Master's Program in London

Click here to view our Master’s programs offered at the London campus.

You will be assessed through coursework, which will typically include:

• Essays
• Individual and group presentations
• Projects
• Reviews
• Written exam
• Seminar participation
• A final academic or practice based dissertation

At the start of the program, students are allocated a personal tutor who supports their academic and personal development. During the third semester students research their dissertation topics under the guidance of individual supervisors.

Online resources include: 100+ databases of full-text articles, scholarly journals, and reference sources (e.g. JSTOR, ProQuest suite, etc.), industry standard art business resources (Artnet, ArtPrice, ArtTactic, ArtBnk, and more), 100,000+ ebooks, and access to past MA student theses and master’s projects.

We will host a number of social events once the semester has started, giving you the chance to get to know your classmates in a more relaxed setting.

Each course has its own extra-curricular activities that will be announced throughout the semester, such as the MA in Contemporary curating collaboration with Chelsea College of Arts. We also plan an annual Careers Fair for you to engage with a range of employers from the art world.

To begin the online application, please click here.

To contact the London admissions team, please email admissions@sia.edu.

We encourage applicants to submit only one application. However, if after applying you decide that another program or campus is more suitable, the Admissions team can amend your existing application.

You may apply to both the London and New York campuses using the same email address through the application portal.

Please note that the application system does not support applying to two different programs within the same campus using one email address. If you wish to apply to multiple programs within the same campus, you will need to use a different email address for each application.

While we can process multiple applications at the same time, you can only deposit and secure a place on one program. Applicants cannot hold places at both the London and New York campuses simultaneously.

Should you want to know the status of your application, please email admissions@sia.edu.

Please email admissions@sia.edu. If you have already been offered a place on a different program you will need to provide an updated personal statement and attend a second academic interview before a decision is released.

We request that your final transcript is delivered electronically to admissions@sia.edu, either directly from your undergraduate institution or through a third-party verification service. If your undergraduate institution is only able to send hard copy transcripts by post, please ensure they are addressed to:
Sotheby’s Institute of Art
Admissions Office
30 Bedford Square
London
WC1B 3EE
UK

We require certified translations of any transcripts and certificates that are not issued in English.

Should you need to add additional documents or information to your submitted application, please send a scanned version to admissions@sia.edu.

Our online application allows applicants to include the contact information for their two references. References will receive a link to our online reference form on submission of the application. 

Please email admissions@sia.edu.

We may be able to process an application where an English Language test has not been submitted. If an applicant has not academic or professional background in the English language we may require the test before progressing the application Please note, if a test has not been provided prior to the issuance of an offer, it will be listed as a condition.
Students who require a visa will need to provide a recognized English test in advance of our CAS Form request deadline.

We accept a range of English Language qualifications including Cambridge English Tests, TOEFL iBT (100+), Pearson PTE Academic (61+), and IELTS (7.0+ overall).
Applicants who do not require a visa to study in the UK can submit an IELTS Indicator test. This will not be acceptable evidence of English language competency for applicants going through the Student Visa route.

Please note: IELTS and TOEFL scores are only valid for two years after the date of your exam.

Applicants who have a passport issued from any of the countries listed below will not need to provide evidence of their English Language:

• • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • the Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • the United States of America

If your undergraduate degree was completed at a UK university, or if it was taken overseas at an institution accredited by a UK or US institution, this can be accepted as evidence of your English language competency, in lieu of a recognized test.

We require applicants to confirm their decision to attend after receiving an offer. The place will be secured upon receipt of a non-refundable deposit of £3,000. Please note that if you apply within 8 weeks of the enrollment date you may be required to pay your first semester tuition fees in full within 7-14 days of accepting your offer.

Should circumstances mean that you are no longer able to attend after securing the place, we ask you to inform the Admissions Team by email at admissions@sia.edu and complete the Cancellation of Offer form.

If you do not secure your place within the time-frame outlined in our offer letter, or advise the Admissions Team of any circumstance which has caused a delay to the decision, your offer is at risk of being rescinded.

International applicants can apply for a CAS after they have met all the conditions of their offer and paid the first semester tuition fee. Guidance on how to submit a CAS request is available here.

If you are currently based outside of the UK, you can apply for a student visa after you have received your CAS. You must apply for your student visa before you travel to the UK and commence your studies at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

You can apply for a Student Route Visa up to 6 months prior to the course start date.

Please review the information on this page of the UK Government website.

If you arrived in the UK before January 1, 2021, and successfully applied for “settled” or ‘pre-settled status’ you will not need a student visa. We ask that you send evidence of your “settled” or “pre-settled” status to admissions@sia.edu after submitting your application.

If you are an EEA/EU national who does not have residence rights in the UK, you will need to go through the Student Visa route. Click here for more information.

Irish citizens do not need to obtain a Student Visa and can study in the UK under the Common Travel Arrangement. Irish citizens are also eligible for the ‘home student’ fee rate.

Although we are not able to give recommendations for external loan providers, we will assist in providing any required documentation to support an application. Confirmation of enrollment documents can not be issued by the Admissions Team prior to registration. If you have any questions about student loans or financial assistance, please contact the Admissions Team at admissions@sia.edu.

Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers partial-tuition scholarships to qualified domestic and international candidates. You can learn more about the process and deadlines here.

Sotheby’s Institute of Art welcomes applications from all Chevening-eligible countries in any subject area. Funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Chevening Award is a Scholarship provided to eligible candidates looking to study a postgraduate degree in the UK. Guidance for applicants can be found on the Chevening website.