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MA in Magic and Occult Sciences

Remember that cutaway gag in Family Guy, where Peter decided the best way to break bad news was to get a barbershop quartet to sing a "You've got AIDS" song to a patient?

That's exactly what this is: "how might polyvocal, practice-based performance methods reveal novel ways to articulate and attend to spells of illness?" Right?
 
Mojo said:
The first appears to be a study of astrology from the late 16th to the end of the 17th century (a period when Galileo, for example, practised it), the second is a study of "Fantasy Fiction and Live Action Role Play". No indication that magic or astrology would be treated as real.

Not so sure about the third one, though.
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Linked in the OP, the blog of The Centre for Magic and Esotericism at the University of Exeter, which offers this degree, places the course squarely at the intersection of the history of magical thinking practices and the history of science and medicine. One of the two degree tracks offered is based on "primarily performative and practice-based methodologies".

I'm telling you it's woo with a thin veneer of academic respectability glued on the outside. You're looking at the veneer and saying "it looks like respectable academic work to me." I'm saying there's only one way to interpret a Master's Degree in Magic and Occult Sciences, based on primarily performative and practice-based methodologies.

I'm all for practicing astrologers studying the history and practice of astrology. But getting an MA in performative and practice-based astrology doesn't actually legtimize the astrologer's work. It doesn't mean they're a better astrologer. Even though that's what people will think, and that's how the degree will be framed by the astrologer-graduate.
 
theprestige said:
I'm telling you it's woo with a thin veneer of academic respectability glued on the outside. You're looking at the veneer and saying "it looks like respectable academic work to me."
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I'm looking at what you're looking at: the titles of the dissertations.
 
Carrot Flower King said:
Have a link to the relevant page of Exeter's site - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/arabislamic/magic-occult-science/ - just so folk can actually have a look at entry requirements and course details...
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This does not look to bad:

  • Build interdisciplinary expertise whilst exploring your specific interests within the long and diverse history of esotericism, witchcraft, ritual magic, occult science, and related topics.
  • Join our dynamic postgraduate community benefiting from research-inspired teaching led by a range of top scholars from different fields.
  • Our prestigious Centre for Magic and Esotericism welcomes MA students to monthly meetings and local field trips.
  • Graduate with the skills to and knowledge needed to influence and drive business strategies that make a positive contribution to the environment and society.
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The first bullet point seems quite reasonable. But the last heads off to woo-woo territory. I'll just stick with The Secret (Byrne book)WP.
 
That last point barely applies to anything a student taking the course might learn.

Business isn't driven by magic or or occult forces. The environment, I have no idea beyond the beliefs might cause one to be less damaging.
Society, probably about the same except the human side of things.

It's a flashy sales pitch but related job options after graduation seem elusive. Like those kids getting a diploma in restaurant management (an actual course at Fox Valley Tech) thinking they will be hired to manage a restaurant. They are likely to be hired in a restaurant but not to be manager.
 
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