Master's Admissions

Application Deadlines

Eligibility

Required Documentation

All prospective students must apply using the online application. A complete application includes: 

• Academic Transcripts 
• Personal Statement 
• Resume 
• Two Letters of Recommendation 
• English Language Proficiency 
• Application Fee 

If you would like to provide additional documents that you believe will support your application (such as an academic thesis, published work, business plan, etc.), please email these to admissions@sia.edu and we will upload them to your application. 

Academic Transcripts 

Academic transcripts are required from all undergraduate and post-graduate academic institutions previously attended. This document should include a list of all classes taken at the institution 

• Unofficial copies of transcripts are sufficient for the application process. Final Official Transcripts are required prior to enrollment. 

• If your undergraduate degree is still in progress, please provide the most up-to-date transcript available at the time of application. 

• If the document is not originally in English, an official certified translation must be submitted in accompaniment with the original document. 

Personal Statement (500 – 1,000 words) 

Please provide a statement telling us about yourself, the reasons for your choice of program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, any relevant academic or professional experience, and your future goals. The statement should clearly reference the Institute and the intended program.  

This essay is an opportunity for the admissions committee and faculty to get to know you and learn about your intentions behind studying at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. These statements should be solely written by the applicant and should avoid the use of AI. 

Curriculum Vitae or résumé 

Please provide a copy of your most up-to-date resume. This should include any relevant professional or academic experience.  

Two Letters of Reference 

We require two letters of reference as a part of our application process. References do not need to be from an art-related background, though we do recommend one professional and one academic reference.  

• Applicants will be asked to submit the name and contact details of each nominated reference during the application process. Upon submission of your aplication, our reference form will be sent directly to your nominated references.  

• Please note that we do not accept letters of reference provided from the applicant. Reference letters must be submitted directly from the reference. If your reference needs assistance submitting their letter, please refer them to the admissions team at admissions@sia.edu 

English Language Proficiency 

International applicants will be asked to provide an English Language proficiency exam score. In some cases, applicants may be eligible to request a waiver. Please note that waivers are not guaranteed.  

Accepted English Language Proficiency Exams 

We accept TOEFL, IELTS Academic, and Duolingo and require the following scores: 

• TOEFL: 100 (taken before 2026) and 5 (new scoring system) 

• IELTS: 7.0 

• Duolingo: 130 

English Language Requirement Waiver 

In some cases, an English Language Requirement Waiver may be granted. This will be reviewed in tandem with your application, and waiver request approval is not guaranteed. You may request an English Language Requirement Waiver if: 

• Your undergraduate or graduate degree is from a country where English is the national language, and English was the language of instruction. 

• Your undergraduate or graduate degree is from an institution where the degree was taught entirely in English. 

Application Fee 

A nonrefundable fee of $100 is required 

Tuition & Fees

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

TUITION AND FEES

Fall 2027 Entry

Credits: The Master’s degree is awarded for 30 taught credits across semesters one and two, as well as the completion of a 6-credit thesis or capstone project in the third semester. Course work is completed in semesters 1 and 2 for 30 credit hours, the minimum necessary for a Graduate Certificate. For students pursuing a Master’s degree, a thesis or capstone project is required and represents a total 36 credit hour requirement for the MA. This is undertaken in the third semester, either independently off-campus or alongside continued coursework on campus, which includes a third field study opportunity.

Tuition includes participation in the field study component.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Sotheby’s Institute of Art – London offers three partial tuition scholarship opportunities for eligible applicants: 

• Academic Excellence Award 
• Need-Based Awards 
• The Sotheby’s Institute Scholar Award 

Please review the information below carefully, including eligibility requirements and application deadlines. 

Applicants are welcome to apply for all three awards, though not all awards can be combined if awarded.

Academic Excellence Award

The Academic Excellence Award is an automatic scholarship equivalent to 10% of tuition fees, awarded based on undergraduate academic achievement. Applicants that apply by the regular decision deadline and receive a 3.7 unweighted GPA or above (on a 4.0 scale), or its international equivalent, will automatically be awarded this scholarship at the time of admission decision.

Applicants who apply after the Regular Decision deadline will not automatically be considered for the Academic Excellence Award. 

The Academic Excellence Award may be combined with a Need-Based Award, subject to eligibility and the applicable scholarship terms. 

Need-Based Awards

*Separate Scholarship Application Required

Applicants that submit their application to Sotheby’s Institute of Art prior to the priority deadline are welcome to apply for our need-based scholarship awards.  Scholarships are reviewed based on the financial need-based scholarship application and awards will range from 10% to 25% of tuition. Awards are not guaranteed.

The need-based awards can be combined with the merit awards.  

Need-Based Scholarship Deadlines

Early Action Deadline

*Scholarship decisions are released on a rolling basis and may be communicated earlier than the deadline listed.

Priority Application Deadline

*Scholarship decisions are released on a rolling basis and may be communicated earlier than the deadline listed.

Need-Based scholarship applications submitted after March 31st are not guaranteed for review and are dependent on funding availability. Due to this we strongly recommend that applicants apply by the Early Action and Priority deadline to ensure that their scholarship application will be evaluated.  

Scholarship awards are final. Re-evaluation will only be considered in exceptional circumstances where there has been a significant change in the applicant’s financial circumstances.

The Sotheby’s Institute Scholar Award

Separate scholarship application required 

The Sotheby’s Institute Scholar Award provides one 50% tuition scholarship per program for Fall 2027 entry.

Eligibility and Deadlines

Applicants who submit their program application by the Early Action deadline are eligible to apply for The Sotheby’s Institute Scholar Award. Awards are not guaranteed and the decision will be based on the program application materials, undergraduate transcripts, and scholarship application materials. 

As a condition of receiving The Sotheby’s Institute Scholar Award, recipients are required to participate in selected Sotheby’s Institute of Art events and activities during their studies. Further details regarding participation requirements will be provided to successful recipients.

The Sotheby’s Institute Scholar Award cannot be combined with Academic Excellence Awards or Need-Based awards.

Financial Aid Opportunities

SIA-NY participates in Title IV Financial Aid Program.

• For more information on FAFSA please visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

FAFSA Code: G41798

After you Apply

Once you submit your application you will receive a confirmation email of the submission. If you did not receive this email, we kindly ask that you reach out to admissions@sia.edu to ensure that your application was successfully submitted.

After receiving your application, our admissions team will follow up with you regarding any outstanding documentation or additional information. Once letters of recommendation have been received the application review process can begin. Our admissions team will be in touch via email regarding next steps.

Applicants can typically expect to receive a decision two to six weeks after submitting a completed application.

Term Dates

Please note that dates are subject to change.

2027/2028 Academic Calendar – Fall 2027 Start

International Students

Application Materials

• Transcripts: from all undergraduate and post-graduate academic institutions attended.
  • Unofficial copies of transcripts are sufficient for the application process and for issuing decisions. Diplomas are not accepted as a substitute for a transcript/mark sheet.  
    • If the document is not originally in English, an official certified translation must be submitted in accompaniment with the original document.
  • Prior to enrolling, transcripts for undergraduate degrees received outside of the U.S. and U.K. must be accompanied by a certified course-by-course credential evaluation. The evaluation will convert the grades and GPA into the United States grading scale. Please view the list of accepted providers below:
    • International Education Evaluation (IEE) 
  • All transcripts for graduate degrees, regardless of the institution’s country, can be sent directly from the institution to admissions@sia.edu. Postgraduate transcripts do not need to be accompanied by a course-by-course evaluation.

If you have any questions about this process or requirements, please reach out to us at admissions@sia.edu.

• English Language Requirement (required for non-native English speakers):
  

  IELTS	7
  TOEFL	100
  Duolingo	130

Note: Exam scores expire two years after the test date

• English Language Requirement Waiver: In the application process, you will be prompted to provide proof of meeting this requirement. In some cases, an English Language Requirement Waiver may be granted. This will be reviewed in tandem with your application. You may request an English Language Requirement Waiver if:
• Your undergraduate or graduate degree is from a country where English is the national language and English was the primary language of instruction 
• Your undergraduate or graduate degree is from an institution where the degree was taught entirely in the English language.  
  • You must provide documentation stating this from the institution  
• You have extensive English-speaking professional experience

Visas

We recommend that applicants who require a visa to study in the US apply through the appropriate consulate or other government agency at least 12 weeks prior to the start of class to allow sufficient time for processing.

As visa processing times vary by country, students applying to a program less than 12 weeks before the start of class should refer to the US Department of State information on estimated wait times by Embassy/Consulate and contact us at admissions@sia.edu for further guidance.

Contact Us

Some of your questions may be answered in the frequently asked questions section of our website. If you do not see your question, we are happy to help. All prospective students are encouraged to contact our Admissions Office to schedule a one-on-one information session to learn more about the program, the application process, tuition, financial aid, and more.

Contact Us
admissions@sia.edu
+1.646.438.7234