[M]any witches she knew were talking about the degree program, announced last week, and were thinking about enrolling

Bad times in several fronts:

Christina Oakley Harrington, a retired academic of medieval history and the founder of Treadwell’s, a London bookstore specializing in literature on magic and spiritualism, said that many witches she knew were talking about the degree program, announced last week, and were thinking about enrolling.

This gal tries to deflect criticism:

“Not because they’re idiots and think it’s going to teach them how to wave a magic wand and do a spell,” Dr. Oakley Harrington said. “They’re people who have just a huge curiosity about the world and the way we perceive the seen and the unseen worlds.”

, but she doesn't succeed, IMHO.

Also, this guy adds:

Magic is sometimes thrown around as a synonym for false thinking, said Prof. Jeffrey J. Kripal, who helped to create the Rice University certificate program. “People have been practicing magical rituals and thinking about the world in magical terms much longer and deeper than the world religions,” Dr. Kripal said.

The pirates at Exeter Univ. even promise careers, "The recent surge in interest around topics pertaining to magic and occultism means that many of these professions have experienced a similar surge in demand for this expertise.":

In:

The New York Times, Oct 13 2023: A U.K. University Will Confer a New Title: A Master’s Degree in the Occult.  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/world/europe/exeter-university-magic-degree.html

The postgraduate degree, to be offered at the University of Exeter starting next year, will focus on the history of magic, folklore and rituals.