In a dream come true for ice cream lovers everywhere, a college in Italy is offering a course in how to make the perfect gelato.

The aptly-named Gelato University near Bologna has attracted students from across the world, all eager to learn the secret to delicious Italian ice cream.

The university is based at the headquarters of Carpigiani, the leading global manufacturer of ice cream making machines. Students pay around £700 a week and are trained in traditional gelato-making methods, as well as practical advice on how to use the machine and tips for ice cream marketing and management.

The college's campus includes a huge lab populated by multi-coloured vats, where unusual gelato flavours such as fennel and mortadella are brewed up.

Some 12,000 people from locations as far-flung as Australia and Sierra Leone have already signed up to the course this year.

The university's director, Kaori Ito, told Sky News: "The people who come here are people who want a career change. The average age is 35-40. They are ready to drop what they're doing and open a new chapter in their lives."

Student Yasmeena Abdel Ghani, 29, said she was attending the course with her husband from Dubai.

"I love gelato a lot and my husband has a passion for it. I'm having lots of fun! I think I'm going to do it more in the future," she told AFP. "We have a different kind of ice cream. Arabic ice cream is very gummy. They only have vanilla and pistachio."

Come read about other unusual university courses on offer around the world - including Homer Simpson studies and the art of David Beckham.

Picture credits: Rex Features

An education in the art of ice cream