Berkeley, California — You might not expect a business school course to begin with students belting out Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer,' but at the University of California, Berkeley, Swift is not just a 'tortured poet,' she's a case study in how to build an empire. 'Taylor Swift is a phenomenon,' UC Berkeley senior Sejal Krishnan, a chemical engineering major, told CBS News.
Swift's successes and failures, including the battle to regain control of her master recordings, are part of the syllabus at UC Berkeley.'We've also learned about some of the implications she's had on legal issues, such as artist rights and ticketing legislation, which has been really impactful as well, because that's not something you see every day,' said student Will Grischo, who is majoring in media studies and art history.