way of life vs course

way of life and course both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
way of life	Yes	No	No	No
course	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

As nouns, course is a hypernym of way of life; that is, course is a word with a broader meaning than way of life:

Other hypernyms of way of life include course of action.

way of life (noun)	course (noun)
a course of conduct	a mode of action
	education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
	facility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport
	(construction) a layer of masonry
	part of a meal served at one time
	a connected series of events or actions or developments
	a body of students who are taught together
	general line of orientation
	a line or route along which something travels or moves

way of life (adverb)	course (adverb)
	as might be expected