MA Art Business, London

The Master’s degree in Art Business 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 his program will thus emerge with the ability to place the art object within both its aesthetic and commercial context, and to discuss the legal/ethical implications of its historical provenance and current location.

Academic Structure

The program is of twelve months’ duration, from September to September. The first two semesters (before and after Christmas) are intensively taught on three to four days per week. All students attend morning lectures, usually followed by a one-hour seminar in the early afternoons. After seminars, students have access to tutors for individual instruction. In the second semester, specialist electives can be chosen from across all Institute Master’s programs, allowing a student to build a personalized Master’s profile.

During the third semester (June through September) there is no formal teaching, with students researching their dissertation topics under the guidance of individual supervisors. At the start of the year, students are allocated a personal tutor who supports their academic and personal development throughout the program. Lectures are given by members of the faculty as well as by consultants whose main work is within the art world, thus facilitating networking opportunities.

Study visits and trips are an important part of the program, with traditional and contemporary art fairs forming the subject of European trips. In addition, weekly visits to museums and commercial galleries provide privileged exposure to the London art scene.