Undergraduate

Sotheby’s Summer Program: Art & Business

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Date
July 12 – August 6, 2027
Duration
4 Weeks
Location
London
Age
18+
Program
Undergraduate
Mode of Learning
In-Person
Price
Tuition
£5,600​
Optional Accommodation
£2,750
Apply by the Early Bird Deadline on January 31 to receive £350 off your tuition.
Language
English
Topic
Art Business
Contact Admissions

studyabroad@sia.edu

Explore London's unique art market and develop your understanding of the contemporary art business.

This four-week undergraduate course explores London’s art world through art history, business, and contemporary culture. From royal patronage and private collecting to today’s leading galleries and auction houses, students will trace London’s emergence as a global art center while examining the legal, financial, and ethical forces shaping the London art market. Through industry visits, behind-the-scenes access, guest speakers, and expert talks, students will develop a critical understanding of commercial opportunities and challenges facing the London art market, culminating in a capstone project that applies entrepreneurial thinking to a contemporary art business opportunity.

Apply by the Early Bird Deadline on January 31 to receive £350 off your tuition.

Course Highlights

Experience London's Art World Firsthand

Gain insider perspectives through site visits, guest speakers, expert talks, and behind-the-scenes access to leading art organizations. Learn about the people and institutions that drive activity across London's vibrant art ecosystem.

Apply Entrepreneurial Thinking to the Art Industry

Develop the skills to evaluate opportunities and challenges across the contemporary art market. Drawing on industry insights and market research, work on a capstone project that addresses a real business opportunity within today's global art world.

Sessions

Session Two

Dates
July 12 – August 6, 2027
Status
New
Apply Link
Apply

Sample Schedule

Week One: London’s Art History

Week one will explore patronage, power, and institutions within the lively and storied London art market. Explore the development of London as a global center for art, tracing British art history through the eyes of royal patronage, aristocratic collecting, artists, dealers, and the emergence of public museums. Consider how contemporary British art history intersects with empire, trade, and migration, as well as what ‘British art’ means today.

Week Two: Inside the London Art Market

In week two, you will investigate how London’s art market operates, including finance, ethics, and art management. Examine how provenance, reputation, market demand, and broader economic conditions can influence an artwork’s value through real-life case studies. Explore the roles of collectors, advisers, and institutions that are shaping market activity in London.

Week Three: Who Owns Art?

Examine the complex issues shaping London's art world, from provenance and restitution to authenticity, cultural ownership, and responsible collecting. Through real-life case studies in recent British history, you will debate the relationship between commercial interests and cultural responsibility, considering who gets to determine an artwork’s value, ownership, and place in history.

Week Four: Capstone Project

In the final week, you will discover how London’s galleries, auction houses, museums, and art fairs operate within an increasingly competitive international art market. Drawing on insights from industry professionals and real-world examples, you will bring together your knowledge of art history, business, and contemporary culture to evaluate the opportunities and challenges facing London’s art world today through a capstone project focused on entrepreneurship in the art world.

Please note: This is a sample schedule and is subject to change. Activities may vary.

Next Steps

Living in London

As the birthplace of Sotheby’s Auction House and a hub for dynamism, London is a city which fuses classic with contemporary and edgy with eclectic. From baroque balustrades to bold, brutalist architecture and an air of refined modern elegance, London is a place for exploration and inspiration. History is quite literally around every corner within this giant metropolis and provides the perfect backdrop for ideation and academia.

Details

Who Is It For?

All applicants must be at least 18 years old by the beginning of the program and currently enrolled in, or considering enrolling in, an undergraduate university program.

Students will be eligible to earn academic credit upon completion of the program. All courses are accredited for 4 US credits through the University of Montana.

Applying students are required to have a minimum 2.5 GPA or equivalent and will need to upload an unofficial copy of their most current university transcript as well as provide a short personal statement detailing their interest in the program. For non-native English speakers, we require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, TOEFL score of 85 IBT, CEFR score of B2, or a Duolingo score of 120.

The program is suitable for students studying a wide range of major subjects across, humanities, arts, and business.

Course Topics

Explore the cultural, economic, and institutional forces that shape the contemporary global art market through expert-led seminars and firsthand engagement with London’s leading arts organizations.

Sample topics include:

  • Priceless? The Business of Art
  • Art, Money, and Meaning
  • The Art Detective: Provenance and Valuation
  • Who Owns Art History? From Royal Patronage to Public Museums
  • The Ethics of Collecting: Provenance and Repatriation in London

Site Visits

Explore London’s art market through visits to leading museums, galleries, and auction houses. From renowned cultural institutions to contemporary gallery districts, you will gain valuable insight into the organizations, professionals, and practices that shape the global art market.

Site visits may include:

  • British Museum
  • National Gallery
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
  • Sotheby’s Auction House
  • Tate Modern
  • Carl Freedman Gallery
  • Treasure House Art Fair
  • Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington and V&A East
  • Waddington Custot

Guest Speakers

Leveraging Sotheby’s Institute of Art’s network, you’ll gain practical advice from experts and first-hand perspectives on the forces and trends shaping the art market today.

Sotheby’s Institute of Art undergraduate courses have previously welcomed:

  • Rong Bao, multimedia artist and sculptor
  • Tamsin Golding Yee, Deputy Director, Sotheby’s London
  • Kelsey Macpherson, Contemporary Art Specialist, Sotheby’s London
  • Barnaby Phillips, award-winning art historian, broadcaster, and author
  • Federica della Rocca, Art Advisor and Senior Lecturer
  • Isaac Simon, Founder and Director, South Parade gallery

Deadlines

Early Bird Deadline

January 31, 2027

Apply by the Early Bird Deadline on January 31 to receive £350 off your tuition.

Regular Decision Deadline

March 31, 2027

Rolling Admissions Application Deadline

June 12, 2027

View the Undergraduate Summer Program in London Terms and Conditions here.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition

£5,600

Apply by the Early Bird Deadline on January 31 to receive £350 off your tuition.

Optional Accommodation

£2,750

Deposit

A £2,500 Tuition Deposit will be due upon acceptance of offer to hold your space in the program.

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of £40 will be due at the time of application submission.

Optional Accommodation

Sotheby’s Institute of Art has secured a limited number of housing accommodations for students in central London participating in the Summer Program in London (for an additional accommodation fee). If you are interested in securing one of these accommodation spots, you can submit your application for this accommodation option on the program application. This accommodation is provided on a first come, first served basis.

Residential students are provided single studio rooms with a private en-suite bathroom and personal kitchenette. Residential students have full access to other facilities within the residence, including but not limited to a gym, quiet study areas, social spaces, and laundry facilities. The reception staff provide assistance and support 24/7, and the buildings are equipped with CCTV.

Location

Sotheby’s Institute of Art-London is situated in Bedford Square with the British Museum in the neighboring square. Sotheby’s auction house, the National Gallery, and the Royal Academy of Arts are a short walk away. The Institute is also close to Mayfair, the traditional center of the London art market where many dealers and galleries are located.

Questions?

Contact our admissions team at studyabroad@sia.edu for more information.

You are also welcome to book a phone or video consultation with our admissions team to learn more about this program. Book Your Consultation Here.

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