SVA Masters in Branding

SVA Masters in Branding The Masters in Branding program examines the relationship between design and strategy, and the power of design thinking.

During the year, students develop an understanding of diverse branding strategies, brand valuation, and brand development life cycle. We'll explore important themes in behavioral science and relevant cultural themes as they relate to branding. We'll investigate marketing challenges involved in creating and sustaining brands and gain an understanding of and experience with senior corporate management discourse. The thesis is a critical part of the MPS in Branding that is developed and completed in the summer semester. Students will develop their thesis, formulating and developing the central idea that will become their thesis, and will consider appropriate strategies for the research, form, presentation and distribution of their ideas. The thesis class will provide students the opportunity to meet as a group and with a faculty member to discuss issues related to the development of their theses, as well as review portions of each other's work. Students should emerge from this process with a significant body of work.

09/23/2026

“Retrospective” — looking back at the program 🌟

In this series, we reconnect with our faculty and recent graduates to hear their stories fresh out of the program!

Today, we’re chatting with Bret Sanford-Chung, who teaches ‘Business and Branding Strategies'.

If you’re thinking about applying to our program, we hope these stories offer a glimpse of what it’s really like. Learn more about the Masters in Branding program and how to apply at branding.sva.edu

Oh, Peanuts! 🥜 Snoopy took over the West Village this month as Peanuts opened *Snoopy in Style NYC*, an exhibition celeb...
09/22/2026

Oh, Peanuts! 🥜

Snoopy took over the West Village this month as Peanuts opened *Snoopy in Style NYC*, an exhibition celebrating Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip through the worlds of fashion, creativity, and culture. Located at 25 Little West 12th Street, the exhibition runs through September 26 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Curated in partnership with the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, the exhibition explores how Snoopy and the Peanuts characters have become cultural icons far beyond the comics page. Through richly detailed installations and rare archival pieces, visitors can trace Schulz’s influence across pop culture, sports, and music over the decades.

At the heart of the exhibition is a collection of one-of-a-kind Snoopy and Woodstock plush dolls, each dressed in custom looks created by designers. Reimagined as miniature fashion icons, the characters bring together two seemingly different worlds while showing just how enduring and adaptable the Peanuts brand has become.

The experience also includes an exclusive gift shop, giving visitors the chance to take a little piece of Snoopy’s stylish New York takeover home with them.

For those exploring beyond the main location, Peanuts released an Apple Maps guide highlighting additional Snoopy activations and merchandise drops across the city, making it easy to turn a visit into a full day of Snoopy hunting in NYC!

Who's your favorite Peanuts character!?

Meet the MPS Branding Class of 2027 🎓Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing you to the creative thinkers, strategists,...
09/21/2026

Meet the MPS Branding Class of 2027 🎓

Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing you to the creative thinkers, strategists, designers, and changemakers joining the Masters in Branding community this fall.

With each student spotlight, we’ll learn a little more about their background, what brought them to branding, and what they’re hoping to explore during their time at SVA.

A warm hello to: Tvisha Sanghvi 👋

Where are you from?
Gujarat, India

Current role or background?
Visual Communication Design

Why are you coming to the program?
As a visual communication designer, I am coming to the program to understand branding beyond just how things look, more in terms of strategy, storytelling, and the kind of impact it can have. I want to learn how to create brands that feel real and apt, not just visually strong, but something people connect with.

What excites you most about branding right now?
Branding right now feels really fluid and multidisciplinary, which is what I love about it. It’s not just about identity anymore, it’s about storytelling, digital experiences, and building communities. I love how brands today feel less like something you’re sold to, and more like something you can be part of.

We’re excited to welcome Tvisha to the MPS Branding community and can’t wait to see where their curiosity takes them.

Follow along as we continue to meet the incoming class!

A Duo Duel💥This month, Apple finally unveiled its first foldable, the iPhone Duo. Within hours, language-learning brand ...
09/18/2026

A Duo Duel💥

This month, Apple finally unveiled its first foldable, the iPhone Duo. Within hours, language-learning brand Duolingo pounced on the coincidence that Apple had named a phone after its own mascot, joking that the company had made "Duo" bend in half, paired with a cheeky image referencing the phone's fold. Samsung, which has been building foldables since 2019, jumped in on the banter too. Samsung framed Apple's launch as old news dressed up as innovation, tagging its posts with a switch campaign hashtag, and it welcomed Duolingo into what it called the club of things Apple supposedly copied.

Underneath the banter was a real point. Samsung has spent years refining its Galaxy Z Fold line, while this is Apple's first attempt, priced at nearly $2k USD. Duolingo, meanwhile, got free PR, reminding everyone that Duo the app costs nothing.

What do you think about the new iPhone Duo?

The 2026 Emmys 🏆The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards aired live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14, hoste...
09/18/2026

The 2026 Emmys 🏆

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards aired live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14, hosted for the first time by Mariska Hargitay of 'Law & Order: SVU' fame. Hargitay made history as the first woman to solo-host the Emmys in fifteen years, following Jane Lynch in 2011, and only the fourth female host this century.

The horror comedy 'Widow's Bay' was the breakout star of the evening, winning 14 awards total and setting a new record for a comedy series, edging past last year's champion 'The Studio'. Matthew Rhys took home Comedy Actor for the show and also won Movie or Limited Actor for 'The Beast in Me', while Stephen Root and Kate O'Flynn won supporting honors.

On the drama side, 'The Pitt' repeated as Outstanding Drama Series, with Noah Wyle winning his second consecutive Lead Actor trophy. Jean Smart made history winning Lead Actress in a Comedy for 'Hacks' for the fifth straight season, tying the all-time record for Emmy wins by an actress. 'The Late Show' With Stephen Colbert closed out its run with a win for Outstanding Variety Series.

The In Memoriam segment was especially emotional this year. Macaulay Culkin, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy paid tribute to Catherine O'Hara, and Jamie Lee Curtis honored Rob Reiner. Noah Kahan performed Bridge Over Troubled Water while the show remembered Dolly Parton, Hayden Panettiere, Tim Curry, Eric Dane, James Van Der Beek, and others.

Did you watch the Emmys this year?

A History of Brands and Branding 🏛️Taught by Mark Kingsley, this five-night intensive kicks off the SVA Masters in Brand...
09/17/2026

A History of Brands and Branding 🏛️

Taught by Mark Kingsley, this five-night intensive kicks off the SVA Masters in Branding program. The course is built on a simple provocation: that branding is more than a sixty-year-old invention of Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley, that it's as old as trade itself.

The course traces that impulse across five sessions, moving from Bronze Age cylinder seals and Pompeii's garum merchants, through the rise of mass retail and Crisco's manufactured identity, into corporate design systems shaped by Bretton Woods era global trade policy, postwar psychology and Jungian archetypes, and finally today's algorithmically mediated customer journey. Richard Shear's book "A History of Brands" anchors the week, paired with handouts and lecture material that amplify the textbook's teaching.

This class is designed to precede the rest of the program, offering a working timeline and a shared vocabulary, that the program's later coursework will build upon.

Learn more about our program curriculum at branding.sva.edu/curriculum

Meet the MPS Branding Class of 2027 🎓Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing you to the creative thinkers, strategists,...
09/16/2026

Meet the MPS Branding Class of 2027 🎓

Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing you to the creative thinkers, strategists, designers, and changemakers joining the Masters in Branding community this fall.

With each student spotlight, we’ll learn a little more about their background, what brought them to branding, and what they’re hoping to explore during their time at SVA.

A warm hello to: Alice Wompa 👋

Where are you from?
Sleepy Hollow, New York

Current role or background?
Graphic Designer and Illustrator

Why are you coming to the program?
To build on the skills I developed during my Undergrad and to challenge myself in an exciting and dynamic environment. I want to push myself past my old limits and let my personal style evolve.

What excites you most about branding right now?
I'm really excited by the aesthetic shifts visible in brands right now. The trends of the early 2020's are going out, and new styles are gaining popularity. Seeing what defines the look of a decade in the moment is incredibly interesting.

We’re excited to welcome Alice to the MPS Branding community and can’t wait to see where their curiosity takes them.

Follow along as we continue to meet the incoming class!

09/16/2026

And just like that 🐎

We're off to the races! Regular classes began this week for our Masters in Branding students. We're so excited to welcome the new cohort and see what we'll learn from each other this year.

Learn more about our program and what our students learn at branding.sva.edu/curriculum

Lest we forget ❤️Today, we pause to remember the lives lost 25 years ago on September 11, 2001, and the families, commun...
09/11/2026

Lest we forget ❤️

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost 25 years ago on September 11, 2001, and the families, communities, and first responders forever changed by that day.

We remember with compassion, gratitude, and respect. 🕊️

Meet the MPS Branding Class of 2027 🎓Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing you to the creative thinkers, strategists,...
09/10/2026

Meet the MPS Branding Class of 2027 🎓

Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing you to the creative thinkers, strategists, designers, and changemakers joining the Masters in Branding community this fall.

With each student spotlight, we’ll learn a little more about their background, what brought them to branding, and what they’re hoping to explore during their time at SVA.

A warm hello to: Joe Klinker 👋

Where are you from?
Orlando, Florida

Current role or background?
Creative Director

Why are you coming to the program?
The more I learn about branding, the more I realize how much there is to discover. I’m eager to learn with (and from) people who are just as excited about it as I am.

What excites you most about branding right now?
I believe branding is poised to not only survive, but lead, an enormous shift in marketing. I’m excited to help brands take pride in their stories, their people, and their purpose. Those are three things no technology can replace, no matter how exciting or revolutionary it may be.

We’re excited to welcome Joe to the MPS Branding community and can’t wait to see where their curiosity takes them.

Follow along as we continue to meet the incoming class!

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