Beyoncé has taken over the headlines this week, from her steamy performance at the 2014 Grammys to reports of her size 2 frame.
Now it appears the "Drunk in Love" songstress has taken over college classes.
A Rutgers University course called "Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyoncé" offers students the chance to explore race, sexuality and gender in American society, CBS reported Tuesday.
"This isn't a course about Beyoncé's political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama's inauguration weekend," Kevin Allred, a doctoral student who teaches the course, told Rutgers Today newspaper.
"Rather, the performer's music and career are used as lenses to explore American race, gender and sexual politics," Rutgers Today reported.
Allred started teaching "Politicizing Beyoncé" in 2010. He came up with the idea after four semesters of teaching Women's Studies 101. Allred noticed his class often discussed how Beyoncé plays the role of sex symbol and feminist at the same time.
"She certainly pushes boundaries," Allred told Rutgers Today. "While other artists are simply releasing music, she's creating a grand narrative around her life, her career and her persona."
That seems to hold true today. The "Single Ladies" singer released a visual album at the end of last year without notice. The album, comprised of 14 songs and 17 videos, features songs about her marriage to rapper Jay Z and a video featuring her 2-year-old daughter Blue Ivy.
The course compares Beyoncé's lyrics and videos to the writings of black feminists like Bell Hooks, author Alice Walker and abolitionist Sojourner Truth, Rutgers Today reported.
Allred, who is a gay white man, said he feels a connection with the writings of black feminists.
"I found myself identifying with their writing because racism, sexism, homophobia and privilege are larger systems under which we all operate," Allred told Rutgers Today.
Beyoncé is not the only one stealing the classroom spotlight. Her husband Jay Z also has a course about him at Georgetown University, called "The Sociology of Hip-Hop: The Theodicy of Jay Z."
