Taylor was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by New York University in 2022.
The 32-year-old singer once jokingly told Vogue that Ed Sheeran’s honorary doctorate was the reason she truly wanted one.
Yet no one ever saw her achieving one due to her busy schedule.
Naturally, her degree and the fact that she had reportedly never worn a cap and gown before raised a lot of questions for everyone.
What degrees does she already possess? What degree had she recently received? You may find all the answers in this article.
In this article, we will discover what did Taylor Swift study at NYU and any other degrees she may possess already.
Has Taylor Swift Ever Been To College?
Taylor Swift didn’t attend college. In reality, her career began to take off when she was roughly 15 years old.
This made it challenging to balance college at that time.
Taylor did, however, spend two years at Tennessee’s Hendersonville High School before switching to Aaron Academy.
She was able to accommodate her touring schedule alongside homeschooling thanks to the transfer. She earned her high school diploma a year early.
Taylor Swift actually stated in her address at her graduation ceremony, “I never got to have the usual college experience in and of itself.
Up to the tenth grade, I attended a public high school, then I completed my education by working on homeschool assignments on the floors of airline terminals.”
“Then I embarked on a radio tour, which sounds really glamorous. Yet, actually only involved a rental vehicle, a few motels, and my mom and I pretending to fight loudly while boarding Southwest so that no one would want the empty seat between us”.
What Degree Did Taylor Swift Receive?
A degree that is awarded to someone who did not attend the school or who did not achieve the same level of education as was necessary to get the degree is known as an honorary degree.
It is typically a doctorate similar to the one Taylor Swift recently received. This is because Taylor didn’t attend NYU or pursue a degree there.
In essence, the university waives all the prerequisites needed to earn a certain degree.
Usually, this is done when an organization wants to recognize the successes and contributions a person has made in a certain profession.
Just like Taylor Swift and her success in the arts. As a result, Taylor Swift received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.
What Is A Doctor Of Fine Arts?
With a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), students can study the history, techniques, methodologies, and businesses related to the artistic field of their choice.
The five core BFA categories are theater and dance, visual arts, cinema and photography, creative writing and music.
While, the Doctor of Fine Arts (DocFA) is an advanced studio-based research degree that combines practice and study.
A DocFA degree is a chance to significantly advance the fields of contemporary design and/or art
The honorary degree is often awarded to the recipient in recognition of their substantial contribution to society through the arts.
Taylor Swift, Jacques d’Amboise, Jack Nicholson, Richard Serra, Meryl Streep, Frank Stella, Anna Deavere Smith, Jodie Foster, Stephen Colbert, Kanye West, Carmen De Lavallade, Twyla Tharp, and Gordan Parks are just a few notable people who have received this accolade.
Why Did Taylor Swift Receive This Degree?
For a time now, NYU has been a major Taylor Swift fan.
A course on Taylor’s business and composing methods was introduced in January by the school’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
It also examined the interactions between race, gender, and fandom in the music business.
In addition to this, this course recognized the amount of work and achievements that Taylor Swift has already generated.
One of her generation’s most well-known and prolific artists is Taylor Swift.
She is the first female musician in history to have won three Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, the top prize in the music business.
Her numerous honors and achievements include being the most honored artist in American Music Awards history and being named Artist of the Decade, winning the BRIT Awards International Female Solo Artist of the Year in 2015 and the Global Icon Award in 2021.
In addition to that, she is the first and only Woman of the Decade Award winner from Billboard to win it twice.
All of these reasons that the university put forward as to why she was ideal for receiving this degree.
Even though she hadn’t studied at NYU, her experience within the industry makes up for this fact.
What Did Taylor Swift Say In Her Speech?
During her graduation speech, the musician discussed making errors, learning from failure, and letting go of perfection.
“None of us present today have accomplished anything by ourselves”, she remarked.
“We are each made up of a patchwork of people who have loved us, supported us in the future, been nice to us, or spoke the truth to us even when it was difficult to hear. I hope you’ll discover a unique method to express your appreciation for all the efforts and blunders that have brought us to this point.”
There were sections in her speech that focused on letting go.
While also, Taylor Swift spoke about living alongside being cringe, and to never be ashamed of trying new things. She also made sure to thank her family.
Including her parents and brother, for all the sacrifices that they have had to give up while she was chasing after her own dreams and goals.
As mentioned above, while on tour and traveling by bus and aircraft, Taylor concluded her education via home school.
Despite the fact that she had as a kid dreamed of attending college.
In her speech, she admitted that when she was younger, she always dreamed of attending college and imagined the posters she would display in her freshman dorm.
Also in her speech she said “I even set the conclusion of my music video for my song “Love Story” at my make-believe college, when I run into a handsome male model who is reading a book on the grass, and we both instantly realize that we had once been in love in another life.”
Thus, this speech showed what a huge moment this was for her personally.
Overall, it was a really motivational, funny and personal speech that Taylor Swift spent a lot of time working on.
How Did Taylor Swift Celebrate?
Taylor Swift introduced the “I’m Feeling ’22” collection of limited edition items for college grads to commemorate the graduation.
Graduates may have found celebration materials like cake toppers and balloons in the range. As well as charms and patches to adorn their graduation caps.
This was a limited time offer that was aimed at 2022 graduates at the time.
Is Taylor Swift A Doctor Now?
Taylor is a doctor in music and songwriting and can assist you if you find yourself in an emergency circumstance where you need it.
Even though she cannot do heart surgery or diagnose you medically, she is seen as a doctor in another profession.
Taylor Swift may therefore be introduced as Dr. Swift if she so chose. We doubt she would use that name, though, unless it were a prank or for fun.
Yet in music, she is formally regarded as a doctor now thanks to this honorary degree.
Who Else Has Received An Honorary Degree From NYU In 2022?
Taylor Swift was not the only person to receive an honorary degree in 2022 from NYU.
Susan Hockfield, Félix V. Matos Rodriguez, and Taylor Swift were the honorary degree winners in 2022 at the All-University Commencement for the Class of 2022.
Swift spoke on behalf of all the honorary degree recipients.
In the past other honorary degree winners have included Oliver Stone, Bill Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor, Judith Heumann, Aretha Franklin, Dylan Tilley and Claire Marie.
Are Honorary Degrees Real Degrees?
Universities award honorary degrees—often in the style of honorary doctorates—to individuals in recognition of their accomplishments and societal contributions.
The greatest honor an institution may grant a person is often thought to be an honorary degree.
As a result, they are still a real degree, but they have obtained it in a different way to degrees you are more used to hearing of.
Why Do Celebrities Receive Honorary Degrees?
It is no secret that earning any type of college degree is an enormous accomplishment.
One of the most unforgettable moments in each student’s life is obtaining their diploma after years of labor and financial sacrifice.
However, some people—most notably famous people—achieve these coveted degrees without actually putting in the same amount of time and effort as the average student does to earn the same degree.
Many people were perplexed as to what Taylor Swift did at the university to obtain the honorary doctorate of fine arts.
Many people are left to question why Taylor, as well as numerous other celebrities before her, have received honorary degrees from prestigious universities both domestically and overseas.
The majority of honorary degrees are awarded for donations and publicity, according to Arthur E. Levine.
Who at the time served as president of Teacher’s College at Columbia University.
Celebrities chosen by universities to deliver commencement speeches are frequently awarded honorary degrees.
However, as we already mentioned, Taylor Swift received her degree as a result of her extensive work in the music business.
The university acknowledged the long-term effects of her efforts and felt as if they should be acknowledged and awarded.
Yet, also it did give the university a lot of publicity at the time.
Does Every University Award Honorary Degrees?
Some colleges and universities frown upon the notion of allowing anyone who hasn’t put in much effort to get a degree to cross the stage during graduation.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is one institution that has a well-known history of never awarding any honorary degrees.
Likewise, the University of Virginia opposes honorary degrees.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture, the Medal in Citizen Leadership, and the Medal in Law are awarded in lieu of degrees, according to the organization’s rules.
The university bestows these honors as its “highest external honors.”
Although awarding honorary degrees is a long-standing tradition at many universities, doing so is only a polite gesture made in honor of a public figure.
During her address at the NYU ceremony, Taylor Swift admitted to her supporters, “I have absolutely no right to direct you on what you can and cannot do. You earned your current position today via labor, sacrifice, and hard work.”
Taylor didn’t technically receive a doctorate the traditional way.
Yet she, along with many other famous people who have degrees bestowed upon them, have inspired many students as they graduate and get ready for life beyond school.
For what it’s worth, that appears to warrant awarding a few honorary degrees here and there.
Final Thoughts
As a result, Taylor Swift technically didn’t study anything at NYU. In fact, she didn’t attend any lectures, classes or examinations.
Instead, she was awarded an honorary degree for her accomplishments in the music industry. She was awarded a doctor of fine arts as a result.
In addition to receiving this award, Taylor Swift was also nominated to give the speech at the 2022 graduation ceremony.
It is known that NYU has been a huge fan of Taylor Swift for a while now.
Therefore, it was only a matter of time before she was awarded an honorary degree from them.
Also, it is important to note that not every university awards honorary degrees.
We hope you have found this article useful and have a clearer understanding on what Taylor Swift studied at NYU and how she obtained her degree.
