Master’s Degree

MA in Luxury Business (Online)

Date
Fall 2026
Duration
1+ Year
Location
Online
Program
Master’s Degree
Mode of Learning
Online
Language
English
Topic
Luxury

Advance your career in luxury business with a fully online MA that brings the industry to you.

Today, the boundaries between art and luxury are increasingly blurred. Sotheby’s auction house describes itself as “the world’s premier destination for art and luxury”, while Louis Vuitton’s CEO has called the company a “cultural brand.”

Situated at this intersection of creativity and commerce, Sotheby’s Institute offers students a uniquely integrated perspective that combines business insight, industry access, and cross-disciplinary expertise.

The MA in Luxury Business (Online) blends rigorous academic study with real-world perspectives on luxury marketing, management, and entrepreneurship in a flexible, fully online format. Designed for students and professionals who cannot—or prefer not to—relocate to New York City, the program meets students wherever they are.

With fewer barriers to pursuing their MA, the program allows students to remain fully engaged in their current lives while also investing in their future career development. Students in the MA in Luxury Business (Online) receive the same specialized, in-depth course content as their in-person counterparts, without compromise in access.

Experiential components will be delivered virtually, including site visits to luxury retail stores and companies, exposure to leading luxury brands and products, project-based learning in collaboration with industry partners, and engagement with international guest speakers.

While all instructors and students are remote, the program delivers customized curricula and services that connect students to the global luxury industry, offer experiential learning from anywhere, while also providing dedicated career and student support.

Highlights

Cultural Context

The program delves deep into the cultural, historical, and creative dimensions of luxury, fostering a nuanced understanding that sets graduates apart in the industry.

Experiential Learning

In consideration of flexibility, the online program offers virtual field studies and supervised professional practices with the Institute’s faculty.

First-hand Insight

Students gain a deep understanding of how luxury is experienced across different international contexts, learning directly from case studies and industry leaders.

Faculty

Program Director, MA in Luxury Business, New York

Mary Davis is a historian and educator specializing in fashion and its relationship to art and commerce. In a wide-ranging career, she has held positions as a professor and dean as well as posts with the President’s Commission on Organized Crime and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. She is currently a member of the Capstone Faculty at the Jackson School of Global Affairs and a Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University.

Adjunct Faculty, MA in Luxury Business, New York and Online

Carmela Spinelli is a fashion historian and curator whose work focuses on luxury education, museum practice, and engagement with the fashion industry. She brings more than two decades of experience spanning both academia and industry, with a focus on fashion and design history, museum programming, and higher education leadership and recruitment.

Adjunct Faculty, MA in Luxury Business, New York and Online

Elizabeth Chase is a decorative arts and design historian, educator, and advisor with over twenty years of experience working across museums, universities, auction houses, and the private market in the U.S. and Europe.

Adjunct Faculty, MA in Luxury Business, New York and Online

Eugene Rabkin is the founder and editor of StyleZeitgeist, an online fashion and culture media platform and podcast, and a recognized thought leader in the field of luxury. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Business of Fashion, Air Mail, and T Magazine China, among others. He is the author of Stone Island: Storia and the forthcoming Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism. He has taught courses in critical writing and contemporary fashion at Parsons, the New School for Design. 

Course Leader, London

Fabio Ciquera spent the past twenty-five years in London, where he worked in communication departments of major luxury brands like Gian Franco Ferre’, the Chanel Group, and Zilli. Fabio’s focus shifted to publishing in the mid noughties. Fabio serves as Communication Director at Upstreet Magazine, launched Plastique Magazine, and worked on a pioneering online project, Imagine Fashion, the first video luxury magazine. In 2010 Fabio joined Istituto Marangoni, bringing his expertise to the Luxury Brand Management and Strategies courses as well as being the course director for the successful fashion business program, both in London and Shanghai.

Adjunct Faculty, MA in Art Business, and MA in Luxury Business, New York and Online

Krista Hammond is a business professional with 25 years of experience in the luxury industry, spanning Sydney, Tokyo, and New York City. She has led international marketing teams for integrated marketing campaigns, global events, product launches, omnichannel marketing, consumer engagement, global communications, and strategic business development. In addition to teaching Luxury Market Economics and Omnichannel Marketing at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Hammond teaches Entrepreneurship in Luxury Arts at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business.

Featured

Career Pathways

MA Luxury Business graduates will contribute to a growing area of expertise in the global luxury market and will be proficient in navigating the business and creative side of the industry.

Luxury is a dynamic field spanning a range of industries: fashion and leather goods, jewelry and watches, wines and spirits, cosmetics and perfumes—and, increasingly, art. These sectors are united in their pursuit of aspirational qualities like rarity, exclusivity, and enduring value—attributes that have long defined art itself.

Details

Academic Structure

The MA in Luxury Business (Online) program is designed for students to have the flexibility to complete the program at their own pace in three, four, or five semesters.

Students begin their classes in the fall, take a minimum of two classes per semester, and follow the sequence of classes and subject areas covered in the in-person program.

Over the course of the program, students complete 36-credit hours. 

The weekly instruction for each course includes pre-recorded video lectures for students to view at their own pace, as well as an instructor-led live virtual class per week held at a scheduled time.

Students are supported throughout by extensive library resources, faculty advisors, and opportunities for peer collaboration. 

This blended online approach allows working professionals and students from all backgrounds to complete their MA in Luxury Business affordably and with maximum flexibility while still engaging deeply with faculty and peers. 

View required courses and electives in our Online Master’s Catalog here.

Tuition and Fees

Fall 2026 – Tuition and Fees TBA.

non-refundable deposit of $1,500 is required to secure your place on all programs. The deposit will be applied to Semester 1 tuition. 

For more information on tuition and program fees, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

From visa information for international students to course credits, find answers on our FAQ page. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, contact an Admissions counselor.

Student Policies

Explore our library of academic and campus policies here. All students who enroll for graduate study must agree to the Terms and Conditions upon accepting their offer of admittance.

Enterprise Studio

The Enterprise Studio was created as an extra-curricular program for Master’s students to receive training and support for new business ventures, culminating in a start-up pitch competition, the Gavel. Through close access to mentors, students have the chance to shape their plans from ideation to execution with the winning Gavel team receiving significant seed funding for their future business.

Federica Carlotto on the Boundaries of Art and Luxury

“Through collaborations and sponsorships with art institutions and artists, luxury brands have been positioning themselves as cultural agencies,” says Federica Carlotto, Program Director of the MA in Luxury Business (London). In today’s evolving luxury landscape, brands are reaching beyond their traditional spheres to forge deeper connections with art, culture, and design.

Read More