PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Two-year, 30-credit online master’s degree program.
• Distance delivery model that enables you to earn your degree without putting the rest of your life on hold.
• Curated wine tasting kits delivered to your door allow for online learning.
• Hands-on field experience during short, in-person residencies in Napa Valley, California.
• Study the business side of the industry and hone essential skills including marketing, inventory management and distribution.
• Go beyond wine to study mixology, distilled spirits and non-alcoholic beverages.
• The CIA’s world-renowned reputation for excellence in every sector of the culinary world.

ONLINE FORMAT

The Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree at the CIA is the only program of its kind, offering an online format ideal for working professionals. An innovative and modern approach to learning, this program takes into consideration the realities of working professionals looking to advance their careers with graduate-level learning. Our online asynchronous learning model gives you flexibility—no reason to put your professional and personal life on hold.

With premium wine tasting kits delivered to your door, you can participate in class from wherever you are. Carefully curated by our expert faculty and reflecting the standards of excellence synonymous with the CIA, tasting kits are comprised of 24-36 global wines per semester. You’ll gain expertise in the complexities of wine identification, sensory analyses and master the intricacies of food and wine pairings.

NAPA VALLEY RESIDENCIES

The Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree at the CIA combines online learning with in-person residencies, offering you the best of both worlds. Designed to augment your online learning, short residencies give you hands-on learning and real-world experiences. And there’s no better place in the world to study wines and beverages than the Napa Valley.

You’ll study viticulture and viniculture—visiting world-renowned wineries where you’ll get field experience, participate in interactive tastings and network with the industry’s leading vintners, winemakers and distributors.

Residencies are also the perfect place for team building and collaboration with your cohort—a diverse, tight-knit group of like-minded learners who grow and learn together over the course of two years.

PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT

By earning a master’s degree in Wine and Beverage Management you’ll be equipped with a business education that sets you up for a future career in leadership—going beyond traditional sommelier roles. You’ll be prepared to innovate, inspire and succeed at the highest level of the industry.

From beverage directors to bloggers, a master’s degree from the CIA equips students with the knowledge and credentials for career growth (or career change) in a variety of positions including Wine & Spirit Director, Hospitality Director, Consultant, Retailer, Distributor, Wine Tour Operator, Wine Writer, Beverage Concierge, Events Manager and much more.

As a graduate of the CIA, you instantly become a member of an influential network of food and beverage professionals, paving the way for unparalleled career opportunity. You’ll have access to lifelong assistance and resources from the college’s Center for Career and Academic Advising—including career advisement, job listings, and career fair and networking events.

Our more than 50,000-strong CIA alumni are leading every segment of the food and beverage world. They’ve found success doing what they love—now it’s your turn.

CURRICULUM

The two-year, 30-credit Master’s in Wine and Beverage Management program includes:

• 24 credits in asynchronous online courses covering subjects such as global wine business operations; entrepreneurial innovation; spirits, fermented and non-alcoholic beverage; and advanced beverage management, as well as a 2-credit capstone project developed in concert with faculty advisors and mentors.
• 4 credits consisting of three short residencies at the California and New York campuses that are held before the start of your first semester, after the completion of your second semester, and as your final semester concludes.

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