Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Student-Designed Major in Piracy

So a friend of a friend is taking classes in both Fencing and Sailing this quarter, and one day his professor referenced him as a "Piracy major." I decided to take this to the next level. Thus I give you... the student-designed major in Piracy.

First, the obvious "pirate practicum" that will be required coursework:

  • PES 1135: Rowing
  • PES 1150: Sailing
  • PES 1175: Fencing
  • MUS 2312: Men's Choir


Then there's the required Leadership component for pirate captains:

  • COM 3160: Conflict Management
  • PSY 3439: Motivation & Leadership
  • COM 4603: Persuasive Campaigns


And let's not forget the "History and Theory" component, necessary for a holistic understanding of your craft. You can choose either Iberia or Asia for your concentration, depending on your interest in historical vs. modern modes of piracy:

  • GEO 1110: World Regional Geography
  • POL 4452: International Law
  • SOC 3370: Sociology of Deviance
  • HIS 3331: History of Spain & Portugal (elective)
  • HIS 3785: Modern East Asia (elective)


Considering that we are at a private Christian university, I doubt we could get away with this major without applying it to our spiritual walk and our university's mission statement. Thus I give you the "Piracy as Ministry" component (also known as "Corsairs and Christianity").

  • BUS 3680: Social Enterprise
  • BUS 3828: International Business
  • THEO 3630: Holistic Ministry
  • BUS 4899: Business Ethics Capstone


Finally, there are two "tracks" or "concentrations" to round out this Piracy major. The first is oriented around the scientific aspects of the trade, necessary for a skilled navigator.

  • MAT 1114: Trigonometry
  • PHY 1135: Astronomy
  • PHY 1145: Oceanography (elective)
  • BIO 1100: Marine Biology (elective)


The second track or concentration is more artistically oriented, to live the life of a pirate to the fullest. This includes weapons manufacture, portraiture, and pirates in literature. Unfortunately, the "Family and Consumer Sciences" department is rather limited at my University, or there would be easily be room for costuming, cooking, and rum!

  • ART 2422: Metals Studio
  • ART 4502: Illustration Studio: Portraiture
  • ENG 3348: Romantic Poetry and Fiction
  • FCS 3875: Appearance and Culture (elective)
  • ART 3422: Metals Studio - Advanced I (elective)
  • ART 4422: Metals Studio - Advanced II (elective)


Finally, in light of our university's Language Proficiency requirements, we thought it would be best to require the equivalent of 15 credits (one-year proficiency) in either Spanish or Portuguese.

So what do you think? Could this major catch on?

3 comments:

  1. This is definitely the most comprehensive, well-thought-out major I've seen in a while! Great program, really funny!

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  2. What a great made-up degree. So, what next? Could I get a doctorate in Piracy? Would that make me Capt. Dr. Scraggigly Brownbeard? My captives would say - "Doctor, Please NO! Not my life savings!!"
    Now this is starting to get a little more realistic!

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