Taylor Swift and Literature Queen Mary Summer School

You may have seen articles, in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Teen Vogue, about seminars  on Taylor Swift that were recently offered at some American universities. These university-level classes on Swift's work and its form, context, and implications raise all kinds of questions about what should be taught, read, and studied. Is Swift's work literature, and is it worth studying in the same way that one would study Shakespeare or Dickens? In this module, we will grapple with ideas of canonicity and literary value and think about what it means to read something as literature. 

This module suggests that the lyrics of Taylor Swift can and should be read as literature. In doing so, we will pay close attention to formal elements such as rhyme and word choice. We will also analyze her songs with the help of key texts in critical theory and discuss the political, national, and historical contexts of her work. Queen Mary's London setting will encourage us to pay particular attention to the way in which the UK, and London in particular, figures in Swift's lyrics. 

Entry requirements

We welcome Summer School students from around the world. We accept a range of qualifications:

• if your home institution uses the four-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale, we usually require a 3.0 GPA
• if your home institution uses the letter scale, you will need to have a B+
• if your home university uses the UK scale, we require a 2:1 average
• if your home university uses a percentage scale, we usually require a minimum 65% average

All of our courses are taught and assessed in English. If English isn’t your first language, you must meet one of the following English Language requirements in order to join the Queen Mary Summer School:

• If you hold a degree from a majority English speaking country plus Canada you may use this degree to satisfy the English language requirements for entry, provided the degree was completed no more than 5 years before the start date of the course to which you are applying.
• An IELTS score of 7 or higher, for the majority of courses
• An IELTS score of 6.5 or higher for science-based courses
• A TOEFL iBT score of 92 or higher
• CET4 - 550 or CET 6 - 493
• A degree taught in English within the last five years*

Applicants with an alternative qualification should check it is equivalent to the above or contact us at [email protected]