The MBA in Luxury Brand Management

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The MBA in Luxury Brand Management

MBA in Luxury Brand Management

Look good, do well – top brands are attracting top MBAs to help them take their value proposition to market

The MBA in Luxury Brand Management has become popular as the landscape of the luxury industry itself has changed over recent years.  New brands are employing innovative marketing and promotional campaigns that challenge the position of established names.

Big brands are also innovating and exploring new markets beyond their traditional domains. At the same time, more and more people around the world are becoming interested in branded luxury goods.

This has also created greater demand for luxury products, and B-schools around the world are offering interested professionals the chance to be a part of this exciting industry through the MBA in international Luxury Brand Management.

The Luxury Brand Management industry

The hub of the industry, and the core for most new ideas and value-creation around new products, is Europe.

Activity in the industry, though, is obviously not limited to just Europe, as high-street luxury shopping avenues are found in major cities around the world – China (Shanghai / Beijing), UK (London), Italy (Rome / Milan), Russia (Moscow), Japan (Tokyo), U.S. (New York / Chicago / Beverly Hills), France (multiple cities including Paris), Czech Republic (Prague), Australia (Melbourne), Germany (Frankfurt), Canada (Toronto), and Singapore, to name just a few high-activity regions.

In fact, activity in Japan, China, U.S., and Russia surpasses that in Europe. The Luxury Brand Management industry itself has proven itself to be quite resilient, growing to a size of close to EUR 250 billion with double digit growth-rates over the last three years.

Emerging markets are the new frontiers for growth for the industry, and young aspiring managers should find plenty of exciting opportunities in Asia (China, Singapore, India) and Latin America (Brazil and Mexico).

Business Development, Communications, and Marketing are the top functional areas within which big brands are looking at MBA graduates.

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List of top schools for the MBA in Luxury Brand Management

The MBA in Luxury Brand Management is a highly specialized program, and the list of schools considered top names for this program offering is significantly different from that of top B-schools in general.

Most of the schools offering the program are therefore European schools. The list of the top schools is as follows:

RankB-school nameCountryDuration
(months)
Tuition feeTOEFL, IELTS / Other requirementsGMAT/ Admission test
1University of St GallenSwitzerland18SFr 6,228TOEFL / IELTSEvidence of accounting proficiency
2ESCP EuropeFrance, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy18€ 18190(Min. score)TOEFL – 100
IELTS – 7
Admission test
3CEMS27 countries12€ 6413Presentation, Case study, Group discussion
Interview
Pre-assessment test
4HEC ParisFrance18€ 21096TOEFL / IELTS
interview
GMAT / GRE
5Essec Business SchoolFrance18€ 16375(Min. score)TOEFL – 90, IELTS – 6.5
3-6 months work ex. preferable
GMAT
6IE Business SchoolSpain10€ 28200TOEFL / IELTS
Interview
GMAT / GRE
7Esade Business SchoolSpain10€ 19507TOEFL, IELTS
Interview
GMAT / GRE
8Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus UniversityNetherlands16€ 2313TOEFL / IELTS
Interview
GMAT – 600
9EMLyon Business SchoolFrance18€ 16678InterviewGMAT / GRE
10Indian Institute of Management, AhmedabadIndia22Rs 976,000Interview
Work ex. 2 yrs preferable
(Min. score) GMAT – 700
11HHL Leipzig Graduate School of ManagementGermany21€ 25000TOEFL / Interview
3 month work ex.
GMAT / Admission test
12Edhec Business SchoolFrance16€ 16450(Min. score)TOEFL – 100 IELTS – 6.5(Min. score) GMAT – 640 / GRE
13Grenoble Graduate School of BusinessFrance, UK, Singapore, China21€ 17183(Min. score) TOEFL – 94, IELTS – 6.5, InterviewNot required
14Imperial College Business SchoolUK12£ 19,734(Min. score)
TOEFL – 100, IELTS – 7
Not required
15Mannheim Business SchoolGermany48€ 416(Min. score) GMAT – 600
16London School of Economics and Political ScienceUK12£ 20,281(Min. score)TOEFL – 107
IELTS – 7
GMAT / GRE
17City University: CassUK12£ 18,000(Avg. score)TOEFL –107
IELTS – 7
(Min. score) GMAT – 600
18Stockholm School of EconomicsSweden22SKr 0(Min. score)TOEFL – 100
IELTS – 7
(Min. score) GMAT – 600
GRE – 600Q, 5.5V
19Rouen Business SchoolFrance24€ 12500InterviewGMAT
20HEC LausanneSwitzerland24SFr 2,320(Min. score)TOEFL – 89
IELTS – 6.5 – 7
Not required

Top schools that focus on luxury management but do not offer an MBA in it

In addition, some top B-schools are also offering wide exposure to luxury and brand management through activities on campus and certification programs:

School / University name (program name)Duration (months)Tuition feeApplication deadline (2013)Work ex. required in yearsTOEFL, IELTS, Selection TestGMAT score
Columbia (MBA)24USD 58,38410-AprNot mandatoryAvg. – 710
ESSEC (MBA)11EUR 37,00031-Mar3+Min. score: IELTS – 7, TOEFL – 100Minimum score – 600
EBS (MA)16-DecEUR 18,700Rolling2+Min. score: IELTS – 6.5, TOEFL – 90Not required
IFA (MBA)12EUR 14,800Rolling5Min. score: IELTS – 6.5 / Selection testNot required
LBSF (MSc.)24EUR 18,900RollingMin. score: IELTS – – 6.5, TOEFL – 94Minimum score – 550
LBSF (MBA)24EUR 23, 750Rolling3+Min. score: IELTS –- 6.5, TOEFL – 94Minimum score – 550
Monaco (MSc)12EUR 18,55013-AprTOEFL, IELTSNot required
NYU Stern (MBA)24USD 56,554Avg. of 5 yearsNot mandatoryAvg. – 710
Paris School of Business (MBA)12EUR 19,000FallTOEFL, IELTSNot required
RMS (MBA)12EUR 14,000RollingTOEFL, IELTSNot required
SDA Bocconi (Masters – MAFED)12EUR 27,000April 19, Jul 122+ yearsTOEFL / Selection TestNot required
SDA Bocconi (MBA)12EUR 44,50030-Apr2+ yearsTOEFLNot required
SKEMA (MSc)12EUR 18,00015-AprTOEFL, IELTS not mandatoryNot mandatory
University of Bologna – Alma Graduate School (MBA)12EUR 27,000Apr 30, July 12+Not requiredNot required

The luxury and premium brand management industry is growing and becoming larger each passing day.

As existing names continue to develop strategies to grow their client base further, newer names are aspiring for leadership position with new strategies and products.

The industry offers business managers plenty of opportunities for growth and learning, combined with unparalleled access to glamour that only this industry can provide.



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3 Responses to “The MBA in Luxury Brand Management”


  • Armaan / / Reply

    This is informative, but do many Indians actually go for MBA in Luxury Brand Management? What is the scope for a job if one comes back to India?

    • Armaan, many Indians do go for the MBA in Luxury Brand Management. The scope for employment in the area has increased exponentially in India over the last decade, though of course it remains confined to the largest cities only. The biggest names in luxury and fashion today have offices in India and offer fantastic positions to MBA graduates.

  • Robert Smith / / Reply

    Thanks! This was a really good article on the MBA in Luxury Management. Luxury Management is pretty niche, so it’s hard to find information on business programs for it. I’m actually interested in studying luxury management but not in Europe. I want to study in an emerging market like India. Are there any options I can look at there? Thank you very much.

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