Roc Nation Partners With New York's Long Island University to Launch School of Music, Sports and Entertainment

Prospective students at Brooklyn’s Long Island University (LIU) will have the chance to learn from some of the best in business, music, sports and more, thanks to the college’s new partnership with Roc Nation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Jay-Z-owned entertainment company is working with LIU for a new program: Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment.

The school will begin enrolling students for the fall 2021 semester, and plans to offer “undergraduate degrees in music, music technology, entrepreneurship and production, and sports management.” Students will also be able to hear from guest speakers, lecturers, and can apply to get hands-on work experience through internships.

Approximately 25 percent of freshmen enrolled in the program will receive Roc Nation Hope Scholarships. Those who are selected as Hope Scholars are chosen from a pool of students who are “academically competitive, need-based first-time freshmen from New York,” per THR. The best part? Those selected for the scholarship will graduate without student debt.

Roc Nation’s CEO Desiree Perez said that their partnership with the higher learning institution stands as “a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City, and beyond.” Jay-Z hails from the borough’s Bedford-Stuyvesant section.

“Our proximity in and around New York City’s epicenter of music and sports clearly positions us to offer unparalleled experiential learning and access to professional opportunities that will launch students to success,” LIU President Dr. Kimberly Cline said in a statement to THR. “We look forward to joining with Roc Nation to offer an unprecedented educational resource that opens up the entertainment and sports world to a new and eager generation.”

The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment also offers programs for school-aged children who aren’t college-bound just yet. Per THR, the school will open summer residential camps for high schoolers as well as Saturday programs for students ages 10 to 18, in order for them to gain experience in the sports and music worlds. The programs will begin in spring 2021, and will offer scholarships for students in need.

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