Smirnoff Studies For Ivy League Degree

Standup comedian Yakov Smirnoff is getting an Ivy League graduate degree in psychology.

Smirnoff, the Ukrainian-born comedian known for his catch phrase "What a country!," is finishing up his master's in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Smirnoff told The Philadelphia Inquirer he plans to use his newfound knowledge in his act and his books to create what he calls the "Age of Enlaughterment" — a period when love and laughter heal psychic scars.

In his Cold War heyday, the Ukrainian-born comedian costarred with Robin Williams in the movie "Moscow on the Hudson" and was invited to perform at the White House.

Smirnoff says he plays 230 shows for 250,000 fans a year, and is working on a new humor and self-help book titled "Living Happily Ever Laughter." Thirteen years ago, he built his own theater in Branson, Mo.