A Closer Look at the Four New Subjects in this Year's QS Ranking

Released earlier this month, the 2017 QS World University Rankings by Subject are a fantastic way of finding out which universities are the best in the world for your chosen area of study. Rolling with the times, QS has introduced four new subject areas this year, making these the most comprehensive rankings yet. 

Anatomy and Physiology, Hospitality and Leisure Management, Sports-related Subjects and Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies have all been ranked for 2017, with courses at UK and USA universities dominating the league tables for each of these subjects.

If one of these subjects interests you, here’s where you should be looking to study.

Anatomy and Physiology 

The UK'S prestigious Oxford University, one of the oldest universities in the world, is the top dog for Anatomy and Physiology studies.  A range of undergraduate courses including pre-clinical Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are on offer, and you’ll become part of Oxford’s cutting-edge Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics exploring “the frontiers of biology”.

You’ll need to be an exceptional student to get a place on one of Oxford’s courses, but it’s well worth the blood sweat and tears, as you’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the best scientific brains on the planet.  Your third year will culminate in a laboratory-based research project and the opportunity for tutorials with practicing scientists.

Hospitality and Leisure Management

Coming out on top for Hospitality and Leisure Management is the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Studying here will mean you’ll be just a stone’s throw away from the famous Las Vegas strip, with a glittering assortment of hotels and entertainment complexes right on your doorstep. Exactly what you want and need if you’re planning on making it big in the hospitality industry!

If you study for a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management at UNLV, you’ll get the opportunity to specialize in a niche area to suit your own particular career aspirations. So, whether you want to focus on Gaming Management, Meetings and Events, Restaurants or even PGA Golf Management, there’s a course that should appeal to you.

Sports-related Subjects

The UK’s Loughborough University is joint-top of the table for sports-related subjects, and offers a variety of courses ranging from Sport and Exercise Psychology to Sport Science with Management.

If you study at Loughborough you’ll be lucky enough to experience the university’s state of the art £8M sports development which houses an eye-watering array of facilities.  Here you’ll find everything from specialist laboratories and climatic chambers to a 50-meter swimming pool, water-based hockey pitch and athletics centre.

As if that wasn’t enough proof that Loughborough is a first-class choice for sports studies, you might be interested to know that Loughborough alumni won an outstanding 12 medals (5 of which were gold) at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies

Another win for an American university, and this time Harvard takes the crown.  The university’s Divinity School offers degree programs in both Divinity and Theology, and aims to “advance understanding of religion and to educate leaders for a religiously complex world”. 

In the unsettled world we live in, Harvard Professor Laura S. Nasrallah sums up the importance of religious-based studies nicely, saying that “everyone’s noticing that religious discourse is actually alive and well, and violently affecting politics. There’s a new urgency to learning about and discussing religion”.

Another stand-out feature of studying at Harvard Divinity School is their focus on a vibrant social life which encourages lively debate and spiritual practice.  Harvard is undeniably the place to be if you want to be surrounded by enquiring minds and a strong community.

Emily Valentine writes for Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To browse their graduate jobs, visit their website.

Image credits: Oxford image (Hugo Pardo Kuklinski: Flickr), Las Vegas image (Bob Dass: Flickr), Harvard image (Niklas Tenhaef)