Beyonc classes at Canadian universities tackle music, pop culture, critical thinking

She's one of the most influential music stars on the planet and nowBeyonc is schooling some of us for real, with "Queen Bey" central to two Canadian university courses this past semester.

At the University of Waterloo in Ontario, professor Naila Keleta-Mae taught a course called Gender and Performance to explore themes of race, feminism and sexuality. She focused on Beyonc's most recent, self-titled album to engage students by including material they could relate to.

"It's been really fascinating, as an educator, to work with students who have avested interest in a topic," Keleta-Mae told CBC News.

"It's been wonderful to work with students who have very clear investmentsand then introduce them to critical race theory, feminist theory and theory on sexuality."

As for any skeptics who believe pop culture has no place in higher learning, she is passionate about why Beyonc belongs.

"I think that the notion the academy exists somewhere over there and isn't connected to everyday life is problematic to me," she said.

"Our students come into the classroom rich with experience and ideas, facing all kinds of issues, having all kinds of perspectives. So I think of my role as an educator as showing them ways in which they can begin to be, or continue to be, critically engaged."

Meanwhile, at the University of Victoria this fall, professor Melissa Avdeeff offered a music course on Beyonc.

"People should be studying the world they live in," she said.

"Courses like this help students develop important critical thinking skills, so when they are outside after this class they can critically analyze the media they are consuming."

One of her students, Ashlih Kassam, moved to Victoria and enrolled at the university there specifically because of the Beyonc course. She admitted to being a lifelong fan of the singer, but added that she was impressed with what she gained from the course.

"We learn how to apply different theories and vocabulary I would not have known prior to this, so it's great," Kassam said.

According to classmate Kristina Alexander,she had to respond to friends who told her she was wasting her time and money on a Beyonc class.

"I explained [that] it's more than Beyonc, it's about feminism, helping us to think critically inside and outside the classroom, on social media, and learning about where music comes from."