If television shows like ''American Idol'' define American culture as much as fast food and God-fearing politicians, then it is only fitting that academia has taken notice.

Starting in January, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will offer a course called ''Examining 'American Idol' Through Music Critique.''

The course consists of watching ''American Idol'' twice a week and deciding what factors are important in music and music performance, said Jay Grymes, the assistant professor of music at the university who created the course.

The class will decide who should continue on the show, who should be voted off and who was voted off and should not have been. The students will also consider how much factors like appearance, charisma and talent count, he said.

It should be noted that Clay Aiken, a special-education major who graduated from the university in 2003, was an ''American Idol'' runner-up.