London Admission Requirements

October 2021 Entry

• Now accepting applications on a rolling basis.

January 2022 Entry

• Early Decision: July 26, 2021
• Priority Decision: September 13, 2021
• Regular Decision: November 29, 2021

After the Regular Decision deadline, Sotheby’s Institute of Art reviews all completed applications on a rolling basis. Space is limited so we strongly encourage applicants to submit their applications as early as possible. Our Admissions team is available throughout the admissions process to offer support and answer any questions you may have.

Additional Important Dates

• If you are seeking a partial tuition scholarship, please submit your program application by the dates below. New applications received after these dates will not be considered for scholarships:
  • October 2021 entry applicants: June 30, 2021
  • January 2022 entry applicants: October 21, 2021
• If you are an international student who will need to secure a visa for the UK, you are advised to submit your application by the following dates:
  • October 2021 entry applicants: August 9, 2021
  • January 2022 entry applicants: November 22, 2021

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have earned a bachelor's lower second-class honors (2:2) degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution by the date on which they enroll 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.

Applicants should demonstrate the following skills:

• The ability to perform at a postgraduate level, as indicated by academic achievement and recommendations.
• Knowledge of art history. Applicants without an art history background might receive conditional offers based on completing pre-requisite coursework.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and analytical skills. For international students, an IELTS academic score of level 7 overall, TOEFL 100 IBT, Pearsons PTE Academic 61-65. Please be advised the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is not accepted for entry into the degree programs.
• Professional experience is not a required element of our application process, however relevant employment and/or internships enhance a student’s application.

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

• Academic transcripts/mark sheets: from all undergraduate and post-secondary academic institutions attended.
  • Unofficial copies of transcripts are sufficient for the application process and for issuing decisions. The documents must be in English. If your original degree certificate, academic transcript or other relevant documents are not in English you must provide an officially certified translation. The admissions department will require an official transcript once you enroll in the program.
  • Official international transcripts must be accompanied by certified course by course credential evaluations. The evaluation will convert the grades and GPA into the United Kingdom grading scale.
• Two (2) letters of reference: References from an academic or professional contact. For those candidates with work experience, at least one reference should be professional.
• A personal statement (1,000 words maximum): Please tell us about yourself, your reasons for your choice of program, any relevant academic or art related experience, and your future career goals.
• A writing sample: A graded paper of no fewer than 1,000 words from an art history or art-related course or 1,000-word original essay or mock review written for an art publication or website. Luxury business applicants should provide a writing sample about an aspect of luxury/the luxury industry. Footnotes are required for any citations.
• A curriculum vitae or résumé
• An English language proficiency exam (required for all international students (EU included): A minimum overall score of IELTS academic level 7 or TOEFL 100 IBT or Pearsons PTE Academic 61-65 must be achieved. We also accept a number of additional Secure English Language tests. Please be advised the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is not accepted for entry into the degree program. Please note if you are from, or have studied in, an English-speaking country, you may be exempt from the need to provide additional evidence of your English language ability.
• Payment of the application fee: A nonrefundable fee of £75 (GBP) is required for the 2021 online application. Applications are not considered complete until the fee has been paid.

GRE test scores are not required, but are accepted. The GRE code for Sotheby’s Institute of Art is 4161.

Problems with Certificates, English Language Tests, or Other Documents Related to Your Offer

• Submitting your certificates or documents: Please do not post any certificates or documents to our Admissions Offices. If you need to submit your academic qualifications, as part of your offer conditions please email a copy of your official results to the Admissions team at admissionslondon@sia.edu. Please note the Institute reserves the right to ensure that original academic credentials are verified at appropriate stages.
• Delays obtaining university certificates or transcripts: If you are unable to obtain your university certificates/transcripts or examinations have been cancelled in your home country please let the relevant Admissions team know about this as soon as you can.
• English Language Tests: If your offer includes an English Language condition please take note of the following: If you have already taken an IELTS English language proficiency test, the Admissions team can verify your results online. Please email your Test Report Form Number or a scanned copy of your certificate to the relevant Admissions team. We also offer an English Language test which similar to the IELTS test assesses all 4 components: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. You can book to take a Sotheby’s English Language test if you hold a conditional offer for study.

If you have further questions or concerns about meeting the English language entry requirements please email the Admissions team for specific guidance.

Note: Fees are subject to annual review

Home*
Deposit: £3,000
Semester 1: £9,450
Semester 2: £11,950
Semester 3: £5,800

International
Deposit: £3,000
Semester 1: £11,700
Semester 2: £14,200
Semester 3: £7,000

*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, 2020
• you are British but live in the EU
• you hold dual citizenship with the UK and live in the UK

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

Field study travel fee: Typically range from £2,450 to £4,260 according to program, entry semester, and destination. Travel fees are indicative only and subject to change.

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.

Sotheby's Institute of Art Scholarships

Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers partial-tuition scholarships to qualified domestic and international candidates. Scholarship awards are based on need and merit. Before you can apply for a scholarship, you must first apply for and hold an offer for a Master’s degree program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. The Scholarship application will require filling out a basic form, and sending in the required documentation. Merit will be assessed holistically using the program application materials submitted. Please note that Scholarship awards are not guaranteed and award decisions are final.

Students seeking a scholarship based on financial need will be asked to submit evidence of household income of £27,500 or below on their application.

Scholarship Deadlines:

• October 2021 applicants: June 30, 2021
• January 2022 applicants: October 21, 2021

If you have any queries regarding submitting a scholarship application, please contact: admissions@sia.edu.

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.

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. Chevening Scholarships open on August 3, 2021 and close on November 2, 2021.

Our admissions team will follow up with you within 5-7 working days about any outstanding documentation or required information. Applicants whose documentation is complete will receive notification if they will be offered an interview.

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

The section is for applicants to the London campus who require a student visa to study in the United Kingdom. The UK’s Immigration Rules changed for students and went into effect at 9:00 a.m. BST on Monday, October 5, 2020. After this time, the new Student route replaced the Tier 4 (General) route. The Student route applies to EEA/Swiss nationals who do not have settlement rights and will arrive on or after January 1, 2021 to study for more than 6 months.

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.

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.

Admissions Q & A
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Contact Us
admissionslondon@sia.com
+44 (0)20 7462 3232

Please note: Materials should not be mailed to the Institute unless specifically requested by the Admissions Office. Transcripts and other supplemental application materials should be emailed to your Admissions team.