London Admission Requirements

• Early Decision Deadline: December 5, 2022

• Priority Decision Deadline: March 1, 2023

• Regular Decision Deadline: May 1, 2023

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have earned a Bachelor's degree with 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 before applying. 

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. (this does not apply to MA Luxury Business applicants). Sotheby’s Institute offers a range of online introductory Art History courses which provide suitable grounding for applicants who do not have an art history background. 
• 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 65+. Please be advised the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is not accepted for entry into the degree programs.

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 before enrollment in the program. Applicants requiring a Student Route Visa will need to provide official evidence of the award prior to issuance of CAS statement. 
• 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. 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.
• 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. The statement should clearly reference the Institute and the program which is being applied to. Generic personal statements will not be accepted and candidates will be required to resubmit to progress the application. 
• 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. Art Business applicants who do not have a graded paper should provide a critical review of the last 12 months’ significant events in the art market, using and quoting from any available online sources. 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. Please visit our FAQ section for detailed guidance on this.
• Payment of the application fee: A nonrefundable fee of £75 (GBP) is required for the 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*

Semester 1: £13,000 (includes deposit of £3,000.00) plus travel fee (see below for travel fee by programme)

Semester 2: £12,500

Semester 3: £6,100

International 

Semester 1: £16,000 (includes deposit of £3,000) plus travel fee (see below for travel fee by programme)

Semester 2: £15,500

Semester 3: £7,690

*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

Travel fees:  

• MA Art Business: £3,950 
• MA Luxury Business: £3,100 
• MA Contemporary Art: £2,900 
• MA Fine and Decorative Art and Design: £3,000 

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.  

Merit awards 

Applicants who are on track to achieve (or completed undergraduate study with) a First-Class degree (or equivalent) will be eligible for a partial-tuition merit-based award and will automatically be considered. Awards are not guaranteed, and the decision will be based on the program application materials submitted and faculty assessment. Award decisions will be communicated at the point of an offer being made. 

Need-based awards 

Students seeking a partial-tuition scholarship based on financial need will be asked to submit evidence of a household income of £27,500 or below following submission of their application. Award decisions will be communicated at the point of an offer being made. 

Scholarship Deadline

Applicants must have applied to the program on or before March 1, 2023 

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 1, 2022. 

Our admissions team will follow up with you within 10 working days about 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 14 days to secure your place.

Academic Calendar

Fall 2023 Entry 

Calendar coming soon 

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.

Contact Visa Compliance 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, 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
+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.