Master’s Degrees in London Admission Requirements

Fall 2025 Application Deadlines:

Applications for Fall 2025 will open on 1 October 2024. Please note that the deadline to apply is 11:59p.m. GMT. 

*To apply for merit scholarships, students must apply to Sotheby's Institute of Art by the priority application deadline.

We review completed applications on a rolling basis in the order that we receive them. Due to this, we recommend applying by the priority deadline. Please note that applications may close prior to the final deadlines listed here.

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have earned a Bachelor's degree with at least a Lower Second-Class Honours (2:2) - or equivalent - from an accredited institution by the date on which they enrol at the Institute.  

Please be advised that a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent is a mandatory requirement, work experience cannot be accepted in lieu of this qualification. 

International applicants who are unsure whether their overall mark is equivalent to a Lower Second-Class Honours (2:2) are encouraged to contact the Admissions Office at admissions@sia.edu before applying. 

We welcome applicants from a range of academic backgrounds. Where an applicant to one of our programmes (excluding MA Luxury Business) does not have a first degree in art history or a related subject, the offer may include a recommendation or requirement to complete an introductory Art History course prior to enrolment.

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

• Academic transcripts/mark sheets: 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.  
  • Final Official Transcripts are required prior to enrolment (or CAS issuance for Student Route Visa applicants). Documents are only considered Final and Official when received directly from the awarding institution and list the conferral date. Official transcripts can be sent to admissions@sia.edu.

• Personal Statement (500 - 1,000 words): Please tell us about yourself, the reasons for your choice of programme, any relevant academic or art related experience, and your future career goals. The statement should clearly reference the Institute and the intended programme.

• Writing sample: A graded paper of no fewer than 1,000 words from an art history or art-related course OR

MA Contemporary Art and MA Fine and Decorative Art and Design applicants a gallery/museum/exhibition review written as if it were to be published in an art publication or website (1,000 words minimum).

MA Luxury Business applicants an essay about an aspect of luxury/the luxury industry. A suggested title is “what is the trend that in your opinion will define the luxury industry in the coming years?" (1,000 words minimum).

MA Art Business applicants a critical review of the last 12 months’ significant events in the art market, using and quoting from any available online sources (1,000 words minimum).

Footnotes are required for any citations in all writing samples.

• A curriculum vitae or résumé

• Two (2) reference letters: from an academic or professional contact. Candidates who graduated more than 2 years prior to applying may present two professional references if they are no longer in contact with the faculty at their undergraduate institution. The application form includes a section to list your referees name and contact information, our online reference form is then sent out on submission of the application to collect the recommendation letter.

• A valid English language proficiency exam (required for all international students (EU included):
  • A minimum overall score of:

  • IELTS	7.0
    TOEFL	100
    Pearsons PTE Academic	65

    • A writing score of IELTS 6.5 is required

• We also accept a number of additional Secure English Language tests. Please contact the Admissions Team for guidance if you are planning to take (or have completed) another test.

Please note if you are from, or completed an undergraduate degree in, an English-speaking country, you may be exempt from the need to provide additional evidence of your English language ability. Please visit our FAQ section for detailed guidance on this.

Payment of the application fee: A nonrefundable fee of £75 (GBP) is required to submit an online application. Applications will not be assessed until they have been submitted through the online form.

Fall 2025 Tuition and Fees

Note: Fees are subject to annual review

Home*

Total Programme Fees: £31,600 (includes deposit of £3,000.00) plus travel fee (see below for travel fee by programme)

International 

Total Programme Fee: £40,769 (includes deposit of £3,000) plus travel fee (see below for travel fee by programme)

*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, 2021
• you are British but live in the EU
• you hold dual citizenship with the UK and live in the UK

Travel fees:  

• MA Art Business: £3,900
• MA Luxury Business: £3,400 
• MA Contemporary Art: £3,800 
• MA Fine and Decorative Art and Design: £3,600 

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.

Students pursuing a two-semester Postgraduate Diploma do not incur Semester 3 tuition.

A non-refundable deposit of £3,000 upon acceptance is required to secure your place on all programs.

Sotheby's Institute of Art tuition and fees are updated annually based on the curriculum and field study destinations. Course work is completed in semesters 1 and 2. For students pursuing a Master’s degree, a dissertation or practice-based dissertation is undertaken in the third semester.

Deferrals:

The Institute permits deferrals over one academic year only. To secure the place in the following year, a second non-refundable ‘deferral fee’ payment of £2,250 will be due to the Institute. Any scholarship awarded will not be transferred. Deferrals are approved at the discretion of the Institute. 

Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers partial-tuition scholarships to qualified domestic and international candidates. The scholarship award acts as a partial fee waiver and is evenly divided and applied to semester one and two tuition.  

Fall 2025 Applicants:

Merit Scholarship

Deadline to Apply for Merit Scholarship: March 31, 2025

Applicants that submit their application to Sotheby's Institute of Art prior to the priority deadline are welcome to apply for our Merit Scholarships. Awards are not guaranteed, and the decision will be based on the program application materials submitted and the scholarship application. 

To be eligible to apply for the Merit Scholarship, applicants must submit their application to Sotheby's Institute of Art by the priority deadline. 

Need-based awards 

Deadline to apply for Need-Based Awards: April1, 2025

Applicants that submit their application to Sotheby's Institute of Art prior to the priority deadline are welcome to apply for our Need-based award. Students seeking a partial-tuition scholarship based on financial need will be asked to submit evidence of annual household income. SIA classifies 'low-income' as a household with an annual income of £25,000 or less and 'lower-income' as £42,875 or less (or overseas equivalent), but this is a guide only as other factors are taken into account during the selection process. Award decisions will be communicated at the point of an offer being made. 

Please select that you would like to apply for a need-based award as one of the funding sources on our application form to indicate that you would like to submit a need-based scholarship form after the completed application has been submitted.

Scholarship Deadlines:

You must have applied to the program before the following date: 

• September 2025 entry: March 1, 2025

Cultural Leaders Program

The Culture& x Sotheby's Institute of Art, London Cultural Leaders Program – the first of its kind in the contemporary UK art world – is designed to empower and nurture the next generation of diverse leaders.

To be eligible for this program you must fulfil all three of the criteria below:

• Be a eligible for UK home fee status (see application portal for more information).
• Come from an underrepresented group. We particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in our student body. These include British people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
• Demonstrate significant financial need

Through this partnership, the Cultural Leaders Program is offering fully-funded scholarships from 2023/24 to 2025/26 to promising students from under-represented communities to pursue one of the Institute’s prestigious one-year, full-time Master’s programs: the MA in Contemporary Art; the MA in Art Business; or the MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design. The program will allow promising young professionals from diverse backgrounds with leadership potential to study full-time and receive a London Living Wage bursary for their living expenses.

Applications open January 2025.

Apply

British Chevening Scholarships

Join a diverse network of future leaders and study with us on a fully funded Chevening Scholarship, the UK government's scholarships program for international students studying master's degrees.

To apply for this scholarship you must have:

• An undergraduate degree
• At least two years' work experience (including voluntary experience)
• Leadership skills such as excellent communication skills, a positive attitude, and the sheer determination to achieve your goals.

For more information about Chevening, please visit chevening.org. The process of selecting Chevening Scholars takes a minimum of eight months from the application deadline to when applicants are conditionally selected for an award.

How to apply: You'll need to apply for both a full time SIA master's degree and a Chevening Scholarship. We recommend applying for your chosen SIA program before or at the same time as applying for a Chevening Scholarship. The Chevening Scholarship application form closes on November 5, 2024. 

Our admissions team will follow up with you regarding any outstanding documentation or required information. Applicants whose documentation is complete will receive an invitation to attend an academic interview by email to the address used in the application. Applicants may be required to attend an interview with a member of the Admissions team before being progressed to academic interview.

If you receive an offer, a non-refundable deposit of £3,000 is required within 21 days to secure your place.

Academic Calendar

Fall 2025 Entry

Semester one

Registration sessions: w/c 8^th September, 2025

Orientation: 15 September

Classes begin: 16 September

Reading week: 3 – 7 November

End of semester one: 19 December

Semester two

Classes begin: 12 January, 2025

Reading week: 9 – 13 February

Spring break: 23 March – 3 April

Classes end: 29 May

Dissertation presentations: 1 June – 19 June

Summer break: 22 June – 3 July

Semester three

Begins: 6 July

Dissertation hand in / completion of programme: 23 September

We provide guidance and support to incoming students through the CAS request and Student Route Visa application process.

The section is for applicants to the London campus who require a student visa to study in the United Kingdom. The Student Route Visa is the appropriate immigration permission for full time study. The Student Route applies to EU/EEA nationals who do not have settlement rights under the EU Settlement Scheme. 

Please note the Home Office change immigration rules and requirements regularly. Whilst we aim to ensure that the information contained in these pages is kept up to date there may be times when this is not the case. Please do not rely on these pages alone. Check the Home Office for all the latest immigration updates and information. For information and guidance about how to apply for a student visa click here.

Where there are delays in obtaining your UK student visa, we will assess your situation on a case-by-case basis, to determine whether you are still able to join the program.

Applicants are encouraged to contact our Visa Compliance team at visa.compliance@sothebysinstitute.com to discuss visa requirements. 

Some of your questions may be answered in the frequently asked questions section of our website. If you do not see your question, please do not hesitate to contact us at admissions@sia.edu.