Auckland University of Technology (AUT) has introduced a new summer school course titled Taylor Swift: Communications Professional, marking Australasia’s first university-level course focused on the global pop icon. Offered by AUT’s School of Communication Studies, the course will critically analyze Taylor Swift’s 18-year career through the lens of modern communications disciplines.

Running from November 18 to December 13—coinciding with Taylor Swift’s 35th birthday—the course will be held three days a week at AUT’s City Campus. It will offer students a chance to apply communications theory to Swift’s work, including analyzing her visual and audio content and critiquing her branding strategies. If demand is high, the course may also be offered online.

The launch of this course follows the success of Swiftposium, an academic conference held in February 2024 that examined Swift’s global impact and received a strong response from students and fans. The conference, co-funded by AUT and Australian partner universities, highlighted the singer’s influence, prompting this innovative academic offering.

Auckland University of Technology was established on 1 January 2000 after a former technical college was converted into a university. AUT is the third biggest university in New Zealand based on the number of students enrolled, with around 29,100 students spread out over three campuses in Auckland.