PETALING JAYA, Feb 26 ― Fans of The Beatles can now take a master’s degree programme in the Fab Four.
BBC reported that programme leader and Beatles expert, Holly Tessler from the University of Liverpool, said that fans of the iconic Liverpudlian band are being invited to enrol in the unique Master of Arts (MA) course which is expected to begin in September.
She added that the course, titled The Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage, will see students learn about the group's influence on popular music and culture, as well as heritage and tourism in Liverpool and the UK.
“What makes this MA unique is its focus on The Beatles in a future-facing way, considering the legacy’s influence on the music and creative industries, in popular culture and within heritage, culture and tourism in the 21st century,” she said.
“This MA is as much about the wider study of Liverpool’s ― and the UK’s ― heritage, tourism and culture sectors as it is about the role The Beatles played in them.”
Students of the postgraduate qualification will also be able to study how the band’s impact could be replicated in different places, industries and contexts around the world.
A member of the Beatles Legacy Group, Mike Jones, also said that the course would explore the “deep, significant and lasting relationship” between the band and the city.
“Liverpool should be regarded not just as the birthplace of The Beatles, but their cradle. What The Beatles took to the world was, in part, Liverpool’s unique culture,” he said.
According to the description on the website, the programme is still subject to university approval and would last for 12 months for full-time students and 24 months for those studying part-time.
Course fees will cost £9,000 (RM51,065) for local students and £18,900 (RM107,237) for international students.
The course overview also said that students will be able to visit and explore sites around Liverpool and Merseyside that were formative in The Beatles’ early years.
A university spokesperson added that the course was aimed at people currently working or considering pursuing a career in the music and creative industries, as well as those employed in museums, galleries and tourism or leisure sectors.
This isn’t the only Beatles-themed MA course on offer in the city either, as the Liverpool Hope University also has a master’s degree in The Beatles titled The Beatles, Popular Music & Society.
Similar to the University of Liverpool’s course, the programme can be completed over 12 months full-time and 24 months part-time.
The first graduate in the world to receive their degree from the programme was Canadian singer Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy in 2011.
The Washington Post reported that there are a number of colleges and universities in the USA that also offer undergraduate courses on The Beatles as well, such as the University of Southern California and Indiana University.
