Elite College Offers Hands-On Experience Promoting Top K-Pop Group, Met With Scathing Backlash
K-Pop has officially entered schools! The University of Southern California (USC) has revealed that it will offer a unique elective course in Spring 2026 centered entirely on promoting the globally successful K-pop group i-dle (formerly known as (G)I-DLE) in the United States, making i-dle the first 4th generation K-pop group to become the main subject of a university class.
According to the official course description, students won’t just be learning about K-pop in theory. Instead, they’ll work directly with industry professionals to promote i-dle in the U.S. market, gaining real-world experience across multiple areas of global music marketing.
The class will focus on fan engagement, market research, brand partnerships, and digital strategy, giving students hands-on exposure to how a K-pop act is positioned internationally. Students will also be tasked with creating professional-grade deliverables, designed to bridge culture, creativity, and global music marketing, essentially treating i-dle as a living case study.
Unlike traditional pop culture courses, this elective emphasizes practical industry skills, combining entertainment strategy with real-time execution. For students interested in music business, marketing, media, or global branding, the course is already being described as a rare, career-shaping opportunity with hands-on experience.
Many pointed out that while K-pop is often discussed academically, it’s almost unheard of for one active group to be the direct focus of an official U.S. university course. However, there is a flip side. Others point out that this could simply be a way for companies to exploit students of free labor.
am i took woke or does this seem shady as hell from their company to use college students’ work as free promotion instead of paying people…. like i get this a huge opportunity but these students deserve to get paid to do all this instead of having them pay to take the class https://t.co/Wowbawu1Hp pic.twitter.com/UWu10pgYae
— seonghwa (@seonghwanese) December 9, 2025
Netizens called out Cube Entertainment for the trick, noting that students had to pay school fees to do work.
wow cube is so useless they’re making students pay to do work that should be done by paid employees https://t.co/6S4o8r80jt
— rebecca 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ 𐀔 (@gowonluvvie) December 8, 2025
It could just be a glorified, unpaid internship.
this is just an unpaid uncredited internship… https://t.co/vzhJ049oXR
— aaron! (@boyurge) December 9, 2025
Previously, it was announced that a G-Dragon lecture would also be hosted by USC. Read more about it below!
University In The United States To Open “G-Dragon Lecture” — Why This Is Significant
