Masters degree in magic to be offered at British university

It's one of the first courses of its kind in the country

In 2024, students will be able to take an MA in Magic and Occult Science at the university.

The "innovative" one-year course has been created following a "recent surge in interest in magic", according to the course leader.

It will offer students the opportunity to study the history and impact of witchcraft and magic on society and science in the West and East, the BBC reports.

The course on the university's Streatham Campus will be led by academics in the fields of history, literature, philosophy, archaeology, sociology, psychology, drama, and religion.

Exeter uni said the MA is one of the only postgraduate courses of its kind to combine the study of the history of magic with such a wide range of other subjects

Prof Emily Selove, course leader, said: "A recent surge in interest in magic and the occult inside and outside of academia lies at the heart of the most urgent questions of our society.

"Decolonisation, the exploration of alternative epistemologies, feminism and anti-racism are at the core of this programme."

The course will be offered in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.

Prof Selove said: "This MA will allow people 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."

The course is designed to prepare students for careers such as teaching, mentoring, heritage and museum work, work in libraries and tourism.

Some of the modules include dragons in western literature and art, the legend of King Arthur, palaeography and the depiction of women in the Middle Ages.

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