A Taylor Swift course is now being offered at a top Philippine university

About the course: Titled “Celebrity Studies: Taylor Swift in Focus,” the new offering at the University of the Philippines – Diliman (UPD) in Quezon City reportedly delves into the life of the 14-time Grammy Award winner as a celebrity, particularly her portrayal in the media and her status as a “transnational” figure in the Philippines. Additionally, it is expected to include the political aspects in her career, such as her stance against the country’s Anti-Terror Bill that was passed in 2020.

About the instructor: The course is led by Cherish Brillon, a professor in the broadcast communications department who is a Swiftie herself. In an op-ed in January, she explained that it will not be the first time the department explored pop culture studies, having launched courses on K-drama and pornography in the past.

Enrollment: Some 300 students reportedly enrolled in the course minutes after its availability, prompting the university to launch an additional class to accommodate the high demand. Some who managed to get into the classes brought their Taylor Swift merchandise.

Netizens’ reactions: Filipino X users, many of them Swifties, expressed their support for the course.

“Taylor Swift is a highly influential celebrity, and such person’s words and actions can really move and change how society works,” one wrote. “That is why the political and social aspects of her influence is being studied.”

Another fan noted, “As a Swiftie, I would have fallen in line and fight tooth and nail to get in.”

“University of the Philippines to offer a course on Taylor Swift and the #Jokoy fanatics just lost their minds,” another wrote, referencing the comedian’s ill-received joke about Swift at the Golden Globes earlier this year.

In the U.S.: Several U.S. universities have also offered courses on Swift, including Harvard and Stanford. Berklee, as a music-oriented college, launched one in October focused on her songwriting skills.