The University of California, Irvine has teamed up with AMC and The Walking Dead to teach a free online course about surviving a zombie apocalypse.

In what may earn it a nod as one of the coolest schools in America, the official Walking Dead course will offer the following to participants:

– Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—is survival just about being alive?
– Social order and structures—from the farm and the prison to Woodbury
– Social identity, roles, and stereotyping—as shown through leaders like Rick and the Governor
– The role of public health in society—from the CDC to local community organizations
– The spread of infectious disease and population modeling—swarm!
– The role of energy and momentum in damage control—how can you best protect yourself?
– Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world—are squirrels really good for you?
– Managing stress in disaster situations—what’s the long-term effect of always sleeping with one eye open?

By the end of the course you will be able to:

– Describe how infectious diseases—like a zombie epidemic—spread and are managed
– Apply various models of society and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to existing and emerging societies as a means for understanding human behavior
– Analyze existing social roles and stereotypes as they exist today and in an emerging world
– Debate the role of public health organizations in society
– Describe how mathematical equations for population dynamics can be used to study disease spread and interventions
– Apply concepts of energy and momentum appropriately when analyzing collisions and other activities that either inflict or prevent damage
– Summarize multiple methods for managing stress in disaster situations

Zombie lovers – or those worried about an apocalypse – can sign up no matter where they are located in the world. Numerous classes will be offered in order to accommodate those who have to wait longer to watch The Walking Dead season 4 in their country. The first class will be held on October 14, the day after season 4 premieres in the United States on AMC.

You can learn more about the course, apply, and read about the teachers who will educate you on the course’s official website.

Is an official ‘Walking Dead’ course taught by a real university something you’ll sign up for?