The Science of
Hip-Hop & R&B
Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs examining Hip-Hop and R&B as complete scientific, cultural, sonic, and economic systems — built for the next generation of scholars, producers, and industry architects.
M.S. Hip-Hop & R&B
Master of Science in Hip-Hop & R&B Studies
2 Years · 60 Credit Hours
An interdisciplinary graduate program examining the scientific, cultural, sonic, and economic architecture of Hip-Hop and R&B as living systems. Students engage in music theory, acoustics, production science, data analytics, cultural anthropology, and industry economics.
Concentration Tracks
Ph.D. Hip-Hop & R&B
Doctor of Philosophy in Hip-Hop & R&B Science
4–5 Years · 90 Credit Hours + Dissertation
A research-intensive doctoral program producing scholars, innovators, and leaders in the science of Black American popular music. Doctoral candidates conduct original research, publish peer-reviewed work, and contribute new frameworks to the fields of musicology, acoustics, cultural economics, and AI-assisted production.
Concentration Tracks
20+
Core Courses
2–5
Years Duration
150+
Total Credits
4
Research Labs
Program Philosophy
Hip-Hop and R&B are not merely entertainment genres — they are complete systems of acoustic science, cultural anthropology, economic architecture, and linguistic innovation. These programs treat them accordingly.
Students graduate with the tools of both the scholar and the practitioner — able to publish peer-reviewed research on Monday and produce a hit record on Friday. The lab is the studio. The studio is the lab.
Built on the intellectual foundation of the New Orleans–New York creative corridor, these programs center Black creative genius as the engine of American and global music — and train the next generation to protect, amplify, and own it.
M.S. & Ph.D. in Hip-Hop & R&B Science · New Orleans · New York City
