For college students who’d rather bang their heads than hit the books, New College Nottingham (England) has introduced perhaps the perfect major: the Heavy Metal Music Performance degree.

The major isn’t just focused on how to scream into a microphone without stripping your vocal chords. Students will study the history of the genre, its connection to philosophy and religion, and get a primer on the music’s business side.

“In the past, heavy metal has not been taken seriously and is seen as lacking academic credibility when compared with other genres such as jazz and classical music. That’s just a cultural construction,” says Liam Maloy, who constructed the major for New College. He adds, “Heavy metal is an extremely technical genre of music and the study of its culture and context is a rising academic theme, so we’re very excited to be at the forefront of its integration with education.” (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.