These are some of the ‘scariest’ courses you can study in uni

Are you curious about ghosts and paranormal activities? Do you love bingeing “Ghost Adventures” on the TV or “BuzzFeed Unsolved” on YouTube, where paranormal investigations are conducted? Do you love reading about all things supernatural or superstitious? 

If that sounds right up your alley, you might be heartened to know that some of the world’s top universities offer a variety of “scary” courses where you will learn about the devil, witchcraft, ghosts, and more.

5 universities and the courses on paranormal activity

The “Ghostbusters” franchise might be one of the most well-known supernatural comedy films out there. Source: AFP

Paranormal Science or Parapsychology at Thomas Francis University

Thomas Francis University is a metaphysics school that offers online spiritually-based bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD Metaphysical Science degrees as well as single, standalone courses in related metaphysical and esoteric topics.

The programmes are made for students who wish to conduct paranormal or parapsychological research, lead a paranormal investigation team, write books on paranormal activity topics, and present lectures on them. Courses offered range from the metaphysics of dying and introduction to paranormal research.

The Paranormal Science and Parapsychology degrees cover all aspects of paranormal activity and parapsychology, providing students with a broad knowledge base in the field. These degrees also include training in Ufology, so students are cross-trained in all aspects of paranormal research.

Upon completion of the Forensic Anomalous Evidence Analysis and Collection Course 2 module, a Certified Paranormal Investigator (CPI) designation and certificate will be issued.

Courses like these aren’t for the faint-hearted. Source: AFP

Parapsychology at the University of Edinburgh

Listed as a possible research interest PhD in Psychology students at the University of Edinburgh can undertake, the Koestler Parapsychology unit allows students to conduct research into the psi hypothesis, pseudo-psi (“what’s not psychic but looks like it”), beliefs about the paranormal, and the history of accounts and studies of paranormal activity.

There are two supervisors that prospective researchers can choose to learn from: Peter Lamont, whose interests include the history and psychology of magic and the paranormal, as well as the wider history and theory of psychology or Caroline Watt, who is interested in the replication and methodological issues in parapsychology.

The university also offers a 12-week online course alternative. It does not involve any formal assessment or qualification, though regular participation results in the awarding of a certificate. Take note that the course’s site explicitly notes that participating in the course will not teach you how to be “psychic,” read minds, be a “ghosthunter,” or communicate with the deceased.

Disclaimer: The online course has been paused for a refresh since July 2023. Those interested can still check the site for further updates.

Satan, the Devil, or Lucifer, is perhaps the most feared and most studied beings of all time. Source: Shutterstock

Witchcraft and Magic at the University of Oslo

If you’re wondering whether you can learn at the University of Oslo in English, fret not. There are courses offered at the university taught exclusively in English, like the module Witchcraft and Magic. 

In this course, students will get to study aspects of the cultural history of magic, focusing on the period of the witch hunts in early modern Europe. It explores how conceptions of magic, witchcraft and “trolldom” changed over time and how they were put to use in philosophical reflections, demonological manuals, legislative texts, literature, as well as oral traditions.

The course will also detail how these ideas eventually become social realities. Students will also be introduced to redefinitions of magic expressed in modern occultism and neopaganism. 

By the end of the course, students will know how to demonstrate orientational knowledge in the history of magic and witchcraft in Europe, discuss historical implications of critical terms like magic, witchcraft, trolldom, esotericism, and occultism, identify different approaches to historiography and interpretation in the academic study of magic and witchcraft, and perform a critical contextualisation of a historical source. 

Books on parapsychology and phenomena are displayed at the Archives for the Unexplained (AFU) in Norrkoping, Sweden. You might have to come across them for your own studies. Source: AFP

The Paranormal: Ways of Thinking about the Unknown at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

A three-credit course hosted online, the University of Massachusetts Amherst‘s study of the paranormal straddles the space between belief and science and brings to the fore the manner in which humans attempt to distinguish real from unreal.

This course will not attempt to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts, UFOs, or Big Foot but explore the history of the paranormal, its literature, science, and pseudo-science. Instead, students will be studying its methodology, difficulties, and extraordinary emotional appeal.

The course is instructed by Stefan Petrucha, an American writer of comics and young adult fiction. Some of his most famous works include graphic novels in the “X-Files” and “Nancy Drew, Girl Detective” series, as well as science fiction and horror.

We’re not entirely certain how much paranormal investigators earn, but if that’s your passion, don’t let financial stability stop you. Source: AFP

Witchcraft, Magic and Occult Traditions at the University of Ottawa

Offered by the University of Ottawa‘s Faculty of Arts, the Witchcraft, Magic and Occult Traditions module is three credits total and delivered as part of a lecture.

The module covers historical, psychological and cross-cultural exploration of traditions and practices built on a belief in paranormal phenomena. This includes witchcraft, magic, occult, and related experiences, in relation to traditional notions of religious behaviour.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on October 1, 2024.