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MA Art Business

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London

MA Art Business

Fall 2024

Become an art business expert through the in-depth exploration of art markets and management.

MA in Art Business was the first program of its kind and our innovative curriculum continues to set the industry standard today. This MA offers a unique opportunity to study the art market right at the hub of the cultural and commercial art world: London. It provides students with an academic but highly practical understanding of those areas considered most important by art world professionals and employers: finance and management; law and ethics; and global art market dynamics. The MA in Art Business provides students with the necessary theories and skills to enable them to develop both a critical and practical understanding of art business. Students are also equipped with the necessary mathematical skills to enable them to engage in sophisticated financial analysis and business planning. Graduates of this program will thus emerge with the ability to place the art object within both its aesthetic and commercial context, and to discuss the legal and ethical implications of its historical provenance and current location. Download the Master’s prospectus.

Highlights

  • Experiential learning Visits and international study trips are significant learning events, with the travel, seeing the art in situ and informal access to tutors serving to intensify the experience.

  • Unique and specific projects Curating, cataloging, marketing, and selling an art exhibition in St Ives art colony, Cornwall with Alicia Livingstone Gallery, and an optional semester three project allowing the opportunity to work with emerging artists.

  • Renowned and inspiring speakers Previous speakers have included Sebastian Fahey (Managing Director for Sotheby’s Europe, Middle East and Asia); Anna Kuznetsova (MAAB alumna and Managing Director of A-Conscious Tech Dutch Art Investment Fund); Tot Taylor (Art Collector/Dealer and Former Curator of Riflemaker Contemporary Art, Soho); Kami Gahiga (MAAB alumna and African Art Advisor); and Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Italian Contemporary Art Collector, Foundation Director and Philanthropist).

  • Exposure to innovative techniques Gamification of art valuation strategies in collaboration with ArtTactic Forecaster for training students.

  • Privileged access to the Art World Privileged networking opportunities throughout the year with art world players including dealers, auction specialists, collectors, artists, art advisors, investors, art logisticians and art insurers.

Faculty

David Bellingham

Program Director, MA Art Business, London

David Bellingham is an art historian, author and Programme Director for the Masters Degree in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London where he leads a core unit on The International Art World, Law and Ethics, as well as electives on The Market for Antiquities & Old Masters and Ethics, Law & the Art Trade. Learn more...

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Melanie Fasche

Deputy Program Director, MA Art Business, London

Dr Melanie Fasche is a Social Scientist. She is a Senior Lecturer and the Deputy Program Director of the MA in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art London. In the programme Melanie leads the core unit Art Business: Finance and Management and the elective Art Patronage Today.

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Marina Maximova

Faculty, MA Art Business, Semester Art and Business, London

Marina Maximova is an art and cultural historian. Before joining Sotheby’s Institute of Art as a Lecturer in Art Business she taught in Loughborough University School of Art. Learn more...

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Alice Farren-Bradley

Course Leader, London

Alice Farren-Bradley is a specialist in contested cultural heritage and art law as well as a Lecturer in Cultural Heritage Crime at Cranfield University. She is currently completing a PhD at Newcastle University, where her research investigates the legal and art-market implications of cultural property protection during armed conflict.

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Dr Oliver Peterson Gilbert

Faculty, London

Oliver’s teaching and research specialisms centre on the sociology of the artistic field, twentieth century British artworlds, critical and aesthetic theory, visual culture, curatorial practice, cultural policy, and political economy.

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Matthew J. Mason

Faculty, London

Matthew J. Mason joined the Sotheby's Institute of Art from the University of Oxford, where his doctoral thesis examined the history of the 'independent curator', and this figure’s entanglement with political developments beginning in the late 1960s.

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Next Steps

More Information

  • Academic Structure

    Academic Structure

    The Master’s degree is awarded for 120 taught credits across two semesters, as well as the completion of a 60-credit dissertation over the course of an additional semester. The first two semesters are intensively taught on three to four days per week. All students attend lectures, usually followed by a one-hour seminar. After seminars, students have access to tutors for individual instruction. In the first semester, Art Futures (15 Credits) brings students from different MAs together for an exploration of the art world of the future, with particular emphasis on technology, sustainability, inclusion and the politics of cultural property (restitution). In Professional Practice (15 credits) students are introduced to professional art world skills and career options and to a variety of research methodologies within the field of art business. During the program, specialist electives can be chosen from across all Institute Master’s programs, allowing a student to build a personalized Master’s profile. Students take two 15-credit electives across a variety of offerings for deeper expertise or to develop specialties. Core units (60 credits) for the Art Business degree include Art Business: Management and
    Finance and International Art World.

    For the MA degree, students must complete the 60-credit dissertation in their third semester. During this final semester there is no formal teaching, with students researching their dissertation topics under the guidance of individual supervisors.

  • Program Dates

    Program Dates

    SEPTEMBER 2024 ENTRY: September 2024 – December 2025

    DEADLINES:

    • Early Action Deadline: December 1, 2023
    • Priority Decision and Scholarship Deadline: March 1, 2024
    • Regular Decision Deadline: May 1, 2024
  • Tuition & Fees

    Tuition & Fees

    Note: Fees are subject to annual review

    Home*

    Semester 1: £10,000 (includes deposit of £3,000.00) plus travel fee (see below)

    Semester 2: £9,960 

    Semester 3: £4,990

     

    International 

    Semester 1: £16,000 (includes deposit of £3,000) plus travel fee (see below)

    Semester 2: £15,970

    Semester 3: £8,000

    *Circumstances that may entitle you to a “home” fee status include:

    • you have settled or pre-settled status under the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme
    • you are from the Republic of Ireland and living in the UK prior to December 31, 2020
    • you are British but live in the EU
    • you hold dual citizenship with the UK and live in the UK

     

    Travel Fee: £3,950

    Travel fees are mandatory. They cover all mandatory study trips outside of London, including transportation from the departure hub (airport or train station) to the destination, and all transportation, entry tickets and 3 or 4 star accommodation at the destination during the trip. Where the accommodation includes breakfast, this is covered by the fee. Otherwise all expenses for meals and other costs are the responsibility of the student.

     

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    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

    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.

  • Prospectus

    Prospectus

    Download the Master’s degree prospectus for an in-depth look at the curriculum and what to expect this academic year.