Taylor Swift 101: UC Berkeley to Offer a Course Studying the Superstar’s Success

This has definitely been the year of Taylor Swift, but it looks like next year will also be the year of Taylor Swift, at least for Swifties at the University of California Berkeley. According to a report from KRON out of San Francisco, the university will offer a course studying Swift’s musical catalog and entrepreneurial successes in 2024. This new class, offered through the Haas School of Business, is titled “Artistry & Entrepreneurship: Taylor’s Version.”

According to the syllabus, scholarly Swifties should prepare to “fall down a rabbit hole of what has led to Taylor Swift’s prolific success as a songwriter, businesswoman, and creative influence.” The website continues, “Through lyricism, branding, and craft, we’ll explore how art and authenticity create enduring value and a viable enterprise. We’ll analyze performance and interview clips, discuss media portrayal and perceptions, and develop working definitions of Swift’s role in society—and yours. We’ll put her under scrutiny, but handle it beautifully.”

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The course is split into four parts and the syllabus poses a few questions to get students started. Part I is titled “The Emergence of a Superstar,” which posits “What sets Taylor Swift apart and thus helped her break into, and keep her spot in, the music industry?” and “How is community shaped by art? How is a connection with a fan or customer base fostered?”

Part II is called “Competitive Edge and the TSwift Lift.” This section asks questions like “Why are people captivated by the Eras Tour? What are concertgoers really paying for?” and the ever-challenging conundrum “What makes up a Swiftie?”

Part III is titled “Personas, Perceptions, Personalities,” and covers topics like Swift’s various identities over the years, how she is driven by perceptions, and her role as a “social influencer.”

Part IV is called “Looking Beyond Yourself.” This final section invites students to get introspective and think about their roles in the world. “Given what you know, is Taylor Swift a role model? For whom?” the syllabus asks. Overall, the course seems thorough and touches on big-picture topics like identity, influence, and celebrity.

Additionally, this isn’t the first class about Taylor Swift that has been offered at the university level. In 2021, the New York University Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music launched a course led by Brittany Spanos, which focused more on Swift’s music, literature, and career trajectory.

The Berkeley course focuses more on the business and personality side of Swift’s empire, while the NYU course was more about the artistry involved. Either way, having a course dedicated to their favorite superstar sounds like a dream come true for college-aged Swifties.

Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage