Application deadline is July 15. Don’t wait another year to pursue your master’s degree. Apply now for Fall 2025.
Stand Out with a Master’s Degree in Wine
Distinguish yourself from a standard sommelier certificate with a master’s degree in Wine and Beverage Management from CIA’s School of Graduate Studies. In this one-of-a-kind wine business degree program, you’ll hone your wine tasting and theory skills while developing a rich repertoire of business management, industry innovation, and leadership competencies so that you can chart your own fulfilling career in the wine industry.
Program Highlights
- Get Started Fast—No entrance exam required.
- Study From Home—Classes and tastings are conducted online along with in-person residencies.
- Get an Accredited Master’s Degree—Graduates receive a Master of Professional Studies (MPS).
Quick Facts
Next Start Date: Fall 2025
Application Deadline: July 15, 2025
Program Format: Online with three residencies
Program Duration: Two years
Total Credits: 30
Inquire to learn more about CIA’s master’s programs—how they support your goals, what the application process looks like, and how to take the next step.
Ready to get started? Apply now.
Program Highlights
Offered by CIA’s School of Graduate Studies, this master’s degree in wine program equips industry professionals with the knowledge and credibility they need to pursue elite careers in the wine and beverage business. Your studies will cover a variety of cultural and business topics, including:
- Studying the lifecycle of wines—from bottle to table—with a curriculum that takes you from tasting, to marketing and distribution, and to restaurant and retail.
- Residencies in the Napa Valley, where you’ll get hands-on field experience in world-famous vineyards alongside unparalleled networking opportunities with vintners, distillers, and other industry professionals.
- Curated wine-tasting kits—comprised of 24–30 global wines per semester—delivered to your door for online remote learning.
- Go beyond wine to study mixology, distilled spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages.
- A faculty with impeccable industry credentials means you’ll gain valuable insights from some of the top wine and beverage authorities of our time.
- A diverse, tight-knit cohort of learners who grow together while sharing knowledge of the wine and beverage industry and related fields.
- Delivered in the online “Executive Format,” this program allows students to earn their degrees while continuing their work and personal lives.
Ready to get started? Apply now.
Expand Your Career Potential in the Diverse World of Wine and Beverage
Today, business professionals and wine enthusiasts have unlimited opportunities to turn their passion and expertise into an exciting and fulfilling career in wines. With a master’s in Wine and Beverage Management from CIA, you will gain the global wines knowledge of a sommelier and combine that with a graduate-level business management foundation to propel you into entrepreneurship in retail and tourism or leadership roles with wineries, distributors, and importers. Read about even more wine career options for business professionals.
Curriculum Overview
The two-year, 30-credit Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree program includes:- 24 credits in 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 online capstone project developed with input from faculty advisors and mentors.
- 4 credits consisting of three short residencies at the California and New York campuses held at the start of your first semester, after the completion of your second semester, and as your final semester concludes.
Meet a CIA Master’s Student
Learn all about our master’s programs from the students who live them. Schedule a chat with our student ambassadors for a personalized introduction to CIA master’s programs, and ask any questions you have in a private setting.
Networking Opportunities Abound During Napa Valley Residencies
Online learning is augmented with in-person residencies at CIA’s California campus. You’ll get hands-on learning and real-world experience in the heart of the Napa Valley.
- Visit world-renowned wineries where you’ll participate in interactive tastings and get hands-on field experience. Previous cohorts visited Opus One and Demptos Napa Cooperage, among others.
- Network with leading industry vintners, winemakers, and distributors.
- Focus on sustainability practices within the wine industry during your second residency.
- Teambuilding and collaboration with classmates from diverse backgrounds.
- Take part in educational programs such as creative beverage and sensory seminars.
- Immerse yourself in the Napa Valley, the heart of wine country.
“From the vineyard and winery field trips, and educational tasting sessions, to meeting and interacting with some of the wine and beverage industry’s most respected professionals, I feel that this residency experience was one of the most valuable components of the program.”
—Jeffry Wiesinger, Wine and Beverage Management master’s alum
Master’s Degree Virtual Info Sessions
Join us online for a virtual information session and learn all about CIA’s food and beverage master’s programs. The Graduate Admissions Team will offer a deep dive on:
- Program curricula
- Admissions process
- Details about instructors
- Various career paths of our master’s degree graduates
- Plus, get all of your questions answered in real time
Find an information session that works for you, and register today!
One-of-a-kind Online Learning Format
The Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree at CIA offers online learning via premium wine tasting kits delivered to your door, allowing you to participate in class from wherever you are.
Carefully curated by our expert faculty and reflecting the excellency standards synonymous with CIA, tasting kits are comprised of 24–36 global wines per semester. You’ll learn the complexities of wine identification, sensory analyses, and master the intricacies of food and wine pairings.
An innovative and modern approach to online learning, this flexible format takes into consideration the realities of working professionals with busy schedules. But online learning doesn’t mean alone—you’ll be part of a vibrant cohort who learns, grows, and networks together.
Carlton McCoy ’06, master sommelier, star of CNN series NOMAD with Carlton McCoy, and CEO of five Napa Valley wineries.
CIA Advantage
Choosing CIA for your Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree makes perfect sense. CIA’s Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA Greystone campus—where you’ll visit during your residencies—is a state-of-the art wine education center. Home to innovative educational offerings, it boasts sensory classrooms designed for analyzing wines and beverages, wireless keypad response systems, built-in light boxes, and expectoration stations.
We’ve been educating successful wine, beverage, and hospitality professionals for decades, helping to launch and advance thousands of careers of wine and beverage leaders. As a graduate of CIA you’ll have lifelong access to career resources—including job listings, and Career Fair and networking events. Additionally, you’ll instantly become a member of a 50,000-strong influential professional network of CIA alumni, paving the way for unparalleled career opportunity. Your network will consist of CIA grads who are shaping today’s wine industry, including:
- Raj Parr ’96, master sommelier, James Beard award-winner, and co-founder of Acclaimed Domaine de la Côte, Sandhi, and Evening Land wineries
- Melissa Monosoff ’00, published author and director of education for the Court of Master Sommeliers
- Kyungmoon Kim ’05, master sommelier, wine instructor, and founder of KMS Imports
What Are They Saying
“The CIA’s Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree is helping me grow my career in the wine industry. I’m making connections, learning about the hospitality industry, and being challenged in unexpected ways. I am thankful for the online option, as it has allowed me to continue to work full-time while obtaining my master’s degree.”
—Emilie Lariviere, master’s in Wine and Beverage Management
“Choosing to invest in my professional development with the Wine and Beverage Management master’s program was easy. Online classes let me maintain my career while furthering my education, and I’m applying this new knowledge directly to my job.”
—Lauren Balak, master’s in Wine and Beverage Management
Featured Articles
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What can you do with a master’s degree in wine, other than winemaking? For motivated business professionals, there are many career paths better suited to their unique skill set. Let this list of possibilities inspire you.
Master of Wine v. Master’s in Wine
What’s the difference between the Master of Wine certification program and an accredited master’s degree in wine? Dig deeper into the specifics of each and which may be the best choice for your career path.
A Guide to Advanced Wine Studies
If you are considering advanced wine studies in order to better understand the industry and further your career, there are more certificate and degree programs available than ever before. Let this guide help you decide which one is best for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Our Graduate Admissions Team
Robert Tremblay ’10
Associate Director—Graduate Admissions
Contact if you are a/an:
• International student interested in any program.
• U.S. student interested in Culinary Arts.
• U.S. student interested in Culinary Therapeutics.
Rebecca Rein
Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Counselor
Contact if you are a U.S. student interested in:
• Food Business
• Sustainable Food Systems
• Wine and Beverage Management
