British university is offering a degree in magic
A British university is offering a degree in ‘magic’ - in case you missed out on your place at Hogwarts.
The University of Exeter say its Masters programme in Magic and Occult Science is one of the first of its kind from a UK uni.
And unlike Harry Potter's world, you won't need to wait for a letter from an owl to drop down your chimney, as applications are open now with the course kicking off in September 2024.
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An overview of the course explains that it gives students the chance to build expertise while ‘exploring your specific interests within the long and diverse history of esotericism, witchcraft, ritual magic, occult science, and related topics’.
The MA programme is taught by academics from a range of disciplines including history, literature, philosophy, archaeology, drama and religion.
The university has said it’s one of the only postgraduate courses in the UK that allows students to combine the history of magic with such a large range of other subjects.
Modules on offer on the one-year-long course included ‘The Western Dragon in Lore, Literature and Art’, ‘The Legend of King Arthur’, ‘Philosophy and Psychedelics’ and ‘Esotericism and the Magical Tradition’. Students will also complete a dissertation as part of their studies.
Professor Emily Selove, course leader, said: "A recent surge in interest in magic and the occult inside and outside of academia lies at the heart of the most urgent questions of our society.
"Decolonisation, the exploration of alternative epistemologies, feminism and anti-racism are at the core of this programme."
The Magic and Occult Science MA will be offered in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies - and students enrolled on the course will be invited to monthly meetings as well as attend field trips.
Professor Selove said: "This MA will allow people to re-examine the assumption that the West is the place of rationalism and science, while the rest of the world is a place of magic and superstition."
The university says the programme ‘is designed to develop skills to prepare you for a wide range of professions, or further study into PhD level’ and offers students the opportunity to pick up ‘invaluable transferable skills’, such as creative thinking, motivation and self-awareness.
The University of Exeter says that the course can lead to a wide variety of careers including ‘teaching, counselling, mentoring, heritage and museum work, work in libraries, tourism, arts organisations, the publishing industry, social justice and environmental think tanks, spiritual and wellbeing guidance, writing and media, the arts, and further research’. Nothing there about becoming a full-time wizard, sadly.
You can find out more about the course here.
Claire Reid