Call me stupid, but....

[sanantone]

I have never heard of degree programs in cereal science. I was checking out North Dakota State University's graduate programs and came across their PhD and MS in Cereal Science. Kansas State University has a degree in grain science which sounds better. When I did a Google search, I came across a job that has a preference for an MS in Cereal or Bakery Science. Wow. I'm clueless. I've heard of food science, but nothing this specialized.

K-state also has a degree program in baking science. I've heard of culinary degrees that focus on the baking and pastry arts, but I've never heard of baking science.

[alleycat]

Remarkable but it makes sense. There is a science to all of that. Thanks for sharing.

[LaterBloomer]

Uh, Sanatone, are you supposed to be doing something else? Studying? Cleaning? Applying to programs? It seems that your research is the sort of thing that is the result of Internet research done to avoid something that you should be doing. That is as opposed to my posting here. It is NOT an attempt to avoid studying for a DSST Stats test. It has the nobility of being an attempt to get rid of that nasty Medusa-like emblem near my avatar. I've got to get more posts in an something prettier. It's most unpleasant.

[ncpenn]

Jerry Seinfeld should go for that cereal degree . . .

YTMND - Jerry Seinfeld Loves Cereal.

Life as a cereal freak – Eatocracy - CNN.com Blogs

[publius2k4]

University of Connecticut has a Bachelor of Puppetry degree.
Bowling Green has a degree in Pop Culture.
Lassen Community College has an associates in gunsmithing.
Appalachian State has a degree in Fermentation Science.
Duke has a degree in Canadian Studies.
San Francisco State offers a Master's Degree in Sexuality Studies.
North Carolina State offers a degree in Wood and Paper Science
Coventry University in England offers a Master's Degree in Parapsychology (psychic abilities)

There are tons of bazaar degrees out there....and for someone just looking to put a check in a box on an application, some of these degree titles might be something fun to study...although I think it would be hard to be taken seriously as a business professional if my bachelors degree were in puppetry.

[bluespecial]

When I read Sanantones's post the first person I thought of was Clark Griswald. He was hard at work making a "non-nutritive cereal varnish" to be used as a cereal crunch enhancer.

[sanantone]

Uh, Sanatone, are you supposed to be doing something else? Studying? Cleaning? Applying to programs? It seems that your research is the sort of thing that is the result of Internet research done to avoid something that you should be doing. That is as opposed to my posting here. It is NOT an attempt to avoid studying for a DSST Stats test. It has the nobility of being an attempt to get rid of that nasty Medusa-like emblem near my avatar. I've got to get more posts in an something prettier. It's most unpleasant.

I should have been sleeping. Sometimes, I have a hard time going to sleep early and I just surf the web. That probably makes things worse since I read that looking at bright objects such as a computer screen right before bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep. I'm done with applying to programs for this school year and I already sent all of my transcripts to an alternative teacher certification program. That was also done late at night.

I thought cereal science sounded dumb until I read the objective of the program. I still don't know why someone would want a PhD in the subject, but to each his own. Gunsmithing doesn't sound bad at all. I know Penn Foster offers a certificate program for it. The sexuality studies degree sounds interesting. :p It would be cool if it qualified one to become a sex therapist, but one would probably have to go the more traditional route and study psychology or marriage and family therapy or something. The program in parapsychology sounds fun, but I would probably be the party pooper and require hard scientific proof.

I found this article a few weeks ago on strange degrees. I don't know why the author considers a degree in thanatology or homeland security to be strange, especially homeland security. He must be living under a rock. Fire protection engineering isn't strange or rare either.
Where to get degree in death, anime or psychic abilities - CNN.com

[Johann]

Duke has a degree in Canadian Studies.

Your laughter has been noted, here in Canada, Publius.... I have informed the Prime Minister... hilarious

Seriously - no offense taken at all! I see no reason why you should take the degree seriously - although it's quite familiar here at home. We do have a history, a not-so-bad governmental system, literature and culture in two official languages, many First Nations languages and quite a few others, more recently imported. So -- reason enough for a degree, but I can see why you'd think it was odd - certainly, not much of an asset in the U.S. job market, unless you're picked as Ambassador!

Degrees in American Studies are possible to earn, outside of the US. Here's a British article: What to do with a degree in American studies? | Money | The Guardian. I don't have a problem with that. I have an abiding love of the work of quite a few American poets and novelists -- and love American music in just about all of its forms. The music of many countries pleases me, but America's is the greatest in the world, as I see it.

And don't worry - ever! Canadians don't mind being thought of as odd. If I may speak for a nation, we're proud of it!

Johann

[Bibby]

The University of British Columbia has a master's program in Home Economics, and Penn State University lets you get a master's degree in Turfgrass Management.

Some of these degrees might sound odd, and I'll admit that you might not have employers lining up to hire someone with a bachelor's in Pop Culture or palm-reading, but specialized education in agriculture or obscure hard sciences often leads to some pretty sweet careers that few people are qualified to do.

[sanantone]

I came across the turfgrass management degree a couple of years ago and thought it was odd to get a master's degree in it. I don't know about getting a master's degree in home economics, but there is a high need by some school districts for people who can teach family and consumer sciences which includes home economics, sewing, cooking courses, etc.