Brand Management

In a global business environment where disruption is the norm, effective branding is critical to an organization’s competitive edge. Managers who can execute a successful brand strategy from the ground up are in demand across industries.

By earning your Graduate Certificate in Brand Management, you’ll sharpen your analytic and creative thinking skills and learn how to develop an integrated brand strategy across multiple platforms. Your core courses will focus on key analysis skills you need for brand management—including assessing customer needs and measuring marketing performance—while your electives will allow you to explore topics relevant to your career goals, such as marketing research methodologies or new product development.

You’ll study part time on our Boston campus, choosing from two evening class times Monday–Thursday. You may start the program in January or September.

Learn more about the Graduate Certificate in Brand Management program at the D‘Amore-McKim School of Business.

More Details

Through our Graduate Certificate in Brand Management program at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, you’ll develop a specialized skill set for creating and executing brand strategy—with an emphasis on tools and techniques for a digital-first marketing world. You can complete your certificate in as few as four courses, with the option to add a fifth to deepen your learning.

• Learn up-to-the-minute techniques for brand strategy in a digital marketing landscape—in just four or five courses.
• Tailor your learning by choosing electives that align with your goals, exploring topics such as brand innovation or marketing in the service sector.
• Deepen your learning with experience through applied projects and real-world case studies.
• Access career guidance from expert counselors at Northeastern’s office of Employer Engagement and Career Design.
• Grow your professional network by studying with peers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds.
• Build toward a future master’s degree at Northeastern by earning credits you can apply toward an eligible program.

• Application form
• Application fee
• Personal statement
• Current resumé
• One to three letters of professional recommendation
• Academic transcript(s)
• Permanent residency card (if applicable)

GMAT/GRE required? Graduate certificate programs do not require a GMAT or GRE score.

English language proficiency: English proficiency, both written and verbal, is necessary for success in D’Amore-McKim classrooms. For more information, review our admissions policies.

Once your application is submitted, received, and processed, you will be able to access your Application Status Check. If you are required to provide further information regarding your proficiency in English, you will be able to complete the requirement in several ways, depending on your familiarity with English, and the frequency with which you use English each and every day:

• Non-native English-speaking applicants will be required to submit official and valid results from one of the following English Language Tests:
  • C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English)
  • Duolingo English Test (DET)
  • IELTS Academic
  • PTE Academic
  • TOEFL Internt-based Test (CEEB Code: 3667) Northeastern will accept either the in-person version completed in a test center, or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• However, based on your academic environment and the primary instructional language in either your high school or university, you may be eligible for a waiver. All waivers must be submitted through your Application Status Check. For additional information and to determine whether or not you are eligible for a waiver, please read the section below on waiving the English proficiency requirement.

Please note: Northeastern’s Admissions Committee reserves the right to request proof of English language proficiency from any applicant, regardless of citizenship or first language, at any time during the evaluation process.

The Graduate Certificate in Brand Management is a powerful step toward accelerating your career, whether you’re already in marketing or new to the field. The program can help current brand managers hone their skills, fill in knowledge gaps for professionals in functions that intersect with marketing, or upskill professionals from another function looking to move into brand management.

Employers especially value the signature D’Amore-McKim emphasis on the role of data and technology in the global marketplace. Depending on your experience and available opportunities, you may be able to leverage your graduate certificate for a role with more influence on decision-making, a higher salary, or greater job security—or land a new position altogether. You may also consider applying credits earned toward an eligible master’s degree at Northeastern, such as the Part-Time MBA program.

• 1.Create your application

  Submit your application through The Common Application or the Coalition Application (both are accepted). Once you have created your application, please select Northeastern University to directly submit your application to us. Application fee of $75 or need-based fee waiver* *Northeastern accepts need-based fee waivers from the Common Application, the Coalition Application, as well as organizations such as the College Board and ACT, or in a written request from a school official.

• 2.Submit all required materials

  Double check to make sure that you have submitted all required materials. Even if your application has been submitted, we cannot begin reviewing your file until all of your required materials have been received. For applicants applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission.

• 3.Check your application status

  Within seven days of applying, you should receive a confirmation email containing your Northeastern University ID number and instructions for setting up your Application Status Check account. To ensure all of the necessary documents have been submitted, and for updates or information about your application, visit your application status check.