat about actually having spent on a night on it.

Study in a Historic Castle

Location: East Sussex, England

Best For: The history buff or Game of Thrones addict

Price: First year: $39,140 / Upper-year semester: $19,570

Do stories and movies about knights in shining armour have you yearning for a taste of royal life a few hundred centuries ago? Well, now is your chance to swap your modern university classrooms for a semester studying in a castle teeming with history. The 15th Century Herstmonceux Castle, located in East Sussex, is the home to the Bader International Study Centre. A broad range of liberal arts classes, including art, economics, and international studies, are offered.

Sail Around the World in a Semester

Location: Varies every semester

Best For: Sailors who want to see the world

Price: $24,000-$32,000

If you want to combine a bit of open seas adventure with a variety of interesting courses, then Semester at Sea offers the perfect opportunity. Students can choose from a few different studying and sailing options, depending on where you want to live inside the ship. Voyages change every semester, but each semester-long journey typically takes students to around 12 cities in 11 countries. If you’re an avid traveller with a pair of sea legs, this is a great study abroad opportunity to consider. The program has a long history of partnership with top US universities in offering students a global comparative education. Every year, SAS embarks on two voyages which take place either during spring (Spring Voyage – January to April) around the world and autumn (Fall Voyage – September to December) around the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean.

Learn Spanish on a Tropical Island

Location: Samara Beach, Costa Rica

Best For: Students who love sun and adventure

Price: $460-$490/week

What better way to fulfill your university’s language requirements than by heading south of the border to Costa Rica? With this beachfront program through Intercultura, you’ll not only improve your Spanish speaking abilities, but also get the chance to explore the island. When students aren’t practicing rolling their r’s, they have the option to participate in Latin dance, cooking, zumba, arts, yoga, and other fun excursions. Once the island life gets you, it’ll be hard to return to the mainstream way of life at home.

Explore Native American Culture in the Southwest

Location: Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Sonoma, Mexico

Best For: Hikers with an interest in history

Price: $5,000-$10,000

Though the idea of studying abroad does imply moving overseas, did you know you can study “abroad” in America too? That’s right — Carpe Diem Education offers a program that focuses on the indigenous peoples of North America. Students on this program will not only traverse Southwestern, North America and explore caves, the desert, and canyons, but also visit different Native American communities to learn more about their history and culture.

Take Classes in Multiple Countries

Location: Europe

Best For: The traveler with a bucket list

Price: $7000

You know you want to go abroad, but instead of dwindling your list of study abroad spots down to two or three, you continue to add to them. Fortunately, there’s a program out there for you! American Institute for Study Abroad (AIFS) offers two four-week summer study abroad options that give participants the chance to study in six or seven locations throughout Europe. If you have an interest in either business and politics or art and architecture, this might be the best way to tick off several of those “must-see” places.