Taylor Swift Manifested Her Honorary Doctorate Degree

It’s no secret that Taylor Swift has a laundry list of accomplishments. Though she’s best known as a singer-songwriter, she’s also credited as a producer and director. Now, the “All Too Well” singer has another feather to stick in her cap. On May 18, New York University awarded Swift an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts. While some might have been surprised by this accomplishment, Swift appears to have manifested it six years ago.

Taylor Swift thanked NYU for her honorary doctorate in her graduation speech

Swift seemed very appreciative of her recent accomplishment. In the speech she delivered to NYU’s graduating class of 2022, she gave thanks for her honorary doctorate. She also managed to find levity within her speech while listing some of the hyper-specific skills that she possesses.

“I’d like to thank NYU for making me technically, on paper at least, a doctor,” Swift said. “Not the type of doctor you would want around in the case of an emergency, unless your specific emergency was that you desperately needed to hear a song with a catchy hook and an intensely cathartic bridge section. Or if your emergency was that you needed a person who can name over 50 breeds of cats in one minute.”

The ‘All Too Well’ singer manifested the degree years before she delivered the commencement speech

Swift seemed right at home when she was receiving her prestigious degree and when she was delivering her speech. Perhaps that’s because she is accustomed to performing for a stadium full of people. Or perhaps it’s because she’s been dreaming of receiving an honorary doctorate degree since at least 2016.

Back in 2016, Swift was interviewed by Vogue and was asked a whopping 73 questions. One of those questions was: “What’s one goal you’re determined to achieve in your lifetime?” Swift quickly shared that becoming an (honorary) doctor was on her bucket list. She cited another singer-songwriter as the catalyst for the specific goal.

“I really want an honorary doctorate degree because Ed Sheeran has one, and I feel like he looks down on me now because I don’t have one,” Swift shared. Of course, Swift was probably joking about Sheeran looking down on her. The All Too Well director has been candid that she has a close relationship with the “Shape of You” singer. The pair’s friendship spans an entire decade. They have leaned on each other for musical advice and been each other’s confidants whilst navigating the music industry.

Swift is very close friends with Ed Sheeran

Sheeran and Swift have even recorded four songs together. Thus far, the pair have collaborated on “Everything Has Changed,” “End Game,” “Run (Taylor’s Version),” and “The Joker and the Queen.” Recently, Sheeran showed his appreciation for Swift’s musical talents as well as her friendship while promoting “The Joker and the Queen.”

“Me and Taylor first met and wrote + recorded our first song together in 2012, ten years ago now, I’m so so honored to have her on this song,” Sheeran penned about Swift on Twitter following the video’s premiere. “Not only is she the best singer/songwriter in the world but she’s also a very close friend, I’m very lucky to have her in my life. For the music video, we got the kids from our song Everything Has Changed, all grown up and off to college now!”

Clearly, Swift and Sheeran have quite the friendship. We’d wager that Swift made sure to let Sheeran know that she now has an honorary doctorate as well.