Online wine, beverage management graduate program set for fall launch at The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America this fall plans to launch an online master's degree program in wine and beverage management.

Enrollment has opened for the virtual version of its in-person graduate beverage program and its online master’s in food business from the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, the institution announced Tuesday. The first classes of those two programs graduated in September.

The new program has a 30-credit curriculum that includes three short residencies, in Napa and the institute’s main campus in Hyde Park, New York. The online offering is intended to give candidates the flexibility of learning on their own schedules, the organization said.

"Today's beverage professionals need a foundation that goes beyond product knowledge," said Cathy Jörin, senior director of the graduate school. "Solid business acumen, an understanding of sustainability and world cultures, and the ability to innovate are vital. By bringing this program online, we're making it accessible to even more people, giving them an opportunity to develop these skills without putting their current careers on hold."

Coursework covers the beverage business from bottle to glass, exploring topics such as the global wine, spirits, fermented and nonalcoholic-beverage industry; entrepreneurial innovation; marketing; and distribution.

Students must be at least 21 years of age and have a bachelor's degree. Apply here: www.ciachef.edu/wine-masters.

The School of Graduate and Professional Studies also houses the Food Business School, which is based at The CIA at Copia campus in Napa and offers online courses and in-person innovation intensives, and the Accelerated Culinary Arts Program (ACAP) certificate program, intended for those who already have bachelor’s degrees.