USC to Launch MBA Course on Beyoncé’s Business Empire

Harper told USA Today he spent a year developing the course after questioning why business-school case studies so often focus on white men. He said students learn extensively from successful businessmen but too little from women, especially Black women. “I’ll be their professor, but Beyoncé will be their teacher,” he said.

Students will meet once a week throughout the spring semester. They will listen to Beyoncé’s music, watch her performances and examine her businesses, including hair-care brand Cécred, clothing line Ivy Park, Parkwood Entertainment, alcohol brand SirDavis and the discontinued House of Deréon. Harper said the course is “not a Beyoncé fan club”; he expects students to take away practical strategies for their careers.

Harper argued that Beyoncé belongs in the same business discussions as executives and entrepreneurs who have traditionally featured in MBA case studies. A previous report by The Blast said she became a billionaire in December 2025, following the success of her “Cowboy Carter” tour. The report also cited revenue from the album and her “Beyoncé Bowl” Netflix special during 2024 and 2025.

Beyoncé’s sister Solange Knowles also has a USC role. Named the inaugural scholar-in-residence and visiting professor at the Thornton School of Music in fall 2025, she is undertaking a three-year residency. Her first course, “Records of Discovery: Methodologies for Music and Cultural Curatorial Practices,” is scheduled to launch in fall 2027. Harper said the Knowles family’s work offers lessons in entrepreneurship, brand development, creative independence and generational influence.