Course summary

The Beatles are the world’s most successful pop group, whose popularity has endured for over 60 years. But their legacy extends far beyond music, and the Liverpool City Region has built an industry from its most famous sons. This part-time, online programme examines the lasting cultural and economic impact of the Fab Four. The Beatles are a central musical, cultural and industrial force in Liverpool, the UK and the world, and Beatles tourism is worth approximately £82 million annually to the local economy. But the concept of ‘Beatles heritage’ is far more complex than tourist attractions, and is bound up with issues such as institutionalisation, conservation and history. The city’s ongoing efforts to promote its connection to the world’s most famous pop group continues to influence civic infrastructure and even its wider cultural offerings. This programme draws on Liverpool’s Beatles industry and heritage sectors to challenge the traditional frameworks within which the band, their music, and their story have so often been presented. You’ll be encouraged to critically evaluate the ongoing impact of their legacy on areas such as urban planning and regeneration, civic design, heritage, and the tourism and leisure industries, as well as the music and creative industries. Liverpool is a global hub for Beatles research, and your lecturers will include members of the city’s Beatles Legacy Group, who will be supported by employees from the sector. An optional Special Project module will offer you the chance to spend two weeks in Liverpool, attending daily lectures and site visits linked to the Fab Four’s history, culture and heritage. You’ll have the opportunity to personally interact with lecturers, peers, industry practitioners, government officials, historians and scholars. Please note: as this is an online programme, students will require access to their own devices and broadband in order to access the course materials and participate fully in learning activities. Who is this course for? This programme will be of interest to Beatles enthusiasts, or those who want to play an active role in preserving the Beatles’ cultural legacy. The MA may also be of interest to those looking to pursue a career or further research in music, culture, heritage or tourism more broadly. What you'll learn

• Critical and analytical skills

• Knowledge and transferable skills that can be applied in allied and wider music and creative fields

• An understanding of the influence of Liverpool’s history and culture on the development of the Beatles; and in turn, the Beatles’ historical and ongoing influence on the city of Liverpool

• How to interpret and critically reassess the impact of the Beatles from a global perspective and within contemporary and emerging discourses of race, class and gender

• Independent research skills, and how to engage with relevant scholarly and popular media texts and government policies.