If you thought learning was all numbers, dead writers (or scientists) and lab work, you’ve got another think coming. Some universities (and professors!) have broken the rules of the road to formal education, and offered students something right out of the academic box. You know what the late Mark Twain said about not letting his academics interfere with his education? Well, if you’re enrolled in any of the courses we’ve listed below, you don’t even need to care.

Note: Yes, these courses actually exist.

Tree Climbing – Cornell University

Created and supervised by the Cornell Outdoor Education Department, this course offers a number of tree climbing classes including Recreational Tree Climbing, Canopy Tree Climbing, Madagascar Tree Climbing, and others.

Students are taught in groups of 8 to 10 by a team of expert ‘Tree Staff,’ with an average fee of $200-400 dollars, depending on the class.
 

Politicizing Beyoncé – The Rutgers University

One of the feature programs at Rutgers, Politicizing Beyonce attempts to study the social changes in modern society, including gender and racial equality, by analyzing the music and career of America’s favorite pop artist, Beyonce Knowles. So if you’re one of those people who have stocked up on every single one of Bey’s albums on iTunes and cannot stop shaking your booty to the Single Ladies video, this class is for you.
 

European Witchcraft – Oneonta College

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble,” – and other incantations aren’t exactly part of the course syllabus. Instead, the History of European Witchcraft studies study the rise and decline of the Age of Witchcraft which extended from the middle ages to the 18^th century.

With the political and economic climate as a backdrop, students are taught the role of women during this time, famous witches, and the custom of infamous ‘witch trials.’
 

Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame - University of Southern California

One of Lady Gaga’s little monsters going under the alias of Sociology Professor Matheiu Deflem (who has been to 38 Gaga concerts and  has over 300 CDs!) offers a class chronicling the fame of Gaga.

From a sociological perspective, the purpose of the study is to explore the relevant impact of Gaga’s fame; with a focus on societal dimensions like marketing, entertainment law, gay culture, religion and politics.

Fanboys, we tell you.
 

Science from Superheroes – University of California, Irvine

If you’ve wondered exactly how the Tesseract works, or wanted to intern with Darcy (Dr. Jane Foster’s assistant) to understand the nine realms, you belong here.

This course from the Physics and Astronomy department and UC Irvine helps students understand the science behind a lot of our favorite superhero-related things. So, maybe you can figure out why Spiderman's spidey senses tingle. If you do, let us know.
 

Parapsychology – Various Universities

Qualify with a certificate/degree in Parapsychology and you can officially join the Ghostbusters, the Winchester brothers or the Warrens in their “family business”. Parapsychology offers a chance to research the world of supernatural phenomena from ghosts, poltergeists, and spirits, to everything and anything you heard about at slumber parties.

This course can be found at multiple universities include StoneBridge College, University of Calgary, and Bircham International University.