Our approach

Students learn through actual first-hand examination of works of art in the galleries and museums of New York and in private collections.

This first-hand looking at works of art is the cornerstone of our approach to teaching and has been a distinguishing feature of Sotheby's Institute of Art for 37 years.

Our faculty includes scholars, curators, art professionals, collectors and Sotheby's own specialists whose outstanding academic and professional credentials personify the incomparable breadth and depth of the course.

Faculty members are available to provide guidance on both academic and career-related subjects.

All of our programmes are designed to prepare students for a career in the international art world. The Institute also works with students to help them find internships at Sotheby's auction house or in galleries and art institutions.

Sessions on career opportunities are an integral part of the curriculum and include exposure and introductions to the vast array of professionals in the art world who share profiles on their careers.

Included in the tuition are numerous field studies - several extended trips ranging form three to five days in length.

These trips are designed to provide students with first-hand knowledge of regional characteristics in the arts, and to acquaint them with a broad spectrum of resources and regional collectors.

Days are typically devoted to special curatorial studies in museums and visits to private collections, historic houses, galleries and studios.

Specific locations vary from year to year and have included New Haven, Hartford, Winterthur (Delaware), Chicago, Baltimore, Annapolis, Boston, Salem, Los Angeles, and New Orleans.