Spooky season is well and truly upon us but one UK university is taking things to the next level with an MA course focused on magic.
On October 3, the University of Exeter announced a first-of-its-kind (at least for the UK) course: MA in Magic and Occult Science. Offered within the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, the course will bring together lecturers who are experts in literature, history, archaeology, psychology, drama, sociology, and religion.
If that sounds interesting, wait till you hear about the choice of modules students can opt for! These include – but are in no way limited to – the legend of King Arthur, dragons in literature and art, archaeological practice and theory, and how women were depicted in the Middle Ages.
Speaking about the MA, course leader Professor Emily Selove said that the recent surge in interest in things like magic and occult has taken place both in and out of academia, and this course will give students the opportunity to ‘re-examine the assumption that the West is the place of rationalism and science, while the rest of the world is a place of magic and superstition’.
In case you’re wondering what you could do with such an MA, the university has a whole list of potential roles, including teaching, working in libraries, publishing, and museum work.
The MA in Magic and Occult Science kicks off in September 2024.
