Over the last decade or so, it’s become a popular trend for colleges to offer classes centered on lessons inspired by popular pieces of media.
It seemed to really kick off with classes dedicated to learning the philosophical intricacies of The Matrix, but now some colleges offer courses inspired by Taylor Swift, and Harry Potter.
TCU is now offering a course through their Neeley School of Business that focuses on the work of landmen, who negotiate land and mineral rights for energy companies.
And they’re teaching the inner workings of this career through the hit Paramount show Landman.
Dr. Tom Seng told CBS News he created the course to “separate fiction from reality.” He uses scenes from the show to spark discussion about what landmen actually do, but also educates his students that the planes blowing up and fights with the cartel you see with the show are just added for the dramatic effect.
Seng says that the goal for the course is “practical preparation.”
"I think coming through a course like this, they would be able to impress an oil and gas company in an interview," he said. "They would walk into an internship understanding what they're going to be asked to do."
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