College courses aren’t all lectures and lab reports — especially in Nashville. With the fall semester around the corner, we’ve rounded up classes that go beyond the basics and might make you wish you could dust off your backpack.

🎤 Music and media

The Professional Musician (Belmont) | Guides music majors through career planning, professional documents, guest lectures, and audition prep
Dolly Parton: Songteller (Belmont) | Explores how Parton’s songs, storytelling, and career shaped her identity and influenced the broader music, film, and cultural landscape
History of Country Music (MTSU) | Covers the origins and cultural impact of country music from its early roots to today
Exploring the Cinematic Soundtrack (Vanderbilt) | Studies how music shapes the narrative and emotional impact of films
Beethoven & Beatles (Fisk) | Examines connections between classical and popular music by comparing the works of Beethoven with the Beatles
Concert Management (Trevecca Nazarene) | Covers the ins and outs of concert promotion, including contracts, riders, venues, audience projections, and finance
Comics and Graphic Novels (Fisk) | An up-close look at comics and graphic novels as literary and cultural storytelling forms

🍽️ Food and beverage

Dining Room Service (Nashville State) | Introduces the fundamentals of table service, including guest relations, order-taking, point-of-sale systems, and dining room prep
Wine Appreciation (MTSU) | Introduces viticulture, tasting techniques, and sensory evaluation of wines
Science of Meat (TSU) | Examines the science behind meat production, processing, and quality assessment
A Global History of Tea (Vanderbilt) | Follows the journey of tea through global trade, culture, and social rituals

🏅 Sports and recreation

Athlete Marketing and Branding (Belmont) | Provides strategies for creating and managing personal brands for athletes, from storytelling to sponsorship and fan engagement
Jogging (Lipscomb) |Teaches proper walking, jogging, running, and stretching to improve overall fitness
Camp Counseling (Lipscomb) | Covers the philosophy and objectives of organized camping, including an overnight trip in the spring