Yale University, once synonymous with academic excellence, is launching a new course focused on the cultural and political impact of pop star Beyonce. The class, titled “Beyonce Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music,” is the latest example of how America’s universities prioritize trendy topics over practical education, leaving students to pay thousands for courses with little career or societal value.

Instructor Daphne Brooks, co-founder of Yale’s Black Sound and the Archive Working Group, described the course as a deep dive into Beyonce’s work. “I’m looking forward to exploring her body of work and considering how, among other things, historical memory, Black feminist politics, Black liberation politics, and philosophies course through the last decade of her performance repertoire,” Brooks said.