Alternative Courses

If you're having trouble inititally finding a course that takes your fancy, don't despair, there could still be a place for you in higher education. You may just have to study the prospectus a little more closely.

The last 10 years has seen a proliferation in the number, and variety, of courses offered by UK universities, which means that if you are not turned on by the traditional choices, such as English, chemistry or politics, you can opt for surf science, Chinese medicine or computer games design. And that's just for starters. How about scriptwriting, footwear design or disaster management?

Three or four years is a long time to study a subject that does not interest you sufficiently so the key to choosing the right course is deciding where your passion and interests lie. A good place to start is with your extra-curricular activities. If you enjoy making your own jewellery; have you considered a degree in gold- or silversmithing, or even a straight BA programme in jewellery design?

You could even take that new-found love of water sports a step further with a slice of management or business studies on the side? Add an element of physics and some surfing lessons and you have got yourself a degree in surf science and technology. And if you have an average handicap of 3.7 and know when to keep out of the 19th hole, how about an honours degree in golf?

Leading the charge in this new wave of British undergraduate degrees are the "new" universities (what used to be known as polytechnics), which can be more open to newer courses in different areas.

But for those who want to tread a more traditional path in their studies, there are still exciting options.

Interested in politics, law or sociology, but haven't the desire to study them individually? Why not combine them and study for a degree in human rights? Students on such a course can expect to touch on all three subjects, along with history, economics, government and philosophy.

Or what about combining geography and biology for a more vocational degree in wildlife conservation? For the scientist in you, the past 10 years have seen pure science courses evolve into the study of forensic medicine and, more recently, crime scene investigation, which offers a more practical element to the subject, helped by the creation of "crime scene houses", simulations which allow students to put theory into practice.

for those that are more technically minded, universities are now offering a crop of degrees involving cutting-edge innovation. Courses include artificial intelligence, virtual reality and, for those with a creative streak, computer animation, one of the growth areas in the film, TV, games and advertising industries.

As well as catering for more diverse tastes, the vocational slant to many of these innovative courses will give you a good footing on the career ladder when you graduate. So, as university increasingly becomes a financial as well as educational investment it may be worth taking a fresh look at what is on offer - you could well be surprised at what you find.