Actress, singer, mother, and now college course.

When it comes to college courses, the key is to get the attention of students who might not ordinarily sign up for your class. After all, you get paid by the student and you have to have a certain number of students to keep the class going, so it’s key to get eyeballs.  Hence, a rise in, ahem… nontraditional college studies.  First, Lady Gaga got a college class at the University of South Carolina, and now Beyonce is getting a class as well.  The Beyonce studies class, called Politicizing Beyonce, is available at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

“This isn’t a course about Beyonce’s political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama’s inauguration weekend,” said Rutgers Ph.D. candidate Kevin Allred, the professor behind the course.  “She certainly pushes boundaries.  While other artists are simply releasing music, she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona.”

The class, offered by the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, will take an in-depth look at Beyonce as a persona, not so much as a person.  To that end, the class will also discuss famous singers with personae like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and of course, Lady Gaga herself, but I imagine Beyonce “Sasha Fierce” Knowles will be the focus of the class.

Tags: Politicizing Beyonce, Rutgers University,  Department of Women’s and Gender Studies,  Kevin Allred, college course offered on Beyonce, Beyonce Knowles, Rutgers offers class on Beyonce, New Jersey, Beyonce class offered at Rutgers, unusual college classes, unusual subjects, singers

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