University of Florida offering Jimmy Buffett course this fall

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A new one-credit honors elective at the University of Florida gives students the chance to learn about the legendary singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett.

The class is a tribute to the American artist who died on Sept. 1, 2023. The first annual "Jimmy Buffett Day" was celebrated on Aug. 30, 2024.

DEL MAR, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Jimmy Buffett of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band performs during KAABOO Del Mar music festival on September 16, 2016 in Del Mar, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

UF says their (Un)Common courses aim to give honors students an interdisciplinary approach to earning their degrees. Students who sign up for the (Un)Common Arts: "Son of a Son of a Sailor" class will study Buffett's musical catalog including his posthumous album "Equal Strain on All Parts" from 2023.

Gators will also learn about Buffett's environmental activism and philanthropy.

The instructor for the course, Melissa L. Johnson, Ph.D., says this is the first Jimmy Buffett college course in Florida and possibly in the country.

"Because this is an honors course, I will be sneaking in some research and archival research skills," said Johnson, the interim director of the UF Honors Program.

He performed several times in Gainesville, starting in 1974, according to the university.

For more information about the course, click here.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: