Beyonc means business. At USC, MBA students will study her empire

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Set us as preferred Which Beyoncé song are you?At USC’s Marshall School of Business, MBA students will have to pick one and explain why before they study her whiskey brand, hair-care line and entertainment company, not to mention her music.The assignment has a fitting name: the “BeyEssay.”“The Business of Beyoncé,” a new course that puts a twist on the usual business school curriculum, “sold out” faster than a Renaissance World Tour presale after the class opened for registration this month ahead of its January kickoff.

It follows Beyoncé’s career from childhood performances and Destiny’s Child to her solo stardom and business ventures, with the goal of preparing students for careers in entertainment, music management and branding.Professor Shaun Harper, a Beyoncé superfan who designed the course, anticipates criticism that students should be learning practical skills rather than studying a pop star.But he sees it differently: “My class is not going to be just a set of conversations about Beyoncé.” Students will unpack how she transforms star power into a multimillion-dollar empire and how social media shapes her brand.Besides, his class is a classic case-study deep dive.

It’s also an answer to a long-running complaint that business schools’ case studies too often highlight white men and their ventures.Celebrity-themed classes are hardly new.UC Berkeley offered one on Tupac Shakur’s poetry in 1997.

The University of South Carolina announced a sociology course on Lady Gaga’s fame in 2010.Harvard has a class on Taylor Swift.

Beyoncé’s sister, Solange Knowles, is slated to teach a course on music curation at USC’s Thornton School of Music next fall.At Marshall, former USC football coach Pete Carroll has taught “The Game Is Life” leadership course — its guests have included actors ...