Taylor Swift has dominated everything from the music charts to media headlines — and now she might even be shaping education syllabuses.
Queen Mary University of London has become one of the UK’s first universities to offer a course inspired by Taylor Swift.
It’s clear that there will be no Blank Space in students’ notebooks during the upcoming summer school course, named Taylor Swift and Literature.
Led by Dr Clio Doyle, students attending this module will be able to dive into Swift’s work and ask valuable questions such as whether her lyrics should be studied the same way we study Shakespeare or Dickens.
According to the Queen Mary syllabus, Swifties will gain a better understanding of pop culture’s connection with literature by analysing Swift’s songs against critical theory.
The course description explains: “This module suggests that the lyrics of Taylor Swift can and should be read as literature. In doing so, we will pay close attention to formal elements such as rhyme and word choice. We will also analyze her songs with the help of key texts in critical theory and discuss the political, national, and historical contexts of her work.”
The course, expected to take more than 150 hours this summer, will feature lectures, seminars, and even field trips.
According to the Queen Mary website, one summer school session costs around £2,415. However, this doesn’t cover the cost of staying on campus in London or living costs.
Queen Mary University joins a growing list of higher education institutions that are implementing Taylor Swift-inspired content in their courses.
Last month, a Belgian university launched one of the first Taylor Swift literature courses in Europe. Created by British professor Elly McCausland, students undertaking the module would use Swift’s work as a springboard for studying literature throughout the centuries.
Prior to this, the Clive Davis Institute at New York University also created a Swift-inspired course last year. According to The Tab, the University of Warwick also ran an interdisciplinary module on Taylor Swift in 2022.
News of Swift being introduced to Queen Mary’s areas of studies came shortly after it was also revealed that Gannett, the US media company behind USA Today, was hiring a Taylor Swift reporter.
According to the outlet, editors planned to pay the Swift reporter up to $100,000 (£82,000) a year to cover the pop star’s life and ascent to stardom. The outlet was also looking for a reporter dedicated to Beyoncé, with both roles sending social media into meltdown as fans rushed to apply for the dream jobs.
What a time to be a Swiftie!
