These might be the most unique universities in the world

The university model of undergraduates studying three- to four-year programmes on large residential campuses, learning mostly by lecturers and culminating in a final thesis is hundreds of years old and how most universities in the Western world are organised.

Although you might not have heard of them, there are universities around the world that have chosen to rip up the rule book on this centuries-old approach. Here are four institutions whose philosophy, location, teaching structure and programme offerings are anything but ordinary.

1. Quest University

Founded in 2007, Quest University is the brainchild of seasoned university presidents who were fed up with how traditional universities were structured and wanted to build a new kind of institution without any historical baggage.

The result is an accredited university tucked away in the scenic countryside of British Columbia, Canada that offers only one degree, a four-year bachelor’s course in the arts and sciences.

Instead of studying multiple modules simultaneously throughout each term, as is the global norm, courses at Quest are taught in blocks of three and a half weeks, allowing students to fully immerse themselves in one discipline at a time. Unconvinced of the usefulness of lectures, the college scrapped them in favour of small classrooms with no more than 20 students. The university also got rid of separated department buildings, and academics of all disciplines work side by side in order to develop interdisciplinary perspectives on their work.

Students are encouraged to pursue a range of subjects via the block plan in their first two years. Instead of following a conventional major path, students design their own degree around a single question. These questions have ranged from “how can art transform conflict?” to “how does mathematics model the physical world?”. In the entire history of this innovative university, no two students have addressed the same question.

2. Deep Springs College

Located on a ranch in California’s Death Valley and more than an hour from the nearest town, Deep Springs College is perhaps the most remote educational institution in the US.

While universities often boast about cultivating the minds of the future, at Deep Springs cultivating the land is just as important. In a typical day, a student might go from a seminar on ancient philosophy to herding cattle in a cowboy hat, reflecting the college’s three pillars: academics, labour and self-governance. The purpose is to develop in students a true sense of self-sufficiency, agency and stewardship.

The college admits a maximum of 15 students a year to its two-year, fully funded programme. It originally accepted only male students, but the college voted in 2011 to admit all genders. Since its founding in 1917, the curriculum has been entirely self-governed, meaning that the small student body comes together to decide which classes they will take next.

In this way, Deep Springs takes the idea of the college classroom as a rehearsal space for democracy to a new level, as students in effect drop out of the world to join, maintain and develop this tiny autonomous community.

After completing the programme, Deep Springs students gain a two-year associate’s degree fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).

From here, graduates of the college often transfer to top US universities such as Stanford University to complete another two years of college and graduate with a bachelor’s.

Despite its tiny size, the college has turned out some impressive alumni, including three MacArthur “genius grant” recipients, two Pulitzer prizewinning journalists and one Emmy winner.

3. Pyongyang University of Science and Technology

Located in North Korea, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) is perhaps the most surprising university on this list.

According to its website, the institution hosts the largest community of foreigners in the entirety of North Korea, with more than 60 faculty members from China, the US, the UK and the rest of Europe.

The university, which is recognised and accredited by North Korea’s Ministry of Education, is the first and only privately funded educational institution in the country.

PUST was founded by James Chin-Kyung Kim, a Korean-American Christian entrepreneur. According to the BBC, he raised much of the university’s founding funds from South Korean and American Christian charities.

Support from foreign funders appears to be directly at odds with the insular ideology of North Korea – human rights group have claimed that North Koreans found practising Christianity are persecuted, and yet the university prevails.

Its aim is to contribute to the development of the North Korean economy by producing qualified leaders who can speak multiple languages and work in an international setting. The internet can be accessed on campus, but its use is strictly monitored.

Degrees courses are taught largely in English; they include a bachelor’s in science, as well as doctorates in engineering, computing, life sciences, medicine and finance.

4. The International Space University

You may be considering a course of study and campus far from home, but have you thought about studying in space? Although the International Space University’s campus is still earthbound (in France, to be specific), it is serious about its intention to be an integral part of humanity’s move to the cosmos.

Founded on the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and intergalactic future, the institution is dedicated to preparing the next generation of space explorers and researchers. The university was officially accredited by the French Ministry of Education in 2004.

You might assume that this institution focuses solely on the physical sciences, but programmes at the International Space University are surprisingly broad. Its master’s course seeks to provide an interdisciplinary, intercultural and international overview of space in terms of science and engineering, but also of space-related policy, law and the social implications of potentially moving planets.

The course features expert guest speakers and opportunities to network in the competitive field of space exploration, culminating in a university experience truly out of this world.