Program Overview

Business, Master of Science (M.S.) with a concentration in branding/creative brand management

The Master of Science in Business with a concentration in branding/creative brand management is a graduate program that focuses on building brands through a combination of creativity and business acumen. Students in this program learn to lead cross-functional teams to develop ideas and campaigns that solve business problems strategically and creatively.

Program Overview

Creative brand management students use a combination of creativity and business acumen to build brands. They lead cross-functional teams to focus their efforts in ways that build brand equity and fulfill business objectives. The overall work environment at the Brandcenter is similar to that of agencies and their clients. Teams of students from all concentrations work together to develop ideas and campaigns that solve business problems strategically and creatively. Students also learn how to present those ideas in engaging and persuasive ways.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Presentation skills: Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively present/sell their ideas in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.
• Collaboration: Students will demonstrate their ability to work together in cross-functional teams/groups to develop viable business/marketing solutions.
• Creative and critical problem-solving: Students will demonstrate the ability to research consumer culture and evaluate consumer media/technology usage habits to develop media-neutral business solutions.
• Culture: Students will demonstrate an appreciation, interest in, and openness for different cultures, yielding more relevant, culturally savvy business solutions.
• Craft: Students will demonstrate the ability to execute specific skills related to their individual subconcentration.

Degree Requirements

The M.S. in Business with a concentration in branding requires 42 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students devote two years of full-time study to complete the degree requirements. In addition to the graduate school graduation requirements, all students in the Brandcenter must complete a core curriculum as well as courses required for a specific subconcentration and must present a final major project, in portfolio form, before a committee review panel.

Curriculum Requirements

• Core:
  • BRND 631: Craft (3 hours)
  • BRND 648: Innovation (3 hours)
  • BRND 651: Creative Thinking (3 hours)
  • BRND 659: Brand Experiences (3 hours)
  • BRND 664: Persuasion (3 hours)
  • BRND 677: The Business of Branding (3 hours)
  • BRND 696: Advanced Portfolio (3 hours)
• Branding/creative brand management:
  • BRND 608: Accounting for Communication Professionals (3 hours)
  • BRND 620: Brand Design for Brand Managers (3 hours)
  • BRND 629: Strategic Thinking (3 hours)
  • BRND 649: Brand Analytics (3 hours)
  • BRND 662: Research Methodologies (3 hours)
  • BRND 667: Applied Brand Management (3 hours)
  • BRND 668: Advanced Brand Management (3 hours) Total Hours: 42

Admission Requirements

• Degree: M.S.
• Semester(s) of entry: Fall
• Deadline dates:
  • Jan 15 (early deadline)
  • Mar 17 (regular deadline)
  • Rolling on a program capacity basis after Mar 17
• Test requirements: Not specified

Graduation Requirements

Graduate students must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized. Graduate students and program directors should refer to the graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Degree Candidacy Requirements

A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis, or dissertation must qualify for continuing master's or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student's graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student's faculty regarding the student's academic achievements and the student's readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.