K-pop icon G-Dragon is set to become the subject of a new academic course at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, his agency Galaxy Corporation confirmed.
The four-credit class, which will launch in Spring 2026 at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, will focus entirely on the BIGBANG member’s cultural impact and legacy in the K-pop industry.
Titled “COMM 400: Crooked Studies of K-pop: The Case of G-Dragon,” the course will be taught by Professor Lee Hye-jin and marks the first time USC Annenberg is offering a credit-bearing class dedicated to a single K-pop artist.
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In an interview with Korea Times, Galaxy Corporation said the move reflects academia’s growing recognition of K-pop, similar to Yale’s course on Beyoncé and Harvard’s on Taylor Swift.
The course will explore debates on artistic autonomy versus commercialism in K-pop, G-Dragon’s creative process and visual identity, his influence on global pop culture and fandom, and broader interpretations of K-pop’s structure and symbolism.
https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/classroom-and-beyond/spring-2026-electives-span-sports-k-pop-ai-and-more
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20251205/usc-to-offer-course-on-k-pop-icon-g-dragon
