53-year old Canadian singer and former Miss Canada finalist Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy has become the first student to graduate with a unique Masters degree in The Beatles from Liverpool Hope University.

She thus becomes the first to graduate among a group of 12 students who had enrolled for the Master of Arts course at the University, according to reports in the BBC.

The course, launched by Liverpool Hope University in early 2009, looks at the studio sound and compositions of the iconic group as well as how Liverpool helped shape their music. It also comprises an intense academic exploration of the significance of the music of the Beatles in the construction of identities, audiences, ethnicities and industries, and localities.

The course can be studied either full time (12-15 months) or part-time (24-36 months) and is a unique offering in the discipline of popular musicology.

Upon graduation, Ms. Kennedy told the BBC that she was proud of her achievement. The course was challenging, enjoyable and it provided a great insight into the impact The Beatles had and still have to this day across all aspects of life, she said.