Still making your mind up about university? Now you can study Eurovision!
The University of Aberdeen is offering a ten-week online postgraduate course examining Eurovision’s history and its cultural and political significance. The course reflects growing academic interest in the contest, which its lecturer says can illuminate changing identities and social trends across Europe.
Starting in January, the standalone course costs £465 and is open to people who are not university students. Led by Eurovision specialist Dr Barbara Leon, it will cover nationalism, minority representation, gender, sexuality, decolonisation and geopolitical events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. An education campaigner criticised the course as unlikely to improve students’ job prospects, while the university is reported to have a £4.9 million deficit.
- Aberdeen is launching a ten-week online postgraduate Eurovision course.
- The £465 module explores identity, politics and representation.
- An education campaigner questions its value for employment.
New here? Start with this
Eurovision is an annual international song competition where countries across Europe and beyond send performers to compete on a televised stage. Whilst often known simply as entertainment, academics have increasingly recognised that it reflects broader changes in European society and politics.
The University of Aberdeen is launching a ten-week online postgraduate course examining Eurovision's cultural and political significance, starting in January 2026. Led by specialist Dr Barbara Leon, the course will explore how issues including nationalism, minority representation, gender, sexuality and major world events have shaped the competition.
The course costs £465 and is open to anyone, not just university students. It reflects growing academic interest in Eurovision as a way to understand European identities, social trends and international relations, though some have questioned whether such specialist courses offer practical career benefits.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Universities should offer intellectually rigorous courses on culturally significant phenomena. Eurovision is a legitimate subject of academic study that illuminates European history, identity, geopolitics and social change. The specialist-led course covers substantive themes—nationalism, minority representation, gender, sexuality and geopolitical events—that have real scholarly merit. As a postgraduate elective, it attracts dedicated students interested in cultural analysis, and such scholarship remains an important part of university education.
The case against
At a time when the University of Aberdeen faces a £4.9 million deficit, resource allocation decisions are critical. A £465 course on Eurovision represents time and funding that could be directed towards programmes with clearer employment outcomes for students. Education campaigners have raised valid concerns about whether such courses meaningfully improve graduates' job prospects. In a financially constrained environment, universities should prioritise offerings that demonstrably serve students' careers and address practical societal needs.