“A Ph.D. in urban rats studies!!!”
My first reaction was the same. Yet, upon further thought, why not? Rats/rodents are indeed a significant urban problem. Rat studies is actually a far more useful discipline than critical race theory, gender studies, queer literature, and all the various and sundry other “woke” fields of study.
I worked in the “War on Rats” as a manager on several Urban Rat Control projects. On paper, they were excellent courses of action and got good results i.e., Environmentally Improved Blocks. In reality, most cities did not do their job in maintaining them as rat-free. And yes this was a make jobs program.