The MA Art Business (Hybrid) provides a vocational bridge for professionals and scholars to enter into this vast and complex commercial art world. Students have the option of undertaking one semester online and one semester in-person. Completing the same in-depth course of study as the full residency Art Business program, the hybrid delivery examines the business transactions that are the lifeblood of the system, moving art from the studio to the gallery, the auction room, the collector’s home, and the museum. Balancing academic rigor with real-world applications, this program equips graduates with the skills and knowledge in art markets and business management, entrepreneurship, connoisseurship, and collecting. Download the Master’s prospectus.
Experiential learning International study trips, seeing and discussing art in situ with industry professionals are part of the Institute’s signature hands-on approach and teaching style.
Exploration and discovery The unique opportunity to learn directly from experts and gain an intimate understanding of art market key players, mechanisms, and emerging trends.
Renowned speakers and thought leaders Guest lecturers and site visit hosts allow you to meet art world cognoscenti and expand your network. Past speakers for this program have included Ian Wardropper; Amy Cappellazzo; Maxwell L; Anderson, Thelma Golden; Jerry Saltz; Arnold Lehman; Kate Rothko; Jamie Martin; Dominique Levy; Matthew Bogdanos.
Build a portfolio Signature student projects include designing themed auction sales catalogues, from curating, establishing provenance and literature notes, to condition and pre-sale estimates for each lot.
Director, New York
A.M. Richard, an art and design specialist, is a curator, art historian and advisor. She has lectured extensively on the topic of connoisseurship, collecting, conservation, provenance, emerging markets and the related subtleties of art and decorative arts appraising (American Association of Museums, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, F.I.T. SUNY, Pratt Institute, Pace University). Learn more...
Read MoreFaculty, MA Art Business, New York
Judith Prowda is an attorney, mediator and arbitrator focused on art law, copyright, entertainment and commercial law. She is a founding member of Stropheus Art Law, a collective of art law and business specialists who offer unbundled services to the art community.
Read MoreAdjunct Faculty, MA, New York
Lawrence S. Motz is an adjunct faculty member at Sotheby's Institute New York. Upon graduation from business school, Motz became an institutional emerging markets bond trader and later an investment banker with Prudential Securities, PaineWebber (UBS), and Kaufman Brothers, a boutique investment bank specializing in telecommunications. During that time, he also co-founded and served as CFO of eNet China, an early online Internet retailer headquartered in Beijing, China.
Read MoreAdjunct Faculty, MA Art Business, New York and Online Premier
Maria brings over 25 years of international experience in the art world, first at museums – National Museum of Catalan Art, MNAC, in Barcelona and at the Louvre in Paris- then at Sotheby’s Auction House in London. During her time at Sotheby’s, she gained experience in all aspects of the auction world with a focus on business and client development. She has participated in numerous auctions and worked closely with all Sotheby’s European offices.
Read MoreAdjunct Faculty, MA Art Business, New York and Online Premier
Betsy Thomas is the founder of a boutique art advisory firm providing professional representation for collectors. She advises on buying and selling in all areas of fine art from Old Master, American & 19th C. paintings to Impressionist, Modern & Contemporary Masters. Previously Betsy was Vice President and Associate Specialist in the 19th Century European Paintings Department at Christie’s.
Read MoreAll of our Master’s programs include field study opportunities that enable students to become immersed in the international art community. Field study contextualizes lectures and discussions through visits to fairs, galleries, private collections, museums, artists’ studios, and more.
Previous destinations for the MA in Art Business (Hybrid) program have included Italy. The city of Venice, one of the most beautiful in the world, offers the opportunity to experience landmarks of the Renaissance to the most avant-garde contemporary art. Turin, the capital of Piedmont, is known for Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classical and Art Nouveau architecture. The city is also home to significant art and design fairs, museums and collections; Artissima, Collezione Maramotti, Foundation Merz, Casa Mollino.
As an international cultural destination and financial center of the world, New York City is a unique location to engage with the multi-faceted prism of opportunities art market studies present. Our New York – based MA programs are designed to immerse students within the global art sphere as it continues to evolve and adapt to disruptive technological innovations. . Curated visits to museums, foundations, galleries, conservation studios, storage facilities and artist studios are the starting point for a broader conversation shaped through the lens of our three distinctive programs.
MA in Art Business (Hybrid) is the program for students invested in understanding the mechanics and economic forces of art business and also seeking the flexibility of a partially remote program.
The MA Art Business (Hybrid) is designed for flexibility in gaining the expertise and credentials of a Sotheby’s Institute degree through a combination of a remote semester, an on-site semester, and an independent capstone project. Through the hybrid option, students will have access to the same faculty, academics, resources, and network and will receive the same specialized and in-depth course of study offered in the full-residency MA in Art Business program.
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. In the hybrid program, the first semester in the fall will be taught entirely remotely, through a combination of asynchronous lectures with live sessions featuring guest speakers and skill based activities and can be undertaken from any location. Students will also have the option to convene in person for one week of field study in the fall. The second semester in the spring takes place fully in New York City from January to May, with a curriculum of required courses plus an elective. The spring semester will also include a week of field study travel. If needed, students enrolled in the MA in Art Business (Hybrid) program can defer one field study experience to the third semester and still graduate on time with their cohort.
The MA in Art Business (Hybrid) culminates in a capstone project which can take the form of a traditional, long-form academic thesis, or a more flexible Master’s Project (often a business plan or curatorial project) in consultation with a faculty advisor. The capstone project is to be completed independently from any location in the world between June and December of the third semester.
SEPTEMBER 2023 ENTRY: September 2023 – December 2024
Semester 1: 15 credits
Semester 2: 15 credits
Semester 3: 6 credits
Tuition: $1,878 per credit
Travel Fee: Each field study trip typically ranges from $3,800 to $5,000 according to destination. Travel fees are indicative only and subject to change.
Materials Fee: $824
International Student Fee: $206
For more information on tuition and program fees, click here.
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Download the Master’s degree prospectus for an in-depth look at the curriculum and what to expect this academic year.