College 3 x 5: Specialty Schools  
 

One of the amazing thing about choosing a college in the US is that there really is a place for every kind of student and every possible academic or career interest. Love to cook? Want to study textiles? Auctioneering? How about turning your love of model trains into a career? Here are five colleges where your passion will lead the way.

 College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME   

• College of the Atlantic offers one major: Human Ecology. Within Human Ecology, students can choose among three resource centers: Art & Design, Environmental Sciences, and Human Studies
  
• All students are required to complete at least one academically related internship during their undergraduate years
  
• Notable alumni: Amy Goodman, journalist; Nell Newman, Founder, Newman’s Own Organics
  

 Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY

• Culinary Institute offers 2- and 4-year degrees in Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts Management, Baking and Pastry Arts, and Culinary Science.
  
• Four campuses – New York, California, Texas, and Singapore – offer the ultimate in hands-on education. Students receive over 1000 hours of practice in dozens of test kitchens and bakeshops
  
• Culinary research at the Culinary Institute fosters innovation and supports the food service industry 
  

 Missouri Auction School, St. Louis, MO 

• Week-long training sessions in Missouri prepare students to go back to their home states to acquire state licensure and set up an auction business or get hired by established auctioneers
  
• Students learn about specialty auctioneering skills: antiques, autos, real estate, art, machinery and equipment, livestock and business liquidations 
  
• The Missouri Auction School was founded in 1905
  

 Modoc Railroad Academy, Alturas, CA

• The only full service railroad training school in the US, Modoc owns its own railroad for the exclusive use of its students
• Two courses of study are offered: Conductor Certification and Locomotive Engineer Certification (100% job placement for all grads since 2011).
• Total time for both certification classes is six months.

Northwest Lineman College, Oroville, CA; Meridian, ID; Denton, TX

• NLC exists to train men and women to construct, maintain, and operate America’s power grid
  
• Graduates can work in the following industries: electric power generation, utility construction, gas pipeline transportation, building equipment contractors, and and government
  
•  NLC reports an 81% job placement rate
  

 Other specialty schools include the National Labor College (DC), the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (Atlanta, GA), Institute of Textile Technology (NC), Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College (CA), Antique Auto Restoration Program at McPherson College (KS). There are other interesting programs all over the country. Type your passion into a search engine and see where you can go to get the training to do what you love!

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