There's already a Bruce Springsteen college course, so really, this was inevitable: There now exists an academic journal devoted solely to the study of the Boss. It is named, appropriately, BOSS: The Biannual Online-Journal of Springsteen Studies. The Daily Dot notes that the editorial advisory board is "well-credentialed," with members who have backgrounds in psychology, music, literature, and history, among other things. The open access journal will publish "scholarly, peer-reviewed essays pertaining to Bruce Springsteen," and that's it.
Its mission: "to encourage consideration of Springsteen’s body of work primarily through the political, economic, and socio-cultural factors that have influenced his music and shaped its reception." Or, as the managing editor puts it to the Daily Dot: "The goal is to provide a stable home for Springsteen Studies." He adds, "We’re at the right time here. The kids who listened to him in the '70s and '80s, some of them grew up into academics." The first edition comes out in June, and BOSS is currently accepting submissions between 15 and 25 pages for the second edition, which is out in January. (More Bruce Springsteen stories.)