Flinders University students to study Netflix hit Stranger Things in Australian-first diploma of digital content creation

No, we’re not in the Upside Down. Binge-watching Stranger Things has become coursework with an Australian university making the Netflix phenomenon mandatory study material.

Students at an Australian university will now have an excuse to watch one of the world’s most popular streaming series for homework.

The sci-fi phenomenon Stranger Things will now be at the centre of course work for the diploma in digital content creation at Flinders University.

Fans worldwide have been eagerly anticipating the fifth and final season of the Netflix global hit, the first instalment of which was released on Thursday.

Gaten Matarazzo signs autographs for fans at a Stranger Things Season 5 launch event in Berlin, Germany. Picture: Gerald Matzka/Getty Images for Netflix

Set in the 1980s, it follows the lives of a group of small-town American teens who face threats from a parallel dimension.

When the fourth season premiered in 2022 it became the most-viewed English-language television season ever to air on Netflix.

“If millions (of people) are engaging with a show like Stranger Things we see an opportunity to explore how and why that content connects and how students can apply those insights to their own creative work,” said Flinders University communication and media lecturer Dr Lisa Harrison.

Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard and Caleb McLaughlin in a scene from Season 3 of Stranger Things. Picture: Netflix.

The diploma in digital content creation is delivered completely online, through podcasts, gamified quizzes and digital simulations, to students who are interested in working in fields such as entertainment, marketing and media.

Dr Harrison said they would explore digital storytelling, production and strategy through the lens of signature themes from the hit show, including suspense, nostalgia and scientific innovation.

They will be asked to decode viral fan theories, dissect the cult show’s “retro aesthetic” and analyse how it is marketed across social media, mobile games and merchandise.

Jenny Augusta, Dominik Porschen, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp attend the Stranger Things Season 5 launch event in Berlin, Germany. Picture: Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for Netflix

“Stranger Things isn’t just entertainment; it’s a cultural connector,” Dr Harrison said.

“Our students will learn to create content that taps into those cultural veins. It’s about being authentic to youth voice while mastering the tools and techniques that make content meaningful and memorable.”

Originally published as Flinders University students to study Netflix hit Stranger Things in Australian-first diploma of digital content creation