AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas at Austin students know all too well how fast certain classes can fill up – and one new course probably has some Longhorns thinking they should've said no to one of their classes to leave a blank space on their schedule.
Starting this month, UT Austin English professor Elizabeth Scala will teach a class on Taylor Swift's songbook to first-year undergraduates in the liberal arts honors program.
According to a Facebook post from UT's Department of English, the new course is called "Literary Contests and Contexts — The Taylor Swift Songbook." It will provide students with "introduction to literary studies and research methods” using Swift's songwriting as the basis for teaching "a wide range of skills."
In the post, the English department said, "Let’s turn that Easter Egg hunting and reading in detail to academic purposes!," referring to Swift's practice of hiding clues in her lyrics and music videos for fans to decode.
Scala told KVUE's media partners at the Austin American-Statesman that her daughter introduced her to Swift after the release of "Red (Taylor's Version)" last November.
“Swift is an intelligent and talented songwriter, and her writing skills are what made me focus on her,” Scala told the Statesman. “For me, it’s all about form (not just or even primarily about content). We will study Swift’s songs as poems and literary structures.”
UT's Swift class isn't the only course from a local institution that's hoping to use pop culture to educate. A class on Harry Styles will be offered at Texas State University next spring.
Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: