University to bring back Beatles' master's degree

Students will examine the lasting legacy of the Beatles

Beatles enthusiasts around the world will soon be able to "come together" to study the Fab Four.

The University of Liverpool is set to bring back its MA course entitled The Beatles, Heritage and Culture as an online programme.

The part-time course, which is due to launch in September 2026, will examine the enduring cultural and economic impact of the band on Liverpool and the surrounding city region.

Programme director Dr Holly Tessler said the course would "enable people from all around the world to study Liverpool's unique Beatles environment, history and heritage from scholars and practitioners who are immersed in this work".

An optional course module will allow students to spend two weeks in Liverpool, attending daily lectures and site visits linked to the Fab Four's history, culture and heritage.

Applications for the course are due to open in October 2025.

Steve Bradley, who graduated in 2023 from the course, said two things had attracted him to sign up.

He said he wanted to "approach their story in a different way" after being a fan for many years.

"I didn't go to university as a young man," he added.

"I was in my 50s and it was a case of 'can I give myself a new challenge' to see if I could do a master's [degree]."

Mr Bradley juggled working as an operations manager for a law firm while studying for the course.

For those interested in signing up, he said it was "important to understand" the course was "not going to teach you the story of the Beatles".

"It's about dismantling the story and working out why it happened, where and how and what caused it to happen."