There may be many career options but students get stuck with the select few including, engineering, medical, law, chartered accountancy. However, the story isn’t the same anymore as there is a long list of professional courses that are far from conventional career list. Niche courses are in focus and helping fetch unusual jobs for students.

For instance, Mumbai University offers a course on puppetry, which is a certificate programme. Students can learn about different forms of puppetry in India and attend workshops held by experts.

Your love for animals can be translated into a full-time career. Individuals can opt for training courses on canine behaviour from multiple animal behaviour experts in the country. Shirin Merchant, a canine behaviourist and trainer offer such courses in Mumbai.

Career opportunities post completion of these niche courses is not the regular 9-5 jobs that are generally offered post a degree completion. Individuals who have completed these special programmes are of the view that there is a long period of struggle before they are able to make money. So, those with financial backing can opt for such courses.

Some of the courses act as skill enhancement areas for existing professionals. There is Glass Academy is which is one of India’s first learning platform for glass and glazing. It has started an initiative called Glass Curriculum. The glass curriculum is a futuristic program of study that is beneficial for anyone who is in the field of architecture and construction.

Need for corporate etiquette and power dressing has also become a crucial part of the work culture. Organizations like the Image Consulting Business Institute offers programmes on image consulting and soft skills trainer. These individuals look at attractive salaries after course completion.

While comic books, popular films, and fashion history became legitimate subjects of study in the West in the 1980s, the field is now fragmenting and specialising in India, with a special focus on preparing students for jobs in new fields.

In India, you can now pursue a course in comedy even if you have no aspirations of being a stand-up comic yourself – the curriculum looks at how comedy is a tool for communication. You could specialize in understanding the built environment in your arts degree and land a job with a civic body as a solid waste manager. Or you could hone your analytical skills watching award-winning scary movies that might prepare you to critique other forms of culture at a media house or film studio.

Today’s increasingly globalized and diverse job market, there is much more scope to pursue an out-of-the-box profession. For now, universities abroad have the most established niche degrees, though Indian universities are also starting to broaden their course offerings.