Nick Cannon is going to Howard University at 35 years old

"I am always seeking new challenges and continual growth and decided to obtain my first college degree from an institution that had a proven legacy of producing great minds. I have friends, mentors and colleagues who attended Howard University," Cannon said in a statement, according to WRC. "I have heard about the famed Howard Homecoming since I was a kid growing up in California and knew that Howard would be the perfect place for me to further my education."

Cannon told Entertainment Tonight his major is "strategic legal and management communications."

"It's a long (name), but it's really dealing with, obviously, the law and also the business that we're all in with communications," Cannon said. "I felt like I was already into the communications field in doing this for a couple decades (so) why not get behind it? (I want to) understand the legal aspects of it, and the strategic management part so I can continue to build my empire."

Cannon's choice to attend a historically black university immediately drew comparisons to his's role in the 2002 film "Drumline," in which his character attended a fictional Atlanta HBCU and was led by a strict band head played by Orlando Jones.

Jones made a nod to the film in a congratulatory tweet to Cannon Sunday.

And Cannon is committed to his education. "I'm not just going to start, or stop in 2020," he said. "I'm going all the way to get (my) Ph.D."