...And before you dismiss the course as silly, its instructor says students will actually learn much more than personal defense against the brain-craving undead.

"We are using the idea of a zombie apocalypse to attract attention to the important research and science on the topic of 'Catastrophes and Human Behavior,'" Glenn Stutzky, an MSU social work instructor and creator of the course, told MSU News.

"Students will learn about the nature, scope and impact of catastrophic events on individuals, families, societies, civilizations and the Earth itself."

In the course, the first edition of which begins on May 14, students will study the change in human behavior and nature after catastrophes, including historical incidents and those more far-fetched.

The class lasts seven weeks and blends traditional coursework with online forums and its hallmark activity: a zombie apocalypse simulation.

In that simulation, students will be placed into survivor groups and charged with conjunctively developing plans for surviving the zombie pandemic, according to MSU News. And that's just the first week of class.

As the course progresses, students will also learn about past catastrophes and what impact they made.

Then in the course's waning days, students will draw on all their newly acquired knowledge to face the end of the simulated zombie apocalypse....