Something beyond the conventional

Are you looking for something beyond the traditional degrees? Have you been looking up for interesting courses that resonate with your passion, but haven’t had any luck yet? The good news is, there are a number of interesting degree courses that may match your interests, but you are likely to have missed catching them because they are generally overlooked. Here is a look at eight creative yet overlooked courses that have a great career prospect.

Viticulture & oenology
If you are interested in the oldest forms of biotechnology, you should consider getting a degree in viticulture and oenology. Viticulture is the study of production of grapes, and oenology teaches the science of wine and winemaking. Additionally, it also teaches students to identify, address and solve issues faced by the grape and wine industries.

Options: With this course, you can make a career in wine and related industries, such as vineyard management, winemaking and winery management, food and beverage technology, hospitality and tourism among many others.

Bakery science & management
Are you interested in the scientific aspects of baking? Bakery science and management focuses on the scientific aspects that can impact the bakery sector, including bakery ingredients and flavours to mixes and equipment. This course will train and equip students to stay updated with today’s high-tech businesses involving complex equipment, formulations, organisation and products.

n Options: If you have a knack for baking and a head for business, you can start your own. As courses like this are designed to train students as a baking technologist, you can seek jobs in restaurants, hotels, clubs, food manufacturers, testing laboratories and bakeries.

Floral design & management
For those who love flowers and are artistically inclined, here is a chance to take your passion to the next level by taking up the Floral design and management course. This course includes sourcing, purchasing, distributing, marketing, designing with, and selling floricultural products. This course balances business and science where systematic business procedures and design principles are applied in the operation of a retail or wholesale floral business.

Options: This course opens doors to multiple job opportunities such as retail florist and designer, interior plantscape technician, display artist, wedding and bridal design planner and much more.

Turfgrass management
Have you ever wondered who maintains the professional sports fields and stadiums to stay all green and flat? Due credit goes to the turfgrass professionals! Combining botany, and business management, turfgrass management is an overlooked course with an interesting career option. In the turfgrass management course, students are taught all aspects of plant and soil science, and learn environmentally sound strategies for controlling common turfgrass pests such as weeds, insects and diseases. Likewise, a turfgrass professional is knowledgeable about entomology, plant pathology and weed science.

Options: This is a perfect career for those who love science and sports at the same time. Turfgrass management professionals can work as golf course superintendents, athletic field managers, sod producers, turfgrass researchers, and even as private consultants.

Public health entomology
For the humanitarians in heart and the lover of science, public health entomology gives a chance to stay true to your passion and create positive impact. This course is focused on insects and arthropods that impact human health and lays great emphasis on insect vectors and vector-borne disease control. It also includes research on the behaviour and ecology of various such species.

Options: Various career opportunities include roles as epidemiologists, health development managers, public health advisors, health programme specialists, medical practitioners in public health, clinical university teachers etc.

(The author is co-founder, The Chopras)