The Hip Hop Studies Minor mirrors the interdisciplinary orientation of Hip Hop culture, drawing students, faculty, and staff from across the college to explore Hip Hop history, philosophy, and aesthetics. Rooted in the rich legacy of Black creativity and resilience, this program foregrounds Hip Hop as a dynamic, African American cultural tradition. Students will build skills in one or more Hip Hop elements, such as deejaying, beat production, dance, and fashion, while gaining career-building experience in entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and collaboration. This 18-credit minor integrates theory, creative practice, and experiential learning, encouraging students to engage with Hip Hop culture across various academic programs, participate in the college's co-curricular options, and connect with Chicago's vibrant community of Hip Hop artists, activists, and entrepreneurs.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- demonstrate and apply an understanding of Hip Hop aesthetics through various creative practices, such as dance, music, visual arts, and fashion design;
- apply knowledge of the technical languages and philosophies associated with Hip Hop practices to describe and assess their own work and the work of other practitioners;
- analyze and articulate connections between their personal standpoint, creative pursuits, and the contributions of those who have shaped and reshaped Hip Hop as a modern African American expressive tradition and culture;
- engage fluently in critical dialogues that challenge, provoke, inspire, and question long-standing theories and myths about Hip Hop, particularly concerning power, resistance, and social justice;
- cultivate reciprocal and meaningful relationships with Chicago's Hip Hop community, acting as allies and agents of change through experiential learning opportunities and interdisciplinary collaborations; and
- collaborate effectively with an ethical and entrepreneurial mindset on projects that result in events, installations, forums, and other expressions of Hip Hop practice.
