The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., introduces the first of its kind executive-format master’s degree examining the business of food—delivered by the world’s premier college that specializes in food education.

The CIA’s Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Food Business is a primarily online program, allowing working professionals to devote time to advancing their careers and businesses according to their own schedule.

The structure of the program enables students to earn a graduate degree without having to move, leave a job, or have any interruption to one’s work-life balance, while reaping the benefits of the networking aspects of this groundbreaking new offering. Aspiring food entrepreneurs, strategic thinkers, and foodservice and hospitality companies who want to invest in their employees will all gain from an advanced degree presented through the CIA’s Food Business School.

“I wish this program had been around when I was starting out,” says Charlie Palmer, owner of the Charlie Palmer Group, which operates more than a dozen restaurants around the United States. “The concepts and innovations these graduates will be learning will help them to develop into the kind of talent we want to bring into our company to help us grow into the future.”

The 30-credit CIA Master’s degree includes 27 online credits in subjects like food systems, leadership, business fundamentals, marketing, real estate, and law—all examined through the prism of food, beverage, and hospitality.

Students earn the remaining credits in three short residencies at the CIA at Copia in Napa, Calif., and at the CIA in Hyde Park, N.Y. The mid-point residency includes attendance at the influential Menus of Change® conference, presented by the CIA and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where MPS students have the opportunity to connect with thought leaders and participate in a variety of sessions. And, as part of the program’s capstone project, students pitch their business playbooks to leaders in the corporate and investment worlds.

Access to an exclusive mentor network of food industry professionals—more than 40 members strong and counting—is a key component of this master’s program. Throughout their studies, MPS students can initiate one-on-one online mentoring sessions with their choice of experts.

“This program teaches the specific skills needed to address unique challenges and opportunities in the hospitality industry that you won’t learn from a traditional MBA,” says Robert Muh, CEO of Sutter Securities and an investment banker who has worked extensively with restaurants and hotels. “With global forces like sustainability, ethics, food safety, and health and wellness shaping the food world, this is the right time for this program.”

The CIA is currently accepting applications for the fall 2018 inaugural class of its revolutionary Master of Professional Studies in Food Business, and is opening the application process for 2019. 

More information can be found at ciachef.edu/masters or by calling 707-967-2576.