Want to Become a Pirate? MIT Has a Course for That

For 20 years, the prestigious tech school has offered a secret pirate 'certification.'

Arrggh! Twenty years ago, students at MIT started an underground tradition: the Pirate Certificate. As a student, you can pursue the certificate by taking a sequence of courses—including archery, sailing, fencing and riflery—under the guidance of certified instructors. However, MIT does add the caveat that the course is for entertainment purposes only and “does not give the recipient license to engage in piracy or any pirate activities.” Curses, ye scalawags. But completing all the required courses does get you a certificate and a pirate-themed ceremony, during which, recipients are asked to swear to abide by the pirate oath, which has remained a secret for over two decades.

Check out the video of future pirates below.

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