Breeanna Hare
CNN
The next time you binge-watch “The Walking Dead,” you could pass it off as homework.
The AMC show is now the subject of a free, massive online open course — or MOOC — at the University of California, Irvine. The school partnered with the network and Instructure to craft an eight-week class called “Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead.'”
“Fans of the show know that ‘The Walking Dead’ is about more than zombies; it’s about survival, leadership and adapting to situations that are perilous and uncertain,” AMC exec Theresa Beyer said in a statement. “AMC is excited to be the first entertainment group to make the foray into the online education arena through this unique partnership.
With guidance from a selection of UC Irvine faculty hailing from the public health, math, physics and social sciences department, the course is expected to not only offer another way to connect during the show’s fourth season (which begins October 13) but also “a legitimate educational experience that can be applied even more broadly.”
Enrollment in the MOOC is presently open to anyone who’s interested in signing up at via www.canvas.net/TWD. Classes will be held on Mondays starting October 14 through December 2.